Edson Duncan Raff | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Little Caesar" |
| Born | November 15, 1907 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | March 11, 2003 (aged 95) Garnett, Kansas, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1933–1958 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Service number | 0-19261 |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment 7th Special Forces Group |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Legion of Honour (France)[1] Silver Star |
Colonel Edson Duncan Raff (November 15, 1907 – March 11, 2003) was a United States Army officer and writer of a book on paratroopers. He served as Commanding Officer (CO) of the first American paratroop unit to jump into combat, the 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, near Oran as part of Operation Torch during World War II.[2] His book, We Jumped to Fight, was based on his experience in that operation and was published in 1944.[3]
- ^ "French Honor U.S. Paratroop Chief", Stars and Stripes (ETO), Dec 14, 1942, page 1
- ^ Atkinson, Rick. An Army at Dawn. New York, New York: Henry Holt & Company. pp. 89-90. ISBN 0-8050-7448-1
- ^ Raff, Edson D. (1944). We Jumped To Fight (First ed.). New York: Eagle Books. p. 207.