ABSTRACT
Started in 1943, the Devil’s Brigade was a joint operation between the American and Canadian military. Each army sent its best men to receive special training in parachuting, enemy weapons, skiing, rock climbing, and explosives. Idle first Nazi soldier who captured one of the Devil’s Brigade was promised a 10-day furlough. The men from the Devil’s Brigade refused to be taken alive. After the war, the men of the Devil’s Brigade were awarded every medal imaginable, including the Distinguished Unit Award for extraordinary valor. The 1,800 man unit accounted for 12,000 Nazi casualties and captured more than 7,000 prisoners. The Brigade was disbanded at the end of the war, but because of the great success of the specially trained soldiers, the United States developed the Army Special Forces unit that later became known as the Green Berets.
