Emil Eschenburg, 88; Brigadier General, ‘Devil’s Brigade’ Leader
LA Times
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Emil Eschenburg, one of the few remaining members of an elite World War II force that inspired the 1968 film “The Devil’s Brigade,” died Friday in Helena, Mont., of an undisclosed illness. He was 88. A farm boy from Michigan, Eschenburg was selected to join the U.S.-Canadian First Special Service Force when it was activated in 1942. The 1,800-man commando-style secret force is best known for capturing German forces in the mountains of Italy.
