Army Airborne Divisions and Regiment Patches During World War II including Ghost Divisions. 

I think it's important to point out that the 517th was only part of the 17th Airborne Division during training at Camp Toccoa. They fought all but the very end of their war as an independent unit, the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (The 517th PIR, 460th PFAB, and 496th PCEC). Just prior to Operation: Varsity, they were incorporated into the 13th Airborne Division, as commanders wanted at least one experienced PIR per new division. The 17th got the 507th, who were Normandy veterans, having made that jump as part of the 82nd in place of the 504th who were still recuperating from their time at the Anzio beachhead.

Thank you, Airborne all the way

Jump wings over CiB in WW2 always caught my attention

Beginning at 8:21 my father is pictured holding awards for presentation. He was S-3 194th Glider Infantry Regiment during WWII.

My Great Uncle was in the 501st Airbourne Regiment .

As a former Geronimo (501st), I thank you for keeping alive the unit histories of the ones that have come before. When I was in, in the early 90s, the 501st was part of the 6th ID in Alaska.

My uncle,James Claude stover started WW2 with the 91st infantry division who say action in north Africa and the Italy.After the war he joined the merchant Marines going to and from Germany in the rebuilding process for 2 yrs.Then he joined the 82 AB.Then he joined the 11th AB and did 18 months in Korea in which he won a silver star.He did two combat jumps with the 187th in Korea.After that he was in Germany with the regimental combat team,8th division,2nd airborne battle group.Then he was with the 503rd infantry at ft brag and Okinawa.Then he was with the 1st special forces group in July 61 in Laos.He worked for the CIA while in Laos.He retired in Jan 63,the month in which I was born.He retired a Master sergeant.He had the silver star,bronze star,combat infantry badge,Korean service medal,commendation medal with two pendants,army occupation medal,united nations service medal,good conduct medal with two loops,national defense service medal,European medal,middle eastern medal with three bronze stars,American defense medal,American theatre ribbon.

My great grandfather served with the 2-509 in North Africa at Tafaraoui and Youks-les-Bains, and possibly the El Djem Bridge Raid. He fought in the Kasserine and Faïd Passes in December ‘42 and February ‘43. He was transferred to the 505th RCT, 82nd Abn Div and jumped into Sicily. After Operation Husky, he was again transferred to the 101st Airborne Division and jumped into Normandy and Holland, then fought in Bastogne them Hagenau, Alsace. He ended his time as a paratrooper in Germany before volunteering for railway service in the Army Service Forces. He was honorably discharged in 1947 or ‘48. He returned home to the States, and passed in 2006 before I ever got a chance to meet him.

My Father was a member of the of the 221st Airborne Medical Company. I don't believe the 11th Airborne had a Medical Battalion. The 11th Airborne was smaller than a regular infantry unit but was assigned duties as if they were manned like a regular unit. I have seen pictures of the patch but have never seen an actual one. You have made an outstanding presentation. Keep up the good work.

Thank you for the video, great to see our history.

AATW! 2nd Gen 82nd ABN vet GWOT / OEF V-VI

555th PIR at Pendelton Oregon pioneered the concept of the "Smoke Jumpers" in fighting forest fires in difficult terrain. They proved it was viable until helicopters made their appearance many years later.

I really enjoy these videos. Thanks very much Colonel. Best wishes from England

I wish this would have covered the Triple Nickel 555th Airborne Infantry. It was an African American unit that served in the Northwest fighting fires in that part of the country. I believe it was late merged with the 82nd Airborne.

Thank you for your recap of Airborne Division. I would appreciate a review of Airborne Regimental Combat Teams i.e. 503rd RCT which jumped onto New Guinea & Corridor and made amphibious assault onto Leyte. The 503rd was never attached to an Airborne Division during WWII.

Awesome awesome awesome! Thank you Sir for the incredible work you do! Best history on RU-vid...AATW!!!!

I remember seeing 11th Airborne Division insignia painted on the DFAC at Ft Benning when I completed jump school in the late 1980s now that division has been reactivated

My neighbor when I was growing up was in the 17th Airborne Division, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment, Company E. He was in every action they fought and was transferred to the 13th Airborne Division for deployment to the Pacific after Germany surrendered. When he came home, he wore the Glider badge, two ribbons and the CIB. I have pictures of him taken by my father that clearly show the badges and ribbons. Years later he received the Bronze Star. He may have been authorized more medals but what he wore was less.

I can say that even in the plain ol' Infantry Divisions, airborne has an impact. I was in the 4th ID, the Ironhorse, as mechanized as you come. Runnin PT in the morning, I can still hear the caller and the reaction of others. "Sa, sa, sa, sa, C-130 rollin' down a strip...."

Its referred to the "Standard Load". The reason "Ribbon" is mentioned on the discharge is because the "Coin" portion of the medal hadn't been produced yet.

Thank you for this, I am a paratrooper from the 82nd!

I am looking for information about my Father’s unit in CBI theater. He was in the 879th aviation battalion. His unit was supposed to land in Waco gliders but I guess the “higher ups” decided against doing that because of the many crackups that occurred previously in other operations. My Dad said there were three companies in the battalion but only one had to go in with gliders at Myitkyina but his was landed in C-47s or C-46s. Does anyone know about this unit? In the photograph he made after basic and more special trading at Westover Field in Massachusetts he has an airborne tab on his left shoulder. Thanks for putting this blog together. Bill

I was a paratrooper in the 82nd airborne division during the Panama invasion of 1989 . If you get the chance, I would like to know the meanings behind the patch designs. As you know, there is a lot more history behind the design of these patches and the unit crest that accompany them. Thanks for the history.

My father, 94, volunteered in the US Army in 1948 without a HS school diploma. He signed up for a three year contract and then came June 1950 whereupon President Truman extended everyone for an additional year, to shore up forces headed to Korea. My father ended up making the two combat jumps in Korea with the 187th RCT, 11th Airborne Division. Rakkasan!

I think the 11th ABN. was reactivated in Alaska last year.. I like your video Colonel. I'm retired USAF.

I think it's crazy how they stood up the 11th Airborne Division. Almost like they're telegraphing something big coming..

I secretly watch your videos on WW2 patches in European and Pacific theaters. Thank You Colonel. I was a Marine and although we have unit, battalion, regimental and division crests and logos. We kinda keep it simple. We have metal rank insignia in garrison and field. I like how we don't wear our service record book all over our uniforms. Sir, I have a off the wall question, why does the Army wear unit ribbons on the right side of their service coat?

Do one on the Regimental Combat Teams of the Pacific & ETO. Separate and non.

Good Lord! My old alma mata - the 509th was never part of the 101st, they were a separate Airborne regiment later attached to the 5th Army. They did do the FIRST US combat jump of WW2, NOV42 flying from England, across occupied France, & jumping to capture a German airfield [so it could not be destroyed & later used by Allied aircraft] in Algeria Youks--les-Bains. They jumped into Avelino, to distract the Anzio landing, where some of the unit later landed by sea, jumped into Southern France AUG44 "Operation Dragoon" They were thrown into the Battle of the Ardennes DEC44. Anyone who survived was handed over to the 82nd. The 509th did some other smaller recon jumps, and years later jumped into northern Iraq 2003. They were never called "stick men" but were nick-named "Gingerbread Men"

A proud 16th MP BDE (Abn) veteran here. Could never fill the jump boots of those guys who jumped into Europe. Airborne All the Way!

My Great Uncle was with the 550th Airborne killed in action after Bastogne . George C “Tex” Jackson.

My father fought in both World War II and the Korean War. During World War II, he served with the 82nd airborne. He saw his first action at the invasion of Italy. He fought in all of the major campaigns of the 82nd airborne during World War II. He was a master parachutist, and he had the large star on his master parachutist badge indicating at least five combat jumps. I can account for at least three of those jumps. What jumps may he have made in order to attain at least five combat jumps between World War II and the Korean War? He was awarded the bronze star and three Purple Hearts - being wounded twice during World War II and once during the Korean War.

My father was part of the 504th Regiment in Europe. That unit fought independently of the 82nd airborne on many occasions. In addition to their battle stars and arrowhead, troopers received a stud in their jump wings for every combat jump. The pair of wings I have passed down to me has three of those studs for jumps in Sicily, Salerno, and Holland.

Im honored to say grandfather my 11th airborne 511th 1943-1946.

No mention of the 503 PIR that landed on Corregidor in Feb 1945.

My father was a member of the 377th parachute field artillery or 101st airborne division. His class A jacket bears the screaming eagle and his 377th patch. It is red background with gold angled parachute attached to a cannon with lightening bolts on both sides. He dropped pre D-Day Normandy, operation Market Garden at the Ludendorff bridge and the defense of Bastonge. I was very disappointed that this unit was not mentioned nor the patch shown in this video. Perhaps the colonel could add this unit and reference to men as a foot note with this video. His DD-214 lists 2 battle stars, the point of the spear, campaign medals and the French Guarette along with the defense of Bastonge. He was with Company C, 377th pfar 101st Div

The 11th Airborne has been reactivated as of June 2022 and is now the 11th Artic Airborne which is stationed at Ft. Richardson in Alaska….4th BCT 25th infantry Airborne has been absorbed into the 11th Artic Airborne . The 11th Artic Airborne is the only Artic airborne division in the US ……

My uncle Elmer was with the 194th Glider Infantry Division 17th Airborne. I wonder if he knew that medic?

Looking for a WW II Historian, any idea where I can find one that shed info on certain personnel that served during WW II?

I have/had a uncle that I never knew/met that died in 1948. He was in the 82nd Airborne Division before it was the 82nd Airborne Division. He was assigned to H Co 505th PIR as a Airborne Infantry man. His records were destroyed in the St Louis fire in the 1970’s along with four of my other uncle’s. I am trying to find out what medals that he would came home with in 1946 as I am trying to do a display box for him. If you could give me any help doing this I would greatly appreciate your assistance. I know that he got his CIB, Good Conduct, when he was assigned to H Company and that he did all four combat jumps. There is basically no one else that wants to do something for him as he was unmarried with just his family and after my grandmother died all his awards were stolen from her room. I want my children to know what their great uncle did in WWII and pass it down so that he is not forgotten. He was the reason why I joined the US Army and served over 25 years. When I came back from Iraq I was given the opportunity to read letters that he wrote home. Thank you Lawrence Hubbard

12:01 Al-Sack ... lol where is that!

Another great video. Does anyone know how the 509th patch became 5th Army patch?

Does anyone have any information on the 2nd Airborne Infantry Brigade 1943-44. I own two of these patches the narrower ones with attached tab. Not the larger GEMSCO variation. Also not the 1958-64 2nd Inf. Brigade (1st Inf Div) by then they'd use the same patch without the airborne tab. I've NEVER seen a photo of anyone wearing it and I have searched for a while now.

What unit was Matthew Ridgway part of because when looking at photos of him during the Korean War, he has a blue colored square shaped patch with a dragon on the right sleeve of his uniform along with an airborne tab also in blue

How many (and which ones) units made combat jumps in WW2?

What's the story behind the U.S. 15th Airborne Division? Why wasn't it activated in 1943?

The First Special Service Force? The XVIII Airborne Corps?

No support units? 307th Engr ABN were with the 82nd ABN the whole war!

Strike Hold!!! AATW!!!

What's up skid Marks

I’m a dirty leg But I’m authorized to wear the 18th Airborne combat patch I look kinda dumb wearing it without jump wings Only my DCU jacket and one BDU tunic has the patch

このワッペンはOSSからciaの誓い

What is the black dragon patch ? AIRBORNE !

Recon wings are made of gold

General Swing for whatever reason preferred to take care of his glider men than actual paratroopers. Very arrogant bastard!

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Put 500,000 loyal patriots on guns oiled stanbye.

101 abn 501