THE 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION'S ROD SERLING,
HOLLYWOOD'S ORIGINAL "ANGRY YOUNG MAN"

Before becoming the well-known creator of "The Twilight Zone" TV show, Rod Serling was a 5-foot, 4-inch paratrooper in the 11th Abn. Div.'s 511th Parachute Inf. Regt.

As one of "The Angels," Serling did not meet the airborne's height requirements, but he was able to talk his way into the regiment anyway.

While the division was on New Guinea, Jack Benny performed for the Angels as part of a USO team and Serling was able to write and perform in a small skit that was broadcast on Armed Forces Radio. It was a sign of things to come for the young paratrooper.

During the Angels' campaign on Leyte in late 1944, T-4 Serling and the "Suicide Squad" kept busy eliminating enemy bunkers and defensive positions. One day, while high in the island's mountains, the regiment could only be resupplied by air and Serling watched in horror as a heavy crate landed squarely on his good friend Pvt. Melvin Levy's shoulders, killing him instantly. He marked Melvin’s grave with a Star of David in honor of his friend’s Jewish heritage. It was the first of many difficult experiences that affected, perhaps even haunted, Serling--in addition to a wound to his knee that plagued him for the rest of his life.

During the division's campaign to liberate Luzon, Serling and a demolitions team kept busy with the dangerous job of blasting countless grass-covered pillboxes and blockhouses, many of which were heavily defended. On one occasion, he found himself staring down the barrel of a Japanese rifle. Luckily one of his buddies was quicker and shot the enemy soldier.

In one Manila neighborhood, Serling and several other troopers were enjoying an impromptu celebration by the newly liberated Filipinos when the Japanese began shelling the area. Noticing a wounded Filipino woman out in the open, Serling rushed into the fire to carry her to safety, an action that earned him the Bronze Star.

After the war, Serling turned to writing to "face his demons" and went on to become one of television's most well-known and award-winning screenwriters, playwrights, television producers, and narrators. He also was a passionate teacher at Antioch College, Ohio, and Ithaca College, New York.

Known to smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, Serling died on 28 June 1975. He was only 50. May we all remember these words spoken before his death: "for civilization to survive, the human race has to remain civilized."

For more information on Rod's experiences in World War II, please visit http://511pir.com/nco-biographies/201-t-5-rod-serling

Original description and photo submitted by Jeremy Holm.