12 Comments so far

1. Jen on August 21, 2006 9:43 pm

   There’s a stretch of highway between here and Canada named after these men. And many of the men, I’ve read, fell in love with Montana (and girls who were from here) that after the war, they came here to live.

2. Jack Waisberg on October 5, 2006 9:46 pm

   How sad that theese brave servicemen of Canada and USA
   are denied their very existance of heroic prportions.
   My government(CANADA) refuses to allow any information
   regarding theese troops.
   I would surely love some info.

3. Jen on October 6, 2006 4:59 pm

   Well there is information out there, Jack. I wasn’t aware of the United States Military denying their existence. For example, here’s a website about them. And this US Military website out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky – acknowledges them. They are credited to being the first Special Forces group.

   So maybe it’s the Canadian government – yet you cannot deny that people aren’t aware of them. The Canadian government named a highway after these brave men. That tells you something.

4. Gary on November 11, 2006 10:01 pm

   The Canadian government has not refused any information regarding the Devils Brigade.
   You might be confusing this with the the current Canadian special forces group (JTF2) that the government refuses to discuss. (for obvious reasons)
   With respect to the movie, it is so typical hollywood. It portrays the Americans as being a bunch of hoodlums with very little intelligence and the Canadians as the best of the best of the Canadian army. The truth is members of the force be it American or Canadian were all volunteers and they were among the best of both the Canadian and American forces.
   I’m not sure why the movie does this, is it a slight against the Americans or the Canadians…guess it doesn’t really matter. Fact is they were an elite fighting machine who achieved every objective and were an intregal part of WW2…this is not to take away from the regular Canadian or American forces, or the British, French, Australian or any other country that sent men to fight for our freedom.
   They all deserve our respect and gratitude for without one the rest may not have been successful.

5. Scott Jenkins on February 16, 2007 5:11 pm

   My dad was a Black Devil. He passed away back in 1994. As a child I attended the annual reunions with both my dad and mom that took place in Canada and the U.S. alternating every year. As I have grown older my interest in this history of my father has grown. I too am very proud of the accomplishments of this elite force ( first of the Special Forces).

6. Mark on April 18, 2007 2:06 am

   Thank You

7. Lester Mitchell on May 21, 2007 4:03 am

   My Uncle John Vezina was a Black devil,His daughetr seen a book with his name seemed like it was a regimental history,she just happenened to be at the Algonquen Hotel in St.Andrews N.B. Canandaand there was a reunion at the time.I would like to know about this book I,m thinking this was a Canadian book but maybe not. It’s a shame that the Canadian Gov. has newer given these men the honor they are so desering of. Our boys were the best and will always be. Lest we forget.

8. Mike on February 14, 2008 3:49 pm

   My great uncle just passed away in Jan. 2008 and he was an American soldier in the Devil’s Brigade.

9. David in Great Falls on February 15, 2008 12:56 am

   Mike, I salute your great-uncle. His service was and is appreciated…especially being part of such a unique unit. May he rest in peace.

10. Allen Hill on February 15, 2008 3:57 pm

    Hey I just had an uncle who passed away in january who was one the brigade. I was just wondering if this mike is related to me also or if someone else. The name of my uncle was Glen Everson. Great man. I’ll miss him.

11. Jim Hawley (Gurein) on January 25, 2009 5:23 pm

    My mother’s maiden name was Guerin. Her first cousin, James Emmett Guerin was in the FSSF and was lilled May 28th 1944 near Rome. He was from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Does anyone know why our Canadian gov’t doesn’t or has fully recognized these men? They were amazing, American and Canadian alike.

12. rick on September 26, 2009 10:59 am

    My father is one of the original Canadians who marched in on the day FSSF was formed, he made it back. When he reminisced, it was always about the funny/crazy things they did, the city of Helena and it’s wonderfully friendly & supportive people.

    He often spoke of a handful of men under him, they were a small team inside the very small overall Force, and their names are with me always. I used to wonder why he never got in touch with those men, he went only to the first reunion, always said he just couldn’t take it, there were too many terrible memories.

    It was just a few months ago I learned that those men he spoke of had not returned. For my entire life I had simply assumed his buddies were somewhere out there making their kids laugh with tales of exploding latrines, clandestine stills in Anzio foxholes, joy-riding in a gigantic captured enemy staff car and any number of anecdotes suggesting he and his friends had some fine times together in the midst of the madness of war.

    Records were reportedly lost after the war. More than 60 years after the fact, the US Army and President Bush sent my dad’s Bronze Star, he’d never received it and Canada did not award decorations to Force members. But he did finally wear it.

    We have a son in Canada’s army, he’s a career soldier, it was his dream and ambition since he was a small boy. He’s served 2 deployments in Afghanistan, and is prepping up for a third. If this were 1943, he’d be one of the men in FSSF. I guess it could be said he’s carrying on the legacy. Another small unit out past the edges of reality where none who have not walked can ever comprehend.

    Soon the entire FSSF will be at the last reunion. In my mind my dad and his long-missed buddies will be together again. They deserve that, they earned it, and maybe he’ll find peace within.

    Thanks, dad. Stay safe, son.