Helena, MT – 80 years ago, December 3, 1943, the legacy of the First Special Service Force began on a mountain top in central Italy. The mountain was named Monte la Defensa and was the southern most fortress of the German Winter Line, a series of mountain tops across central Italy occupied by the German Army. The Allies were fighting north up the boot of Italy in the fall of 1943 on their push to Rome and the eventual liberation of Italy when they ran into the Winter Line and were stopped.  For the next several weeks, the allies tried to clear the Nazis off Monte la Defensa, with no success and very high casualties.

The First Special Service Force arrived in Italy on November 19, 1943 and was immediately assigned the task of clearing the German soldiers off la Defensa, along with several other mountain tops of the Winter Line.  On the night of December 1, 1943 the First Special Service Force marched 10 miles in the snow and rain of the Italian winter, and under the cover of darkness, to the base of the northern cliffs of Monte la Defensa.  The Force waited in silence throughout the day of December 2, close enough to hear the German soldiers talking; close enough to smell their food cooking. Under the cover of darkness on the night of December 2, 2nd Regiment of the First Special Service Force scaled the 300-foot cliffs on the north side of la Defense in fog, rain and snow. By daybreak on the morning of December 3, 300 Forcemen were on top of the mountain when the battle began. Within four hours the men of the First Special Service Force had pushed the German soldiers off la Defensa. For the next six weeks the First Special Force cleared the mountain tops of the Winter Line, fighting north to Casino. The First Special Service Force was relieved on January 16, 1943 after 45 days of continuous combat. The Force’s combat echelon on December 3, 1943, the battle of la Defensa, was 1,800 men. On January 16, 1943, when the Force was relived, fewer than 500 Forcemen came out of the mountains.

The First Special Service Force was a unique joint Canadian American top-secret Force constituted under LTC Robert T.Frederick on July 9, 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison west of Helena, Montana. The First Special Service Force was airborne-trained and highly skilled in mountain operations and amphibious assaults with tough, physical training concentrated on weapons proficiency and demolitions. When tested by the US Army prior to deployment, the First Special Service Force scored the highest in infantry proficiency of any unit in the Army.

Following the mountain campaign, the Force played a key role at Anzio where they held a division-sized sector along the Mussolini Canal. Aggressive patrolling and raids by the blackened faced Forceman earned them the nickname “Black Devils” by the opposing Germans.

Members of the First Special Service Force were the first Allied troops to enter Rome on June 4, 1944.

The Force’s final campaign was the liberation of Southern France. The Force seized two islands off the coast of Southern France to open the way for the Allied landing force, and then fought northeast along the coast through the towns of Grasse, Plascassiere, and Menton where the unit was deactivated on December 5, 1944.

In 251 days of combat the Force suffered 2,314 casualties – 134% of its combat strength. They captured 30,000 German prisoners, won five US campaign stars and eight Canadian battle honors.  The Force never failed a mission.

The surviving veterans of the FSSF dedicated a monument to their fallen brothers in August 1947 in Helena’s Memorial Park. The Cenotaph east of the monument includes the names of 488 men who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II.

Most gratifying to the Veterans of the FSSF is that its traditions and honors have not died but are carried forward, with its lineage embracing the outstanding active Special Forces units of two great democracies:  The Canadian Special Operations Regiment and the Special Forces of the United States Army.

On February 3, 2015, the United States Congress presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the First Special Service Force, “In recognition of its superior service during World War II”.  Forty-three original FSSF Veterans attended the ceremony at the United States Capitol, along with over 800 family members, friends, and members of Congress.

On August 21, 2015 veterans of the First Special Service Force presented their Congressional Gold Medal to Fort William Henry Harrison, where the Force trained 73 years earlier.

For further information, contact Bill Woon, (406) 461-7485, or Ray Read, (406) 235-0290.