In June 1944, a Stars and Stripes photographer captured a group of paratroopers preparing for the Normandy invasion—faces streaked with war paint, hair shaved into mohawks. The American public didn’t know them, but within the 101st Airborne the 1st Demolition Section of the 506th PIR—the “Filthy Thirteen”—was already infamous. Known for their ferocity, and disregard for discipline, they were constantly in trouble during training yet would successfully undertake some of the most dangerous missions during the war in Europe, suffering heavy casualties.

Jack Agnew, born in Belfast and raised in Philadelphia, was just 19 when he joined up in 1942. He wanted to be a pilot but as he didn’t have the necessary college degree he volunteered for the paratroopers—jumping out of aircraft instead of flying them. At Toccoa, his mechanical skills, survival skills, and marksmanship led to his selection for the demolition team that would became the Filthy Thirteen.

An original member of the squad, Jack would make all three of the Filthy Thirteen’s assigned combat missions, alongside Jake McNiece. He dislocated his shoulder on landing in Normandy during the hours of darkness before the invasion, but still helped the unit hold the bridges over the Douve as planned, and take Carentan. In September Jack jumped into the Netherlands, before volunteering with McNiece for the Pathfinders. They were both part of the 506 Pathfinder Team that jumped into the encirclement at Bastogne in December, guide the resupply planes to the proper drop zone, ensuring the 101st received critical supplies. The survivors of the Filthy 13 stayed intact as a unit until the Allies finally conquered Germany. Jack often acted as a demolition expert for E Company, the “Band of Brothers,” during combat, and was acting as scout when they discovered Landsburg camp, making him the first American on the scene. He finished the war in Austria, chosen by Colonel Sink to act as his bodyguard.

In recent years, books have revealed the truth about the men of Filthy Thirteen, the unit that inspired the Dirty Dozen movie. Now at last Jack’s story can be told in full, based on his own accounts, preserved by his family.