The Central Pennsylvania World War II Roundtable will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, 433 E. Main St., Hummelstown.

The speaker, David Shortt of Germantown, Ohio, is the historian of the 17th Airborne Division SCIONS Association and has studied the division's history for over 40 years. He will be joined by World War II 17th Airborne paratrooper Richard Weaver, 98, from Gettsyburg.

During World War II, the 17th Airborne Division earned more Medals of Honor than any other airborne division and sustained casualties nearly double the daily combat average of the other airborne divisions. In the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, the troopers of the 17th entered combat in waist-high snow with poor intelligence and inadequate artillery support, facing two German panzer armies in a bloody combat on a narrow, high-rimmed road known as Dead Man's Ridge. In early March 1945, the division participated in Operation Varsity, the last airborne operation of the war, executing a daylight jump into the Ruhr heartland, across the Rhine River.

Shortt served in the U.S. Army from 1979 to 2004, following in the footsteps of many family members, who included a 17th Airborne Division paratrooper. He holds a Bachelor of Science from New York University and is curator of the Veterans Memorial Museum Foundation of Germantown, Ohio. Weaver will share his account of his World War II service.

The meeting is open to the public, and no registration is required. Additional information can be found at http://www.centralpaww2roundtable.org. The Central Pennsylvania World War II Roundtable is a nonprofit organization that provides a forum for World War II veterans, authors, historians, and citizens to share their knowledge and experiences related to the war.