night. December and January casualties were 653: 565 wounded and 78 killed. February casualties in Germany were 287: 235 wounded and 52 killed. These numbers do not include evacuations attributable to disease and frozen extremities. Last days of World War II After being relieved by the 508th PIR, the RCT was trucked to the railhead at Aachen, Germany. After a two-day train trip, the RCT arrived at Laon, France, where they settled in for a two-day stay. On 15 February, XVIII Airborne Corps notified Colonel Graves that the RCT was assigned to the newly arrived 13th Airborne Division and was to proceed to Joigny, France, southeast of Paris. As the RCT closed in at Joigny on 21 February, the RCT was dissolved. The 460th became part of the 13th Airborne Division Artillery and the 596th Engineers were merged with Company B, 129th Airborne Engineer Battalion. The 517th PIR was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division; they were to take part in Operation Varsity, the airborne crossing of the Rhine river. However, prior to the operation, the 13th's participation in the attack was called off. The 517th, then attached to the 17th Airborne Division, was slated to take part in Operation Coronet, the airborne invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, which was also called off after V-J Day. Statistics The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team accumulated over 150 combat days during five campaigns on battlefields in Italy, France, Belgium and Germany. The battalion casualty rate was 81.9 percent. The team suffered 1,576 casualties and had 252 men killed in action. Private First Class Melvin E. Biddle of B Company, 1st Battalion, 517th PIR was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Soy-Hotton engagement. On 15 February 1945, elements of the RCT were assigned to the 13th Airborne Division. The 13th was deactivated in February 1946. In addition to the one Medal of Honor, troopers of the 517th PRCT earned 131 Silver Stars, 631 Bronze Stars, 1,576 Purple Hearts, 6 Distinguished Service Crosses, 5 Legion of Merits, 4 Soldier's Medals, 2 Air Medals and 17 French Croix de Guerres. Helmets During World War II, the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment was part of the First Airborne Task Force, that had the mission of jumping behind enemy lines in south eastern France for Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944. It is thought that during the preparation for this combat jump, it was