While the 11th Airborne Division was still outside Lipa on Luzon in early August of 1945, GEN MacArthur asked Major General Joseph Swing to form part of his Honor Guard for Japan from the 11th Airborne's troopers. General Swing passed word to his regimental commanders in the 511th and 188 PIRs and the 187th GIR to select their best troopers for the duty, with the stipulation that each trooper must be over 5’11”.
SSGT Wilbur Wilcox, a friend of my grandfather’s from D-511, said:
“The qualifications for the Honor Guard were height and combat experience. As the tallest Staff Sergeant picked, and because I had been through Leyte and Luzon, I was placed as the first man in the first rank. As the other men were picked to fill out the squad they were placed according to how tall they were.”
Each regiment supplied one platoon of five squads led by two officers with sixty-six enlisted men that would guard MacArthur at the Atsugi airfield, during the surrender signings, at his Yokohama HQ (the five-story New Grand Hotel), his residence at the Sun Oil Company compound and at his home at the U.S. Embassy.
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PLATOON HEADQUARTERS
Platoon C.O. - 1LT Ralph Ermatinger (F Co.)
Assistant C.O. - 2nd Lt. James C. Watkins (G Co.)
Platoon Sgt. - T/Sgt. Edward B. Reed
Runner - Pfc. Harry A. Swan (G Co.)
Runner - Pfc Robert Wilms (F Co.)
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FIRST SQUAD
Squad Leader - S/Sgt. John R. Bandoni (E Co.)
Assistant Leader - S/Sgt. Wilbur Wilcox (D Co.)
Scout - Pfc Norman W. Henning (E Co.)
Scout - Pfc John Tkaczk (D Co.)
BAR - Pfc Lathol L. Hadden
Assistant BAR - Pfc James Koutoudakis (C Co.)
Ammo Bearer - Pfc Phillip A. Thompson (I Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Edward J. Fablocki
Rifleman - Pfc Daniel E. Bartram (HQ3)
Rifleman - Pfc Lawton V. Baugh (RHQ)
Rifleman - Pfc Elmer J. Trantow (HQ2)
Rifleman - Pfc Conrad J. Laurin (C Co.)
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SECOND SQUAD
Squad Leader - S/Sgt. J.D. Perry (E Co.)
Assit. Leader - Sgt. Muric B. Barka
Scout - Pfc Paul L. Lingerfelt (E Co.)
Scout - Pfc Richard Maraffi
BAR - Pfc Chester N. Rich
Assit. Bar - Pfc John M. Ropar (F Co.)
Ammo Bearer - Pfc John H. Gunselman (F. Co)
Rifleman - Pfc Harold J. Teiken (F Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc John C. Connel (RHQ)
Rifleman - Pfc George M. Huston (F Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Frederick M. Slaterits (F Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Jaqures B. Smith (D Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc George R. Hadac (E Co.
Rifleman - Pfc ? Stewart
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THIRD SQUAD
Squad Leader - S/Sgt. Theodore Johnson
Assistant Leader - Sgt. Robert E. Turner (HQ1)
Scout - Pfc Carlton E. Rieth (F Co.)
Scout - Pfc James E. Ward
BAR- Pfc. Alex Village Center (D Co.)
Assistant BAR - Pfc Carl B. Rae
Ammo Bearer - Pfc Charles N. Wise (D Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Sidney Smithson (B Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Clyde T. Johnson (D Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Arthur B. Armitage (A Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Tony Cusinau
Rifleman - Pfc Ignacio A. Sotelo (B Co.)
Sgt. Harold E. Harlow
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FOURTH SQUAD
Squad Leader - S/Sgt. Robert B. Barker (H Co.)
Assistant Leader - Sgt. Irl R. Lightner (HQ1)
Scout - Pfc David Reynaud
Scout - Pfc Warren C. Hardy (H Co.)
BAR - Pfc Edward Sturgill (G Co.)
Assistant Bar - T/5 Joseph V. Walsh (HQ3)
Ammo Bearer - Pfc Norwood Watson (E Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Rex Oliver
Rifleman - Pfc Norman Martin (H Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc John Smith (H Co.)
Rifleman - Pfc Robert O. Henderstein (I Co.)
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FIFTH SQUAD
Squad Leader - Sgt. Martin R. Sturn (HQ3)
Gunner - Pfc Herbert C. Healey (HQ3)
Gunner - Pfc James A. Schuster (HQ3)
Gunner - Pfc William Porteous (D Co.)
Gunner - Pfc J. V. Florey (HQ2)
Gunner - Pfc Arthur L. Moore (HQ1)
Mortar Sgt. - Sgt. Johnson E. Cail (E Co.)
Mortarman - Pfc Merlin R. Twogood (D Co.)
Mortarman - Pfc Leon F. Wiktorowski (G Co.)
Mortarman - Pfc Ninian M. Olson (HQ3)
Mortarman - Pfc Thomas D Tribuani (HQ3)
Mortarman - Pfc Thomas H. Page (I Co.)
Mortarman - Pfc Walden
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11th Airborne Division Honor Guard members stand erect outside the New Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan to protect General Douglas MacArthur and his staff - September 1945
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"We Were The Best There Ever Was." 
