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Contact Info
Home Town Gasport
Last Address Hilton Head Island, SC
Date of Passing Nov 22, 1990
Location of Interment Beaufort National Cemetery (VA) - Beaufort, South Carolina
This is to Certify that
The President of the United States of America
Takes Pride in Presenting
THE
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
to
VANDERVOORT, BENJAMIN H.
(First Award)
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Benjamin H. Vandervoort (0-22715), Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Commanding Officer of the 2d Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces on 6 June 1944, near Ste. Mere Eglise, France. Though he sustained a broken foot in his jump, Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort refused to be evacuated. He immediately, despite his painful injury, assembled and organized all the available troops from his battalion and personally led it through enemy held territory to the initial objective. With only first-aid treatment for his broken foot, he remained with his unit and directed the defense of its newly won position against a vastly superior enemy. With complete disregard for his own safety he continually moved about the foremost elements, subjecting himself to intense enemy rifle, machine gun and artillery fire. Inspired by his presence, his men successfully withstood repeated enemy counterattacks. Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort's outstanding leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, First U.S. Army, General Orders No. 31 (July 1, 1944)
VANDERVOORT, BENJAMIN H.
(Second Award)
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Benjamin H. Vandervoort (0-22715), Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Commanding Officer of the 2d Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces in Holland from 17 to 23 September 1944. On 17 September the Second Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort commanding, landed near Groesbeek, Holland. Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort hastened the reorganization and advanced with his leading element to capture the initial battalion objective in three and one half hours. On the afternoon of the 19th of September 1944, the Second Battalion moved into Nijmegen to attack prepared defensive positions including dug in anti-tank and machine gun nests and camouflaged snipers posts. Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort supervised and directed the assault while continually under direct fire from these snipers. A coordinated attack was launched on the afternoon of 21 September 1944. Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort established himself at a forward and exposed position to personally supervise and coordinate the progress of the Infantry and attached armored elements. Throughout the entire engagement, his total disregard for his own safety made possible the continued coordination which led to the final seizure of the bridge. Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort's coolness, outstanding courage and initiative, and his resolute leadership contributed to the success of the mission of seizing intact the railway and highway bridges. His intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, XVIII Airborne Corps, General Orders No. 10 (January 22, 1945)
Home Town: Gasport, New York
(Note: Most of the information available on LTC Vandervoort is in french - I need some additional information to get service dates correct. If you have the info, please leave a message on this profile - Thanks)
Military Service
After his service as a lieutenant in the infantry, he joined the newly established paratroopers in the summer of 1940. He became a member of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, when it was created.
Capt. Vandervoort was the S-3 of 505th commander Col. James M. Gavin when the regiment was dropped over Sicily during the Operation Husky. Later he was made a company commander in the same regiment.
After being promoted on 2 June 1944 to Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded the 2nd Battalion, 505th PIR and led it in the American airborne landings in Normandy and in Operation Market Garden. General Matthew B. Ridgway described Vandervoort one time as ”[...] one of the bravest and toughest battle commanders I ever knew”. In Goronne he was wounded by mortar fire, so that he was unable to take part in the divisions' pursuit to Germany.
"...Under heavy snowfall, D Btry’s 2d Lt Henry G. Coustillac, O-1051916 (KIA 7 jan 45), got orders to advance his platoon together with 2d Bn, 505th PIR (code name < CHALLENGE / WHITE), which was to capture the town of Goronne, defended by Volksgrenadiers with tanks . A gun section of A Btry was also assigned the job, just to bolster the assault, though some people were just wondering what they and their peashooters could do to get the paratroops past those German Tigers . As a matter of fact, some heated discussions were exchanged among commanders about being sent on a ‘suicide’ mission . The 505th Parachute Infantry trudged thru heavy snow on January 7, D Co advancing upon German foxholes and positions overlooking Goronne and Thier-du-Mont (508th PIR sector) . E and F Co, 505th, were to attack along the road with Sherman tanks in support, but the German Tiger tanks knocked them out in short order, bottling up the advance . Being unable to communicate with D Co, Lt Col Benjamin H. Vandervoort, O-22715 (CO > 2d Bn / 505th PIR) sent Lt. H. G. Coustillac and a 57mm AT gun crew to D Co’s position (CO > Lt James Joe Meyers) explaining the situation, and telling him, should D Company take the hill, he would come up with a 57mm gun and try to get a flanking shot at one of the Tigers … With a close-in firefight in progress, Lt H. G. Coustillac moved up with his fellow officer, Lt J. J. Meyers, when enemy mortar fire landed on them, instantly killing Coustillac ! Down below, Lt Col Benjamin H. Vandervoort, was discussing the situation, and preparing to reinforce D Co with Hq personnel . He was also subjected to enemy mortar fire . An 80mm shell exploded nearby, and white-hot shrapnel hit him in the face, he would eventually lose his left eye in the process, thereby ending his further career as 2d Bn Commander of the 505th PIR, a huge blow for the Regiment "
In 1946 Vandervoort retired from the U.S. Army.
Post War
After he left the army Vandervoort worked for the CIA. He had two children with his wife Nedra; a son and a daughter. Benjamin Vandervoort died on the 22 November, 1990 at the age of 75 years at a nursing home from the effects of a fall.
Popular Culture
Vandervoort was portrayed by actor John Wayne in the movie version of Cornelius Ryan's history of D-Day, The Longest Day. The role was actively sought by Charlton Heston but the last-minute decision of John Wayne to take a role in the film prevented Heston from participating. At the time of filming, Wayne was 27 years older than Vandervoort had been on D-Day; in fact, Vandervoort was still a decade younger than Wayne when the film was made.
John Wayne as Lt.Col. Benjamin Vandervoort
Literature
Michel de Trez: Col. Ben Vandervoort "Vandy" 0-22715 (Way We Were), D-Day Publishing, 2004, ISBN 2-9600176-7-6
Benjamin Hayes "Vandy" Vandervoort (3 March, 1917 in Gasport, New York - 22 November 1990) was an American soldier with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, who fought in World War II. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Other Comments:
Benjamin H. Vandervoort, Retired Colonel, 75
AP
Published: Thursday, November 22, 1990
Benjamin Hayes Vandervoort, a retired Army colonel whose exploits in the D-Day invasion were chronicled in the movie "The Longest Day," died Sunday at a nursing home here from the effects of a fall. He was 75 years old.
On June 6, 1944, Colonel Vandervoort, then a lieutenant colonel, parachuted into France with the 82d Airborne Division in the invasion that led to the end of World War II in Europe.
He broke his leg in the jump, but ordered a medical aide to lace his boot tightly so he could keep fighting a German counterattack on the Allied forces landing on Normandy beaches. He used a cane to stay in combat until the beachhead was secure.
Colonel Vandervoort, who had lived on Hilton Head Island for 23 years, is survived by his wife, Nedra, a son, a daughter and two grandchildren.
Description The European-Mediterranean-Middle East Theater was a major theater of operations during the Second World War (between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946). The vast size of Europe, Mediterranean and Middle East theatre saw interconnected naval, land, and air campaigns fought for control of the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The fighting in this theatre lasted from 10 June 1940, when Italy entered the war on the side of Germany, until 2 May 1945 when all Axis forces in Italy surrendered. However, fighting would continue in Greece – where British troops had been dispatched to aid the Greek government – during the early stages of the Greek Civil War.
The British referred to this theatre as the Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre (so called due to the location of the fighting and the name of the headquarters that controlled the initial fighting: Middle East Command) while the Americans called the theatre of operations the Mediterranean Theatre of War. The German official history of the fighting is dubbed 'The Mediterranean, South-East Europe, and North Africa 1939–1942'. Regardless of the size of the theatre, the various campaigns were not seen as neatly separated areas of operations but part of one vast theatre of war.
Fascist Italy aimed to carve out a new Roman Empire, while British forces aimed initially to retain the status quo. Italy launched various attacks around the Mediterranean, which were largely unsuccessful. With the introduction of German forces, Yugoslavia and Greece were overrun. Allied and Axis forces engaged in back and forth fighting across North Africa, with Axis interference in the Middle East causing fighting to spread there. With confidence high from early gains, German forces planned elaborate attacks to be launched to capture the Middle East and then to possibly attack the southern border of the Soviet Union. However, following three years of fighting, Axis forces were defeated in North Africa and their interference in the Middle East was halted. Allied forces then commenced an invasion of Southern Europe, resulting in the Italians switching sides and deposing Mussolini. A prolonged battle for Italy took place, and as the strategic situation changed in southeast Europe, British troops returned to Greece.
The theatre of war, the longest during the Second World War, resulted in the destruction of the Italian Empire and altered the strategic position of Germany resulting in numerous German divisions being deployed to Africa and Italy and total losses (including those captured upon final surrender) being over half a million. Italian losses, in the theatre, amount to around to 177,000 men with a further several hundred thousand captured during the process of the various campaigns. British losses amount to over 300,000 men killed, wounded, or captured, and total American losses in the region amounted to 130,000.
