Forrest Guth
Corporal Forrest L Guth (6 February 1921 - 9 August 2009) is one of the 140 original members of The Famous Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division, United States Army during the Second World War.
Youth
Forrest Guth (pronounced "Gooth") was born to John H. R. and Mayme L. Guth in the small district of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He is a direct descendant of the original German settlers who established themselves in the inland counties of eastern Pennsylvania in the 1700's. These early colonizers were known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, although they were not Dutch, but rather of Germanic origin and German-speaking heritage. Forrest was brought up in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Allentown, in Upper Macungie Township.
Guth was fluent in the Pennsylvania Dutch language and would speak it with his best friends; Carl Fenstermaker and Roderick Strohl who also became one of the 140 Easy company originals, although later C. Fenstermaker volunteered for the Pathfinders and was transferred from 'Easy'.
Paratrooper Training
In 1942, Guth was working for Bethlehem Steel making armor plates for the Navy when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. At that time, working for the defense industry meant that he was advised not to join as he was needed back at home producing steel plates, but he enlisted in the Army and volunteered for the paratroopers. He and two friends joined in 1942, and became part of the original Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Easy Company consisted of 132 enlisted men and 8 officers. Forrest went to basic training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia where the Regiment's motto was born: "Currahee," named after the mountain where the regiment were forced to run the 6-mile round trip up and down daily. After parachute training at Fort Benning, Guth made his qualifying jumps and received his Jump Wings.
Easy Co. embarked on September 5, 1943, and arrived at Liverpool, England. Guth was stationed in Aldbourne, Wiltshire. Training was carried out according to the later Invasion of France, and numerous full equipment nights jumps were made. He and his unit were also involved in the pre D-Day Exercise Tiger at Slapton SandS, Devon.