101st Airborne Division
Encyclopedia
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army
modular light infantry
division
trained for air assault
operations
. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord
, the D-Day
landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden
, the liberation of Holland and action during the Battle of the Bulge
around the city of Bastogne, Belgium. During the Vietnam War
, the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles including the fight for Hamburger Hill
in May 1969. Upon its arrival in Vietnam in 1965 (1st Brigade), followed by the 2nd and 3rd brigades in 1968), the division was an airborne unit. In mid-1968 it was reorganized and redesignated as an airmobile division, then in 1974 as an air assault division. Both of these titles reflect the fact that the division went from airplanes as the primary method of delivering troops into combat, to the use of helicopters as the way the division entered battle. Many modern members of the 101st are graduates of the U.S. Army Air Assault School
and wear the Air Assault Badge
. Although not a prerequisite for assignment to the division, the badge is a requirement for holding a leadership position. Division headquarters is at Fort Campbell
, Kentucky
. In recent years, the division has served in Iraq
and Afghanistan
. The division is one of the most highly decorated units in the U.S. Army and has been featured prominently in military fiction since its first deployment.
The 101st Airborne Division was activated 16 August 1942 at Camp Claiborne
, Louisiana
. On 19 August 1942, its first commander, Major General William C. Lee
, promised his new recruits that the 101st had "no history but had a rendezvous with destiny."
In his first address to his soldiers the day the division was born, Lee read General Order Number 5 dated 19 August 1942:
of the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop prior to the invasion. They left from RAF North Witham
having trained there with the 82nd Airborne Division.
The 101st Airborne Division's objectives were to secure the four causeway exits behind Utah Beach
, destroy a German coastal artillery battery at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville, capture buildings nearby at Mésières believed used as barracks and a command post for the artillery battery, capture the Douve River lock at la Barquette (opposite Carentan), capture two footbridges spanning the Douve at la Porte opposite Brévands, destroy the highway bridges over the Douve at Sainte-Come-du-Mont, and secure the Douve River valley.
In the process units also disrupted German communications, established roadblocks to hamper the movement of German reinforcements, established a defensive line between the beachhead and Volognes, cleared the area of the drop zones to the unit boundary at Les Forges, and linked up with the 82nd Airborne Division.
The paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" jumped between 0048 and 0140 British Double Summer Time of 6 June. The first wave, inbound to Drop Zone A (the northernmost), was not surprised by the cloud bank and maintained formation, but navigating errors and a lack of Eureka signal caused the first error. Although the 2nd Battalion 502nd PIR was dropped as a compact unit, it jumped on the wrong drop zone, while its commander, Lt Col. Steve A. Chappuis, came down virtually alone on the correct drop zone. Chappuis and this stick captured the coastal battery soon after assembling, and found that it had already been dismantled after an air raid.
Most of the remainder of the 502nd (70 of 80 sticks
) dropped in a disorganized pattern around the impromptu drop zone set up by the pathfinders near the beach. The battalion commanders of the 1st and 3rd Battalions, Lt Col. Patrick J. Cassidy (1/502) and Lt Col. Robert G. Cole
(3/502), took charge of small groups and accomplished all of their D-Day missions. Cassidy's group took Saint Martin-de-Varreville by 0630, sent a patrol under S/Sgt. Harrison C. Summers
to seize the "XYZ" objective, a barracks at Mésières, and set up a thin line of defense from Fourcarville to Beuzeville. Cole's group moved during the night from near Saint Mère Église to the Varreville battery, then continued on and captured Exit 3 at 0730. They held the position during the morning until relieved by troops moving inland from Utah Beach. Both commanders found Exit 4 covered by German artillery fire and Cassidy recommended to the 4th Infantry Division
that it not use the exit.
The division's parachute artillery did not fare nearly as well. Its drop was one of the worst of the operation, losing all but one howitzer and dropping all but two of 54 loads four to twenty miles (32 km) to the north, where most ultimately became casualties.
The second wave, assigned to drop the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) on Drop Zone C 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Sainte Marie-du-Mont
, was badly dispersed by the clouds, then subjected to intense antiaircraft fire for 10 miles (16.1 km). Three of the 81 C-47s were lost before or during the jump. One, piloted by 1st Lt. Marvin F. Muir of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, caught fire. Lt. Muir held the aircraft steady while the stick jumped, then died when the plane crashed immediately afterward, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
. Despite the opposition, the 506th's 1st Battalion (the original division reserve) was dropped accurately on DZ C, landing two-thirds of its sticks and regimental commander Col. Robert F. Sink
on or within a mile of the drop zone.
Most of the 2nd Battalion commanded by Lt Col. Robert L. Strayer had jumped too far west, near Sainte Mère Église. They eventually assembled near Foucarville
at the northern edge of the 101st Airborne's objective area. It fought its way to the hamlet of le Chemin near the Houdienville causeway by mid-afternoon, but found that the 4th Division had already seized the exit hours before. The 3rd Battalion of the 501st PIR, led by Lt Col. Julian J. Ewell (3/501), also assigned to jump onto DZ C, was more scattered, but took over the mission of securing the exits. An ad hoc company
-sized team that included division commander Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
reached the Pouppeville exit at 0600. After a six-hour house-clearing battle with elements of the German 1058th Grenadier Regiment, the group secured the exit shortly before 4th Division troops arrived to link up.
The third wave also encountered severe flak, losing 6 aircraft. The troop carriers still made an accurate drop, placing 94 of 132 sticks on or close to the drop zone, but part of the DZ was covered by pre-registered German machinegun and mortar fire that inflicted heavy casualties before many troops could get out of their chutes. Among the killed were two of the three battalion commanders and the executive officer of the 3/506th.
The surviving battalion commander, Lt Col. Robert A. Ballard, gathered 250 troopers and advanced toward Saint Côme-du-Mont to complete his mission of destroying the highway bridges over the Douve. Less than half a mile from his objective at les Droueries he was stopped by elements of battalion III./1058 Grenadier-Rgt. Another group of 50 men, assembled by the regimental S-3, Major Richard J. Allen, attacked the same area from the east at Basse-Addeville but was also pinned down.
The commander of the 501st PIR, Col. Howard R. Johnson, collected 150 troops and captured the main objective, the la Barquette lock, by 0400. After establishing defensive positions, Col. Johnson went back to the DZ and assembled another 100 men, including Allen's group, to reinforce the bridgehead. Despite naval gunfire support from the cruiser Quincy
, Ballard's battalion was unable to take Saint Côme-du-Mont or join Col. Johnson.
The S-3 officer of the 3rd Battalion 506th PIR, Capt. Charles G. Shettle, put together a platoon
and achieved another objective by seizing two foot bridges near la Porte at 0430 and crossed to the east bank. When their ammunition drew low after knocking out several machine gun emplacements, the small force withdrew to the west bank. It doubled in size overnight as stragglers came in, and repulsed a German probe across the bridges.
Two other noteworthy actions took place near Sainte Marie-du-Mont by units of the 506th PIR, both of which involved the seizure and destruction of batteries
of 105mm guns of the German III Battalion-191st Artillery Regiment. During the morning, a small patrol of troopers from Company E 506th PIR under (then) 1st Lt. Richard D. Winters overwhelmed a force 3–4 times its size and destroyed four guns at a farm called Brécourt Manor
for which Winters was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
.
Around noon, while reconnoitering the area by jeep, Col. Sink received word that a second battery of four guns had been discovered at Holdy, a manor between his CP and Sainte Marie-du-Mont, and the defenders had a force of some 70 paratroopers pinned down. Capt. Lloyd E. Patch (Headquarters Company 1st/506th) and Capt. Knut H. Raudstein (Company C 506th PIR) led an additional 70 troops to Holdy and enveloped the position. The combined force then continued on to seize Sainte Marie-du-Mont. A platoon of the 502nd PIR, left to hold the battery, destroyed three of the four guns before Col. Sink could send four jeep
s to save them for the airborne's use.
At the end of D-Day, Gen. Taylor and his assistant division commander (ADC) Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe returned from their foray at Pouppeville. Taylor had control of approximately 2,500 of his 6,600 men, most of which were in the vicinity of the 506th CP at Culoville, with the thin defense line west of Saint Germain-du-Varreville, or the division reserve at Blosville. Two glider airlifts had brought in scant reinforcements and had resulted in the death of his other ADC, Brig. Gen. Don F. Pratt. The 327th Glider Infantry had come across Utah Beach but only its third battalion (1st Battalion 401st GIR) had reported in.
The 101st Airborne Division had accomplished its most important mission of securing the beach exits, but had a tenuous hold on positions near the Douve River, over which the Germans could still move armored units. The three groups clustered there had tenuous contact with each other but none with the rest of the division. A shortage of radio equipment caused by losses during the drops exacerbated his control problems. Taylor made destroying the Douve bridges the division's top priority and delegated the task to Col. Sink, who issued orders for the 1st Battalion 401st Glider Infantry to lead three battalions south the next morning.
As the regular troops moved in from the coast and strengthened the paratrooper positions, many were relieved and sent to the rear to organize for the next big paratroop operation.
. The division took part in Operation Market Garden
(17–25 September 1944), an unsuccessful Allied
military operation under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery to capture Dutch bridges over the Rhine fought in the Netherlands and the largest airborne operation of all time.
The plan, as outlined by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, required the seizure by airborne forces of several bridges on the Highway 69
across the Maas (Meuse River
) and two arms of the Rhine (the Waal and the Lower Rhine
), as well as several smaller canal
s and tributaries
. Crossing the these bridges would allow British armoured units to outflank the Siegfried Line
, advance into northern Germany, and encircle the Ruhr
, Germany's industrial heartland, thus ending the war. This meant the large-scale use of Allied airborne forces
, including both the 82nd and 101st.
The operation was initially successful. Several bridges between Eindhoven and Nijmegen were captured by the 82nd and 101st. The 101st met little resistance and captured most of their initial objectives by the end of 17 September. However, the demolition of the division's primary objective, a bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son
, delayed the capture of the main road bridge over the Maas until 20 September. Faced with the loss of the bridge at Son, the 101st unsuccessfully attempted to capture a similar bridge a few kilometers away at Best but found the approach blocked. Other units continued moving to the south and eventually reached the northern end of Eindhoven.
At 06:00 hours on 18 September the Irish Guards
resumed the advance while facing determined resistance from German infantry and tanks. Around noon the 101st Airborne were met by the lead reconnaissance units from XXX Corps. At 16:00 radio contact alerted the main force that the Son bridge had been destroyed and requested that a Bailey bridge
be brought forward. By nightfall the Guards Armoured Division had established itself in the Eindhoven area however transport columns were jammed in the packed streets of the town and were subjected to German aerial bombardment during the night. XXX Corps engineers, supported by German prisoners of war, constructed a class 40 Bailey bridge within 10 hours across the Wilhelmina Canal. The longest sector of the highway secured by the 101st Airborne Division later became known as "Hell's Highway".
of Belgium. Germany's planned goal for these operations was to split the British and American Allied
line in half, capturing Antwerp, Belgium in the process, and then proceeding to encircle and destroy
the entire British 21st Army Group
and all 12th U.S. Army Group units north of the German advance, forcing the Western Allies
to negotiate a peace treaty
in the Axis Powers’ favor as a result. In order to reach Antwerp before the Allies could regroup and bring their superior air power to bear, German mechanized forces had to seize all the major highways through eastern Belgium. Because all seven of the main roads in the Ardennes
converged on the small town of Bastogne, control of its crossroads was vital to the success or failure of the German attack.
Despite several notable signs in the weeks preceding the attack, the Ardennes Offensive achieved virtually complete surprise. By the end of the second day of battle, it became apparent that the 28th Infantry Division was near collapse. Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton
, commander of VIII Corps
, ordered part of his armored reserve, Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division
to Bastogne. Meanwhile, Gen. Eisenhower
ordered forward the SHAEF reserve, composed of the 82nd and 101st Airborne, which were stationed at Reims
.
Both divisions were alerted on the evening of 17 December, and not having organic transport, began arranging trucks for movement forward. The 82nd, longer in reserve and thus better re-equipped, moved out first. The 101st left Camp Mourmelon on the afternoon of 18 December, with the order of march the division artillery, division trains, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 506th PIR, 502nd PIR, and 327th Glider Infantry. Much of the convoy was conducted at night in drizzle and sleet, using headlights despite threat of air attack to speed the movement, and at one point the combined column stretched from Bouillon
, Belgium, back to Reims.
The 101st Airborne was routed to Bastogne, located 107 miles away on a 1463 ft (445m) high plateau
, while the 82nd Airborne took up positions further north to block the critical advance of Kampfgruppe Peiper toward Werbomont, Belgium. The 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion
, in reserve sixty miles to the north, was ordered to Bastogne to provide anti-tank support to the armorless 101st Airborne on the 18th and arrived late the next evening. The first elements of the 501st PIR entered the division assembly area four miles west of Bastogne shortly after midnight of 19 December, and by 0900 the entire division had arrived.
By 21 December, the German forces had surrounded Bastogne
, which was defended by both the 101st Airborne and Combat Command
B of the 10th Armored Division. Conditions inside the perimeter were tough—most of the medical supplies and medical personnel had been captured on 19 December. CCB of the 10th Armored Division, severely weakened by losses in delaying the German advance, formed a mobile "fire brigade" of 40 light and medium tanks (including survivors of CCR of the 9th Armored Division, which had been destroyed while delaying the Germans, and eight replacement tanks found unassigned in Bastogne). Three artillery battalions, including the all-black 969th Field Artillery Battalion, were commandeered by the 101st and formed a temporary artillery group. Each had 12 155 mm howitzers, providing the division with heavy firepower in all directions restricted only by its limited ammunition supply (By 22 December artillery ammunition was restricted to 10 rounds per gun per day.) The weather cleared the next day, however, and supplies (primarily ammunition) were dropped over four of the next five days.
Despite several determined German attacks, the perimeter held. The German commander, Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz
, requested Bastogne's surrender. When General
Anthony McAuliffe
, now acting commander of the 101st, was told, a frustrated McAuliffe responded, "Nuts!" After turning to other pressing issues, his staff reminded him that they should reply to the German demand. One officer (Harry W. O. Kinnard, then a Lieutenant Colonel) recommended that McAuliffe's initial reply should be "tough to beat". Thus McAuliffe wrote on the paper delivered to the Germans: "NUTS!" That reply had to be explained, both to the Germans and to non-American Allies.
Both of the two panzer divisions of the XLVII Panzer Corps moved forward from Bastogne after 21 December, leaving only one panzergrenadier regiment of the Panzer-Lehr-Division to assist the 26th Volksgrenadier Division
in attempting to capture the crossroads. The 26th VG received additional armor and panzergrenadier reinforcements on Christmas Eve to prepare for its final assault, to take place on Christmas Day. Because it lacked sufficient armor and troops and the 26th VG Division was near exhaustion, the XLVII Panzer Corps concentrated the assault on several individual locations on the west side of perimeter in sequence rather than launching one simultaneous attack on all sides. The assault, despite initial success by German tanks in penetrating the American line, was defeated and virtually all of the German tanks involved were destroyed. The next day, 26 December, the spearhead of General George S. Patton's
U.S. Third Army relief force, the 4th Armored Division, broke through the German lines and opened a corridor to Bastogne, ending the siege. The division got the nickname "The Battered Bastards of the Bastion of Bastogne". Despite their desperate situation before the relief by General Patton, no member of the 101st Airborne has ever agreed that the division needed to be rescued.
For their efforts during World War II, the 101st Airborne Division was awarded four campaign streamers and two Presidential Unit Citations. The division suffered 1,766 Killed In Action; 6,388 Wounded In Action; and 324 Died of Wounds during World War II.
Source: Order of Battle: U.S. Army World War II by Shelby Stanton, Presidio Press, 1984.
(diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs) to indicate the regiment to which they belonged. The only exception being the 187th, who were added to the division later.
, and in March 1956, the 101st was transferred, less personnel and equipment, to Fort Campbell
, Kentucky, to be reorganized as a combat division. Using the personnel and equipment of the 187th ARCT and the 508th ARCT, the 101st was reactivated as a "pentomic
" division with five battle groups in place of its World War II structure that featured regiments and battalions. The reorganization was in place by late April 1957 and the division's battle groups were:
Division artillery consisted of the following units:
Other supporting units were also assigned.
The Little Rock Nine were a group of African-American students who were enrolled in Little Rock
Central High School in September 1957, as a result of The U.S. Supreme Court's
ruling in the historic Brown v. Board of Education
case. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus
, in direct opposition to the Court's ruling, activated and deployed the Arkansas National Guard
to support the segregationists on 4 September 1957. The sight of a line of soldiers blocking nine black students from attending high school immediately polarized the city.
Attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department
requested an injunction against the governor's deployment of the National Guard from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
in Little Rock. Judge Ronald Davies
granted the injunction and ordered the governor to withdraw the National Guard on 20 September.
As a result, elements of the division's 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry (bearing the lineage of the old Company A, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment) were ordered to Little Rock by President Eisenhower to enforce the court injunction during the crisis. The division was deployed from September until Thanksgiving 1957, when Task Force 153rd Infantry, (federalized Arkansas National Guard
) which had also been on duty at the school since 24 September, assumed responsibility.
In mid-1965, the 1st Brigade and support troops were deployed to the Republic of Vietnam
, followed by the rest of the division in late 1967. The 101st was deployed in the northern I Corps
region operating against the Vietnam People's Army
(NVA) infiltration routes through Laos
and the A Shau Valley
for most of the war. In almost seven years of combat in Vietnam, elements of the 101st participated in 15 campaigns. Notable among these were the Battle of Hamburger Hill
in 1969 and Firebase Ripcord
in 1970.
was to be used for a planned offensive by the 101st to destroy NVA supply bases in the mountains overlooking the A Shau Valley. Located on the eastern edge of the valley, and taking place at the same time as the Cambodian Incursion
, the operation was considered covert.
As the 101st Airborne planned the attack on the NVA supply bases, the North Vietnamese Army was secretly observing their activities. From 12 March until 30 June, the NVA was sporadically attacking the Firebase. After weeks of reconnaissance by the NVA, on the morning of 1 July 1970 the North Vietnamese Army launched a surprise mortar
attack on the firebase. The resulting 23 day battle between the 101st Airborne and the North Vietnamese Army was the last major confrontation between United States ground forces and North Vietnam
of the Vietnam War
.
During the 23-day siege, 75 U.S. servicemen were killed in action
, including 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry commanding officer Colonel Andre Lucas
, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
, and 1st Lt. Bob Kalsu
, the only American professional athlete to be killed during the war. During the entire battle (including the siege), 250 members of the division were killed.
Fighting from four hilltops, surrounded, and outnumbered nearly ten to one, the division's forces were defeated but managed to inflict heavy losses on the enemy before an aerial withdrawal was ordered on 23 July 1970 while under heavy mortar
, anti-aircraft, and small arms
fire, ending the siege. After the division withdrew from the firebase, USAF B-52 heavy bombers were sent in to carpet bomb
the area. NVA losses at Ripcord delayed the Easter Offensive by a full year.
, the invasion of southern Laos, but only aviation units actually entered Laos. In the seven years that all or part of the division served in Vietnam it suffered 4,011 Killed in Action and 18,259 Wounded in Action. Casualties for the 101st in Viet Nam were twice those suffered in World War II, and its total number of Killed in Action was the third highest of all U.S. Army ground units, behind the 1st Cavalry Division (5,464) and the 25th Infantry Division (4,561). Had the entire division arrived in 1965, as did the 1st Cavalry and 25th, its total casualties could have been even higher.
It has been said that most North Vietnamese had never seen a bald eagle, so they called the 101st soldiers "Chicken Men" or "Rooster Men." Viet Cong commanders were rumored to regularly include in their briefings that they were to avoid confrontation with the "Chicken Men" at all costs, as they were sure to lose. Supposedly this remained a source of fierce pride among veterans who served in Vietnam under the 101st.
In 1968, the 101st took on the structure and equipment of an airmobile division. Following its return from Vietnam, the division was rebuilt with one brigade (3d) and supporting elements on jump status, using the assets of what had been the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The remaining two brigades and supporting units were organized as airmobile. With the exception of certain specialized units, such as the pathfinders and parachute riggers, in early 1974 the Army terminated jump status for the division. Concurrently the 101st introduced the Airmobile Badge (renamed later that year as the Air Assault Badge
), the design of which was based on the Glider Badge of World War II. Initially the badge was only authorized for wear while assigned to the division, but in 1978 the Army authorized it for service-wide wear. Soldiers continued to wear the garrison cap with glider patch, bloused boots, and the cloth wing oval behind their wings, as had division paratroopers before them. A blue beret was authorized for the division in the early 1970s until revoked at the end of 1979. The division also was authorized to wear a full color (white eagle) shoulder patch insignia instead of the subdued green eagle shoulder patch that was worn as a combat patch by soldiers who fought with the 101st in Vietnam, a distinction shared with the 1st and 5th Infantry divisions.
Charles Bloodworth, a pathfinder officer in the 101st during the early 1970s, describes the transition of the post-war division to fully Air Assault and the adoption of the Air Assault Badge at this link.
In September 1980, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry of the division' 2nd brigade, conducted operation Bright Star ’80, a peacekeeping deployment to Egypt.
Tragedy struck the division on 12 December 1985. A civilian aircraft, Arrow Air Flight 1285
, chartered to transport some of the division from peacekeeping duty with the Multinational Force and Observers
on the Sinai Peninsula
to Kentucky, crashed near Gander, Newfoundland. All eight air crew members and 248 US servicemen died, most were from the 3d Battalion, 502d Infantry. The crash was the worst in Canadian aviation history. President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy traveled to Fort Campbell to comfort grieving family members. On 8 March 1988, two U.S. Army helicopters collided in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, killing 17 servicemen.
In January 1991, the 101st once again had its "Rendezvous with Destiny" in Iraq
during the combat air assault into enemy territory. The 101st sustained no soldiers killed in action during the 100-hour war and captured thousands of enemy prisoners of war. The 101st Aviation Regiment, fired the first shots of the war when eight AH-64 helicopters successfully destroyed two Iraqi early warning radar sites.
The division has supported humanitarian relief efforts in Rwanda
and Somalia
, then later supplied peacekeepers to Haiti
and Bosnia
.
AOR with the Fort Campbell-based 5th Special Forces Group
. The Division quickly deployed its 3rd Brigade, the 187th Infantry's Rakkasans, as the first conventional unit to fight as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
After an intense period of combat in rugged Shoh-I-Khot Mountains of eastern Afghanistan
during Operation Anaconda
with elements of the 10th Mountain Division, the Rakkasans redeployed to Fort Campbell only to find the 101st awaiting another deployment order. In 2008, the 101st 4th BCT Red and White "Currahee" including the 1st and the 2nd Battalions, 506th Infantry "Band of Brothers" were deployed to Afghanistan. The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to Afghanistan as Task Force Destiny in early 2008 to Bagram Air Base. 159th Combat Aviation Brigade deployed as Task Force Thunder to Afghanistan in early 2009. In March 2010, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed again to Afghanistan as Task Force Destiny to Kandahar Airfield to be the aviation asset in southern Afghanistan.
In 2003, Major General David H. Petraeus ("Eagle 6") led the Screaming Eagles to war during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
(Operation Iraqi Freedom). General Petraeus led the division into Iraq saying, "Guidons, Guidons. This is Eagle 6. The 101st Airborne Division's next Rendezvous with Destiny is North to Baghdad. Op-Ord Desert Eagle 2 is now in effect. Godspeed. Air Assault. Out." The division was in V Corps, providing support to the 3rd Infantry Division by clearing Iraqi strongpoints which that division had bypassed. 3rd Battalion 187 inf regt (3rd Brigade) was attached to 3rd Infantry Division and was the main effort in clearing Saddam International Airport. The Division then went on to a tour of duty as part of the occupation forces of Iraq, using the city of Mosul
as their primary base of operations. 1st and 2d Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade) oversaw the remote airfield Qayarrah West 30 miles (48.3 km) south of Mosul. The 502d Infantry Regiment (2d Brigade) and 3d Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment were responsible for Mosul itself while the 187th Infantry Regiment (3d Brigade) controlled Tal Afar
just north of Mosul.
Once replaced by the first operational Stryker
Brigade, the 101st was withdrawn in early 2004 for rest and refit. As part of the Army's modular transformation, the existing infantry brigades, artillery brigade, and aviation brigades were transformed. The Army also activated the 4th Brigade Combat Team
, which includes the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 506th Infantry Regiment ("Currahee") and subordinate units. Both battalions were part of the 101st in Vietnam but saw their colors inactivated during an Army-wide reflagging of combat battalions in the 1980s, with 1–506th INF resurfacing in Korea, along with 1-503d INF and 2-503d INF (the latter later inactivated), as Air Assault units within the 2d Infantry Division. The colors of the 506th have returned to the 101st and 1-503d and 2-503d are parachute infantry battalions of the 173d Airborne Brigade in Italy, just as they were when the 173d was in Viet Nam.
The reconfiguration of 101st formed seven major units in the division (four infantry BCTs, two combat aviation brigade
s (CABs), and one sustainment brigade), making it the largest formation currently in the U.S. Army.
As of December 2007, 143 members of the Division have died while on service in Iraq.
The division's second deployment to Iraq began in the late summer of 2005. The division headquarters replaced the 42d Infantry Division, which had been directing security operations as the headquarters for Task Force Liberty. Renamed Task Force Band of Brothers, the 101st assumed responsibility on 1 November 2005 for four provinces in north central Iraq: Salah ad Din, As Sulymaniyah. On 30 December 2005, Task Force Band of Brothers also assumed responsibility for training Iraqi security forces
and conducting security operations in Ninevah and Dahuk provinces as the headquarters for Task Force Freedom was disestablished.
During the second deployment, 2d and 4th Brigades of the 101st Airborne Division were assigned to conduct security operations under the command of Task Force Baghdad, led initially by 3d Infantry Division
, which was replaced by 4th Infantry Division
. The 1st Battalion of the 506th Infantry (4th Brigade) was separated from the division and served with the Marines in Ramadi, in the Al Anbar province. 3d Brigade was assigned to Salah ad Din and Bayji sectors and 1st Brigade was assigned to the overall Kirkuk
province which included Hawijah, one of the deadliest cities in Iraq.
Task Force Band of Brothers' primary mission during its second deployment to Iraq was the training of Iraqi security forces. When the 101st returned to Iraq, there were no Iraqi units capable of assuming the lead for operations against Iraqi and foreign terrorists. As the division concluded its tour, 33 battalions were in the lead for security in assigned areas, and two of four Iraq divisions in northern Iraq were commanding and controlling subordinate units.
Simultaneously with training Iraqi Soldiers and their leaders, 101st Soldiers conducted numerous security operations against terrorist cells
operating in the division's assigned, six-province area of operations. Operation Swarmer
was the largest air assault operation conducted in Iraq since 22 April 2003. 1st Brigade conducted Operation Scorpion
with Iraqi units near Kirkuk.
Developing other aspects of Iraqi society also figured in 101st operations in Iraq. Division commander Major General
Thomas Turner
hosted the first governors' conference for the six provinces in the division's area of operations, as well as the neighboring province of Erbil. Numerous civil affairs operations were directed by the division, including the construction and renovation of schools, clinics, police stations, and other important landmarks in civilian communities from Turkey to Baghdad and from the Syrian border to the Iranian border.
(101st Aviation Regiment), 1st Brigade Combat Team (327th Infantry Regiment), 2nd Brigade Combat Team (502nd Infantry Regiment), 3rd Brigade Combat Team (187th Infantry Regiment), and 4th Brigade Combat Team (506th Infantry Regiment) deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. This is the first time since returning from Iraq in 2006 where all four infantry brigades (plus one CAB) have served in the same combat theater. As of 5 June 2011, 131 soldiers had been killed during this deployment, the highest death toll to the 101st Airborne in any single deployment since the Vietnam War
which crashed just a short way near Gander International Airport
, Gander
, Newfoundland. All 256 troops and crews were killed. Investigators said that the cause is from icing
. The terrifying scene happened on 12 December 1985. It was recorded as the 17th from all the fatal crash with 256 people died. The plane's route is from Cairo International Airport
to Fort Campbell, Kentucky
with stopovers Cologne Bonn International Airport
and Gander International Airport
.
101st Airborne Division:
David Daniel Mickey Marcus, a tough Brooklyn street kid, rose by virtue of his courage and intelligence to help save Israel in 1948 and become its first general since Judah Maccabee. After a distinguished career in military and public service to the United States, the 46-year-old Marcus wrote his name forever in the annals of Israeli history.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
modular light infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
trained for air assault
Air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
operations
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, the liberation of Holland and action during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
around the city of Bastogne, Belgium. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles including the fight for Hamburger Hill
Battle of Hamburger Hill
The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War which was fought by the United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnamese forces from May 10–20, 1969. Although the heavily fortified Hill 937 was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture by a frontal assault,...
in May 1969. Upon its arrival in Vietnam in 1965 (1st Brigade), followed by the 2nd and 3rd brigades in 1968), the division was an airborne unit. In mid-1968 it was reorganized and redesignated as an airmobile division, then in 1974 as an air assault division. Both of these titles reflect the fact that the division went from airplanes as the primary method of delivering troops into combat, to the use of helicopters as the way the division entered battle. Many modern members of the 101st are graduates of the U.S. Army Air Assault School
United States Army Air Assault School
The Sabalauski Air Assault School is a FORSCOM TDA unit located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Its primary task is training leaders and soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division , other US Army units and US armed services in several courses annually.- Background :Air Assault School qualifies...
and wear the Air Assault Badge
Air Assault Badge
The Air Assault Badge, pictured to the right, is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School, a two-week course. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingload...
. Although not a prerequisite for assignment to the division, the badge is a requirement for holding a leadership position. Division headquarters is at Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. In recent years, the division has served in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The division is one of the most highly decorated units in the U.S. Army and has been featured prominently in military fiction since its first deployment.
World War II
Camp Claiborne
Camp Claiborne was a U.S. Army military camp during World War II located in Rapides Parish in central Louisiana. The camp was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Eighth Service Command, and included 23,000 acres ....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. On 19 August 1942, its first commander, Major General William C. Lee
William C. Lee
Major General William Carey "Bill" Lee was an American U.S. Army soldier and general. Lee is often referred to as the "Father of the U.S. Airborne".-Biography:...
, promised his new recruits that the 101st had "no history but had a rendezvous with destiny."
In his first address to his soldiers the day the division was born, Lee read General Order Number 5 dated 19 August 1942:
The 101st Airborne Division, which was activated on 16 August 1942, at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny.
Due to the nature of our armament, and the tactics in which we shall perfect ourselves, we shall be called upon to carry out operations of far-reaching military importance and we shall habitually go into action when the need is immediate and extreme.
Let me call your attention to the fact that our badge is the great American eagle. This is a fitting emblem for a division that will crush its enemies by falling upon them like a thunderbolt from the skies.
The history we shall make, the record of high achievement we hope to write in the annals of the American Army and the American people, depends wholly and completely on the men of this division. Each individual, each officer and each enlisted man, must therefore regard himself as a necessary part of a complex and powerful instrument for the overcoming of the enemies of the nation. Each, in his own job, must realize that he is not only a means, but an indispensable means for obtaining the goal of victory. It is, therefore, not too much to say that the future itself, in whose molding we expect to have our share, is in the hands of the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division.
D-Day
The PathfindersPathfinders (military)
A pathfinder is a paratrooper who is inserted or dropped into place in order to set up and operate drop zones, pickup zones, and helicopter landing sites for airborne operations, air resupply operations, or other air operations in support of the ground unit commander...
of the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop prior to the invasion. They left from RAF North Witham
RAF North Witham
RAF Station North Witham is a former World War II airfield in Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is located in Twyford Wood, approximately east-southeast of Cotgrave; about north-northwest of London...
having trained there with the 82nd Airborne Division.
U.S. 82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an active airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute landing operations. Based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 82nd Airborne Division is the primary fighting arm of the XVIII Airborne Corps....
The 101st Airborne Division's objectives were to secure the four causeway exits behind Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
, destroy a German coastal artillery battery at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville, capture buildings nearby at Mésières believed used as barracks and a command post for the artillery battery, capture the Douve River lock at la Barquette (opposite Carentan), capture two footbridges spanning the Douve at la Porte opposite Brévands, destroy the highway bridges over the Douve at Sainte-Come-du-Mont, and secure the Douve River valley.
In the process units also disrupted German communications, established roadblocks to hamper the movement of German reinforcements, established a defensive line between the beachhead and Volognes, cleared the area of the drop zones to the unit boundary at Les Forges, and linked up with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Drop Zone A
Most of the remainder of the 502nd (70 of 80 sticks
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
) dropped in a disorganized pattern around the impromptu drop zone set up by the pathfinders near the beach. The battalion commanders of the 1st and 3rd Battalions, Lt Col. Patrick J. Cassidy (1/502) and Lt Col. Robert G. Cole
Robert G. Cole
Lieutenant Colonel Robert George Cole was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the days following the D-Day Normandy invasion of World War II.-Early U.S. Army career:...
(3/502), took charge of small groups and accomplished all of their D-Day missions. Cassidy's group took Saint Martin-de-Varreville by 0630, sent a patrol under S/Sgt. Harrison C. Summers
Harrison C. Summers
Harrison C. Summers was a United States Army soldier and a decorated war veteran. He served with the 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II.-Early life:...
to seize the "XYZ" objective, a barracks at Mésières, and set up a thin line of defense from Fourcarville to Beuzeville. Cole's group moved during the night from near Saint Mère Église to the Varreville battery, then continued on and captured Exit 3 at 0730. They held the position during the morning until relieved by troops moving inland from Utah Beach. Both commanders found Exit 4 covered by German artillery fire and Cassidy recommended to the 4th Infantry Division
U.S. 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
that it not use the exit.
The division's parachute artillery did not fare nearly as well. Its drop was one of the worst of the operation, losing all but one howitzer and dropping all but two of 54 loads four to twenty miles (32 km) to the north, where most ultimately became casualties.
Drop Zone C
The second wave, assigned to drop the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) on Drop Zone C 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Sainte Marie-du-Mont
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-World War II:It is best known for being the scene of military engagement between the American 101st Airborne Division and the German Wehrmacht on D-Day, June 6, 1944.-Heraldry:-References:*...
, was badly dispersed by the clouds, then subjected to intense antiaircraft fire for 10 miles (16.1 km). Three of the 81 C-47s were lost before or during the jump. One, piloted by 1st Lt. Marvin F. Muir of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, caught fire. Lt. Muir held the aircraft steady while the stick jumped, then died when the plane crashed immediately afterward, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. Despite the opposition, the 506th's 1st Battalion (the original division reserve) was dropped accurately on DZ C, landing two-thirds of its sticks and regimental commander Col. Robert F. Sink
Robert Sink
Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink was a United States Army officer during World War II, the Korean War, and early parts of the Vietnam War, though he was most famous for his command of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division...
on or within a mile of the drop zone.
Most of the 2nd Battalion commanded by Lt Col. Robert L. Strayer had jumped too far west, near Sainte Mère Église. They eventually assembled near Foucarville
Foucarville
Foucarville is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France....
at the northern edge of the 101st Airborne's objective area. It fought its way to the hamlet of le Chemin near the Houdienville causeway by mid-afternoon, but found that the 4th Division had already seized the exit hours before. The 3rd Battalion of the 501st PIR, led by Lt Col. Julian J. Ewell (3/501), also assigned to jump onto DZ C, was more scattered, but took over the mission of securing the exits. An ad hoc company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
-sized team that included division commander Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
Maxwell D. Taylor
General Maxwell Davenport "Max" Taylor was an United States Army four star general and diplomat of the mid-20th century, who served as the fifth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after having been appointed by the President of the United States John F...
reached the Pouppeville exit at 0600. After a six-hour house-clearing battle with elements of the German 1058th Grenadier Regiment, the group secured the exit shortly before 4th Division troops arrived to link up.
Drop Zone D
The third wave also encountered severe flak, losing 6 aircraft. The troop carriers still made an accurate drop, placing 94 of 132 sticks on or close to the drop zone, but part of the DZ was covered by pre-registered German machinegun and mortar fire that inflicted heavy casualties before many troops could get out of their chutes. Among the killed were two of the three battalion commanders and the executive officer of the 3/506th.
The surviving battalion commander, Lt Col. Robert A. Ballard, gathered 250 troopers and advanced toward Saint Côme-du-Mont to complete his mission of destroying the highway bridges over the Douve. Less than half a mile from his objective at les Droueries he was stopped by elements of battalion III./1058 Grenadier-Rgt. Another group of 50 men, assembled by the regimental S-3, Major Richard J. Allen, attacked the same area from the east at Basse-Addeville but was also pinned down.
The commander of the 501st PIR, Col. Howard R. Johnson, collected 150 troops and captured the main objective, the la Barquette lock, by 0400. After establishing defensive positions, Col. Johnson went back to the DZ and assembled another 100 men, including Allen's group, to reinforce the bridgehead. Despite naval gunfire support from the cruiser Quincy
USS Quincy (CA-71)
USS Quincy , a Baltimore class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the third ship to carry the name.Quincy was authorized on 17 June 1940; laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, Massachusetts as St...
, Ballard's battalion was unable to take Saint Côme-du-Mont or join Col. Johnson.
The S-3 officer of the 3rd Battalion 506th PIR, Capt. Charles G. Shettle, put together a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
and achieved another objective by seizing two foot bridges near la Porte at 0430 and crossed to the east bank. When their ammunition drew low after knocking out several machine gun emplacements, the small force withdrew to the west bank. It doubled in size overnight as stragglers came in, and repulsed a German probe across the bridges.
Other actions
Two other noteworthy actions took place near Sainte Marie-du-Mont by units of the 506th PIR, both of which involved the seizure and destruction of batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of 105mm guns of the German III Battalion-191st Artillery Regiment. During the morning, a small patrol of troopers from Company E 506th PIR under (then) 1st Lt. Richard D. Winters overwhelmed a force 3–4 times its size and destroyed four guns at a farm called Brécourt Manor
Brécourt Manor Assault
The Brécourt Manor Assault during the U.S. parachute assault of the Normandy Invasion of World War II is often cited as a classic example of small-unit tactics and leadership in overcoming a larger enemy force.-Objective:...
for which Winters was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
.
Around noon, while reconnoitering the area by jeep, Col. Sink received word that a second battery of four guns had been discovered at Holdy, a manor between his CP and Sainte Marie-du-Mont, and the defenders had a force of some 70 paratroopers pinned down. Capt. Lloyd E. Patch (Headquarters Company 1st/506th) and Capt. Knut H. Raudstein (Company C 506th PIR) led an additional 70 troops to Holdy and enveloped the position. The combined force then continued on to seize Sainte Marie-du-Mont. A platoon of the 502nd PIR, left to hold the battery, destroyed three of the four guns before Col. Sink could send four jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s to save them for the airborne's use.
At the end of D-Day, Gen. Taylor and his assistant division commander (ADC) Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe returned from their foray at Pouppeville. Taylor had control of approximately 2,500 of his 6,600 men, most of which were in the vicinity of the 506th CP at Culoville, with the thin defense line west of Saint Germain-du-Varreville, or the division reserve at Blosville. Two glider airlifts had brought in scant reinforcements and had resulted in the death of his other ADC, Brig. Gen. Don F. Pratt. The 327th Glider Infantry had come across Utah Beach but only its third battalion (1st Battalion 401st GIR) had reported in.
The 101st Airborne Division had accomplished its most important mission of securing the beach exits, but had a tenuous hold on positions near the Douve River, over which the Germans could still move armored units. The three groups clustered there had tenuous contact with each other but none with the rest of the division. A shortage of radio equipment caused by losses during the drops exacerbated his control problems. Taylor made destroying the Douve bridges the division's top priority and delegated the task to Col. Sink, who issued orders for the 1st Battalion 401st Glider Infantry to lead three battalions south the next morning.
As the regular troops moved in from the coast and strengthened the paratrooper positions, many were relieved and sent to the rear to organize for the next big paratroop operation.
Operation Market Garden
On 17 September 1944, the division became part of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the First Allied Airborne ArmyFirst Allied Airborne Army
The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The formation was part of the Allied Expeditionary Force and controlled all Allied airborne forces in Western...
. The division took part in Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
(17–25 September 1944), an unsuccessful Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
military operation under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery to capture Dutch bridges over the Rhine fought in the Netherlands and the largest airborne operation of all time.
The plan, as outlined by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, required the seizure by airborne forces of several bridges on the Highway 69
A50 motorway (Netherlands)
The A50 is a highway in the Netherlands, running from Eindhoven in the southeast up to Zwolle in the northeast of the country.It passes the cities of Eindhoven, close to Den Bosch, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Apeldoorn and Zwolle....
across the Maas (Meuse River
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
) and two arms of the Rhine (the Waal and the Lower Rhine
Nederrijn
thumb|left|300px|Course of the NederrijnNederrijn is the name of the Dutch part of the River Rhine from the confluence at the town of Angeren of the cut-off Rhine bend of Oude Rijn and the Pannerdens Kanaal...
), as well as several smaller canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s and tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
. Crossing the these bridges would allow British armoured units to outflank the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
, advance into northern Germany, and encircle the Ruhr
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
, Germany's industrial heartland, thus ending the war. This meant the large-scale use of Allied airborne forces
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
, including both the 82nd and 101st.
The operation was initially successful. Several bridges between Eindhoven and Nijmegen were captured by the 82nd and 101st. The 101st met little resistance and captured most of their initial objectives by the end of 17 September. However, the demolition of the division's primary objective, a bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son
Son en Breugel
Son en Breugel is a municipality in the southern Netherlands just outside of Eindhoven. 15,204 lived in this municipality as of June 1, 2005. Son en Breugel is 26,67 km² . Son en Breugel used to be two different towns 'Son' and 'Breugel'. The border between these towns is made by the stream...
, delayed the capture of the main road bridge over the Maas until 20 September. Faced with the loss of the bridge at Son, the 101st unsuccessfully attempted to capture a similar bridge a few kilometers away at Best but found the approach blocked. Other units continued moving to the south and eventually reached the northern end of Eindhoven.
At 06:00 hours on 18 September the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
resumed the advance while facing determined resistance from German infantry and tanks. Around noon the 101st Airborne were met by the lead reconnaissance units from XXX Corps. At 16:00 radio contact alerted the main force that the Son bridge had been destroyed and requested that a Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
be brought forward. By nightfall the Guards Armoured Division had established itself in the Eindhoven area however transport columns were jammed in the packed streets of the town and were subjected to German aerial bombardment during the night. XXX Corps engineers, supported by German prisoners of war, constructed a class 40 Bailey bridge within 10 hours across the Wilhelmina Canal. The longest sector of the highway secured by the 101st Airborne Division later became known as "Hell's Highway".
Battle of the Bulge
The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes Mountains regionArdennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
of Belgium. Germany's planned goal for these operations was to split the British and American Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
line in half, capturing Antwerp, Belgium in the process, and then proceeding to encircle and destroy
Encirclement
Encirclement is a military term for the situation when a force or target is isolated and surrounded by enemy forces. The German term for this is Kesselschlacht ; a comparable English term might be "in the bag"....
the entire British 21st Army Group
British 21st Army Group
The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation consisting primarily of British and Canadian forces. The Army Group was an important Allied force in the European Theatre of World War II. It was established in London during July 1943 under the command of Supreme Headquarters Allied...
and all 12th U.S. Army Group units north of the German advance, forcing the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
to negotiate a peace treaty
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
in the Axis Powers’ favor as a result. In order to reach Antwerp before the Allies could regroup and bring their superior air power to bear, German mechanized forces had to seize all the major highways through eastern Belgium. Because all seven of the main roads in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
converged on the small town of Bastogne, control of its crossroads was vital to the success or failure of the German attack.
Despite several notable signs in the weeks preceding the attack, the Ardennes Offensive achieved virtually complete surprise. By the end of the second day of battle, it became apparent that the 28th Infantry Division was near collapse. Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton
Troy H. Middleton
Lieutenant General Troy Houston Middleton was a distinguished soldier-educator who served as a corps commander in Europe during World War II and later as President of Louisiana State University...
, commander of VIII Corps
VIII Corps (United States)
The U.S. VIII Corps was a corps of the United States Army that saw service during various times over a fifty-year period during the twentieth century. The VIII Corps was organized 26–29 November 1918 in the Regular Army in France and demobilized on 20 April 1919. The VIII Corps was soon...
, ordered part of his armored reserve, Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division
U.S. 10th Armored Division
The 10th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army in World War II. During the European Theater of Operations the 10th Armored Division was part of the Twelfth United States Army Group and was originally assigned to General George S. Patton’s Third United States Army...
to Bastogne. Meanwhile, Gen. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
ordered forward the SHAEF reserve, composed of the 82nd and 101st Airborne, which were stationed at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
.
Both divisions were alerted on the evening of 17 December, and not having organic transport, began arranging trucks for movement forward. The 82nd, longer in reserve and thus better re-equipped, moved out first. The 101st left Camp Mourmelon on the afternoon of 18 December, with the order of march the division artillery, division trains, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 506th PIR, 502nd PIR, and 327th Glider Infantry. Much of the convoy was conducted at night in drizzle and sleet, using headlights despite threat of air attack to speed the movement, and at one point the combined column stretched from Bouillon
Bouillon
Bouillon is a municipality in Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Luxembourg Province.The municipality, which covers 149.09 km², had 5,477 inhabitants, giving a population density of 36.7 inhabitants per km².- History :...
, Belgium, back to Reims.
The 101st Airborne was routed to Bastogne, located 107 miles away on a 1463 ft (445m) high plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
, while the 82nd Airborne took up positions further north to block the critical advance of Kampfgruppe Peiper toward Werbomont, Belgium. The 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion
705th Tank Destroyer Battalion
The 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion was a tank destroyer battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War. It was originally formed from artillery elements of the 5th Armored Division, and its lineage is today perpetuated by the 75th Cavalry Regiment.The battalion operated in...
, in reserve sixty miles to the north, was ordered to Bastogne to provide anti-tank support to the armorless 101st Airborne on the 18th and arrived late the next evening. The first elements of the 501st PIR entered the division assembly area four miles west of Bastogne shortly after midnight of 19 December, and by 0900 the entire division had arrived.
By 21 December, the German forces had surrounded Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
, which was defended by both the 101st Airborne and Combat Command
Combat command
A Combat Command was a combined-arms military organization of comparable size to a brigade or regiment employed by armored forces of the U.S. Army from 1942 until 1963...
B of the 10th Armored Division. Conditions inside the perimeter were tough—most of the medical supplies and medical personnel had been captured on 19 December. CCB of the 10th Armored Division, severely weakened by losses in delaying the German advance, formed a mobile "fire brigade" of 40 light and medium tanks (including survivors of CCR of the 9th Armored Division, which had been destroyed while delaying the Germans, and eight replacement tanks found unassigned in Bastogne). Three artillery battalions, including the all-black 969th Field Artillery Battalion, were commandeered by the 101st and formed a temporary artillery group. Each had 12 155 mm howitzers, providing the division with heavy firepower in all directions restricted only by its limited ammunition supply (By 22 December artillery ammunition was restricted to 10 rounds per gun per day.) The weather cleared the next day, however, and supplies (primarily ammunition) were dropped over four of the next five days.
Despite several determined German attacks, the perimeter held. The German commander, Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Heinrich Diepold Georg Freiherr von Lüttwitz was a German general of the Panzer troops, serving during World War II...
, requested Bastogne's surrender. When General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Anthony McAuliffe
Anthony McAuliffe
General Anthony Clement "Nuts" McAuliffe was the United States Army general who commanded the 101st Airborne Division troops defending Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II...
, now acting commander of the 101st, was told, a frustrated McAuliffe responded, "Nuts!" After turning to other pressing issues, his staff reminded him that they should reply to the German demand. One officer (Harry W. O. Kinnard, then a Lieutenant Colonel) recommended that McAuliffe's initial reply should be "tough to beat". Thus McAuliffe wrote on the paper delivered to the Germans: "NUTS!" That reply had to be explained, both to the Germans and to non-American Allies.
Both of the two panzer divisions of the XLVII Panzer Corps moved forward from Bastogne after 21 December, leaving only one panzergrenadier regiment of the Panzer-Lehr-Division to assist the 26th Volksgrenadier Division
26th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 26th Infantry Division was a pre-Second World war German Infantry Division of the 1st mobilisation wave . It was mobilised for World War II on September 26, 1939, disbanded September 10, 1944 near Radom, reformed as the 26th Volksgrenadier Division The 26th Infantry Division (26....
in attempting to capture the crossroads. The 26th VG received additional armor and panzergrenadier reinforcements on Christmas Eve to prepare for its final assault, to take place on Christmas Day. Because it lacked sufficient armor and troops and the 26th VG Division was near exhaustion, the XLVII Panzer Corps concentrated the assault on several individual locations on the west side of perimeter in sequence rather than launching one simultaneous attack on all sides. The assault, despite initial success by German tanks in penetrating the American line, was defeated and virtually all of the German tanks involved were destroyed. The next day, 26 December, the spearhead of General George S. Patton's
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
U.S. Third Army relief force, the 4th Armored Division, broke through the German lines and opened a corridor to Bastogne, ending the siege. The division got the nickname "The Battered Bastards of the Bastion of Bastogne". Despite their desperate situation before the relief by General Patton, no member of the 101st Airborne has ever agreed that the division needed to be rescued.
Post-War
On 1 August 1945, the 501 PIR was moved to France while the rest of the division was based around Zell am See and Kaprun in the Austrian alps. The division was deactivated 30 November 1945.For their efforts during World War II, the 101st Airborne Division was awarded four campaign streamers and two Presidential Unit Citations. The division suffered 1,766 Killed In Action; 6,388 Wounded In Action; and 324 Died of Wounds during World War II.
Units
- Division Headquarters
- 327th Glider Infantry Regiment
- 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, disbanded 1 March 1945 in France; assets to 327th GIR
- 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, attached 1 May 1944 – past 9 May 1945
- 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment
- 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, assigned 1 March 1945, previously attached 15 September 1943 – 1 March 1945– Which contains the "Easy Company" which gained fame from the TV show Band of Brothers.
- HHB, Division Artillery
- 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 463d Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 81st Airborne Antiaircraft Battalion
- 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion
- 326th Airborne Medical Company
- 101st Parachute Maintenance Company
- 101st Signal Company
- 101st Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
- Headquarters, Special Troops
- 801st Airborne Ordnance Maintenance Company
- 426th Airborne Quartermaster Company
- Headquarters Company, 101st Airborne Division
- Military Police Platoon
- Reconnaissance Platoon
- Band (assigned in 1 March 1945 reorganization)
Source: Order of Battle: U.S. Army World War II by Shelby Stanton, Presidio Press, 1984.
Helmet insignia
The 101st was distinguished partly by its helmet decorations. The soldiers used card suitsSuit (cards)
In playing cards, a suit is one of several categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several symbols showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or in addition be indicated by the color printed on the card...
(diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs) to indicate the regiment to which they belonged. The only exception being the 187th, who were added to the division later.
- These insignias were first seen in World War II, and can still be seen on 101st Division soldiers today.
- 327th: Clubs (♣) (Currently worn by the 1st Brigade Combat Team; seen in 1949 film Battleground)
- 501st501st Parachute Infantry RegimentThe 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment is the first Airborne unit in the United States Military. It has been assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team , 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, and is located in Fort Richardson, Alaska, to serve as a strategic front to the Department of Defense's Pacific...
: Diamonds (♦) (Currently 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment is part of the 4th Brigade (ABN), 25th Infantry Division in Alaska.) (The Diamond is currently used by the 101st Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat Aviation BrigadeA Combat Aviation Brigade is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack helicopters , reconnaissance helicopters , medium-lift helicopters , heavy-lift helicopters , and MEDEVAC capability.- History :Combat...
) - 502d: Hearts (♥) (Currently worn by the 2d Brigade Combat Team)
- 506th: Spades (♠) (Currently worn by the 4th Brigade Combat Team; seen in the miniseries Band of Brothers)
- 187th187th Infantry RegimentThe 187th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.The regimental motto is the Latin "Ne Desit Virtus" . The nickname "The Rakkasans" is derived from the Japanese word for parachute. The name was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan...
: ToriiToriiA is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
(
) (Currently worn by the 3d Brigade Combat Team; not during World War II, when the 187th Infantry Regiment was part of the 11th Airborne Division.)
Reactivation
The 101st Airborne Division was reactivated as a training unit at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, in 1948 and again in 1950. It was reactivated again in 1954 at Fort Jackson, South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, and in March 1956, the 101st was transferred, less personnel and equipment, to Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky, to be reorganized as a combat division. Using the personnel and equipment of the 187th ARCT and the 508th ARCT, the 101st was reactivated as a "pentomic
Pentomic
Pentomic refers to a structure for infantry divisions adopted by the U.S. Army in 1957 in response to the perceived threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons use on the battlefield....
" division with five battle groups in place of its World War II structure that featured regiments and battalions. The reorganization was in place by late April 1957 and the division's battle groups were:
- 2d Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry
- 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry
- 1st Airborne Battle Group, 501st Infantry
- 1st Airborne Battle Group, 502nd Infantry
- 1st Airborne Battle Group, 506th Infantry
Division artillery consisted of the following units:
- Battery D, 319th Artillery (Abn)
- Battery E, 319th Artillery (Abn)
- Battery A, 321st Artillery (Abn)
- Battery B, 321st Artillery (Abn)
- Battery C, 321st Artillery (Abn)
- Battery A, 377th Artillery (Abn)
Other supporting units were also assigned.
Civil rights
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
Central High School in September 1957, as a result of The U.S. Supreme Court's
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruling in the historic Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
case. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus
Orval Faubus
Orval Eugene Faubus was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the...
, in direct opposition to the Court's ruling, activated and deployed the Arkansas National Guard
Arkansas Army National Guard
The Arkansas Army National Guard is a component of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
to support the segregationists on 4 September 1957. The sight of a line of soldiers blocking nine black students from attending high school immediately polarized the city.
Attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
requested an injunction against the governor's deployment of the National Guard from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas is the United States District Court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Arkansas, Chicot, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway, Craighead, Conway, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Dehsa, Drew, Faulkner, Fulton, Grant,...
in Little Rock. Judge Ronald Davies
Ronald Davies (judge)
Ronald Norwood Davies was a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota...
granted the injunction and ordered the governor to withdraw the National Guard on 20 September.
As a result, elements of the division's 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry (bearing the lineage of the old Company A, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment) were ordered to Little Rock by President Eisenhower to enforce the court injunction during the crisis. The division was deployed from September until Thanksgiving 1957, when Task Force 153rd Infantry, (federalized Arkansas National Guard
Arkansas Army National Guard
The Arkansas Army National Guard is a component of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
) which had also been on duty at the school since 24 September, assumed responsibility.
Vietnam War
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, followed by the rest of the division in late 1967. The 101st was deployed in the northern I Corps
I Corps (South Vietnam)
The I Corps Tactical Zone was a corps of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975. It was one of four corps which the ARVN oversaw. This was the northernmost region of South Vietnam, bordering North Vietnam...
region operating against the Vietnam People's Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
(NVA) infiltration routes through Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and the A Shau Valley
A Shau Valley
The A Shau Valley is a valley in Vietnam's, Thừa Thiên province, west of the city of Huế along the border with Laos. The valley was one of the key entry points into South Vietnam for men and matériel brought along the Ho Chi Minh Trail by the communist forces and was the scene of heavy fighting...
for most of the war. In almost seven years of combat in Vietnam, elements of the 101st participated in 15 campaigns. Notable among these were the Battle of Hamburger Hill
Battle of Hamburger Hill
The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War which was fought by the United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnamese forces from May 10–20, 1969. Although the heavily fortified Hill 937 was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture by a frontal assault,...
in 1969 and Firebase Ripcord
FSB Ripcord
The Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a 23 day battle between the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and the North Vietnamese Army from July 1, 1970 until July 23, 1970. It was the last major confrontation between United States ground forces and North Vietnam of the Vietnam War. Little was...
in 1970.
Firebase Ripcord
On 12 March 1970, the 3rd Brigade of 101st began rebuilding abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord which relied, as with most remote bases at the time, on a helicopter lifeline to get supplies in and the personnel out. The firebaseFire support base
A fire support base is a military encampment designed to provide indirect fire artillery fire support to infantry operating in areas beyond the normal range of direct fire support from their own base camps....
was to be used for a planned offensive by the 101st to destroy NVA supply bases in the mountains overlooking the A Shau Valley. Located on the eastern edge of the valley, and taking place at the same time as the Cambodian Incursion
Cambodian Incursion
The Cambodian Campaign was a series of military operations conducted in eastern Cambodia during mid-1970 by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. These invasions were a result of policy of President Richard Nixon whose decision it was to invade...
, the operation was considered covert.
As the 101st Airborne planned the attack on the NVA supply bases, the North Vietnamese Army was secretly observing their activities. From 12 March until 30 June, the NVA was sporadically attacking the Firebase. After weeks of reconnaissance by the NVA, on the morning of 1 July 1970 the North Vietnamese Army launched a surprise mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
attack on the firebase. The resulting 23 day battle between the 101st Airborne and the North Vietnamese Army was the last major confrontation between United States ground forces and North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
During the 23-day siege, 75 U.S. servicemen were killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, including 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry commanding officer Colonel Andre Lucas
Andre Lucas
Lieutenant Colonel Andre Cavaro Lucas was killed in action on while serving as the commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army, at Fire Support Base Ripcord, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam.He was born in Washington D.C...
, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, and 1st Lt. Bob Kalsu
Bob Kalsu
James Robert "Bob" Kalsu was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1968....
, the only American professional athlete to be killed during the war. During the entire battle (including the siege), 250 members of the division were killed.
Fighting from four hilltops, surrounded, and outnumbered nearly ten to one, the division's forces were defeated but managed to inflict heavy losses on the enemy before an aerial withdrawal was ordered on 23 July 1970 while under heavy mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, anti-aircraft, and small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire, ending the siege. After the division withdrew from the firebase, USAF B-52 heavy bombers were sent in to carpet bomb
Carpet bombing
Carpet bombing is a large aerial bombing done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase invokes the image of explosions completely covering an area, in the same way that a carpet covers a floor. Carpet bombing is usually achieved by dropping many...
the area. NVA losses at Ripcord delayed the Easter Offensive by a full year.
Lam Son 719
In 1971, elements of the division supported the ARVN Operation Lam Son 719Operation Lam Son 719
Operation Lam Son 719 was a limited-objective offensive campaign conducted in southeastern portion of the Kingdom of Laos by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam between 8 February and 25 March 1971, during the Vietnam War...
, the invasion of southern Laos, but only aviation units actually entered Laos. In the seven years that all or part of the division served in Vietnam it suffered 4,011 Killed in Action and 18,259 Wounded in Action. Casualties for the 101st in Viet Nam were twice those suffered in World War II, and its total number of Killed in Action was the third highest of all U.S. Army ground units, behind the 1st Cavalry Division (5,464) and the 25th Infantry Division (4,561). Had the entire division arrived in 1965, as did the 1st Cavalry and 25th, its total casualties could have been even higher.
It has been said that most North Vietnamese had never seen a bald eagle, so they called the 101st soldiers "Chicken Men" or "Rooster Men." Viet Cong commanders were rumored to regularly include in their briefings that they were to avoid confrontation with the "Chicken Men" at all costs, as they were sure to lose. Supposedly this remained a source of fierce pride among veterans who served in Vietnam under the 101st.
Post-Vietnam
Air Assault Badge
The Air Assault Badge, pictured to the right, is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School, a two-week course. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingload...
), the design of which was based on the Glider Badge of World War II. Initially the badge was only authorized for wear while assigned to the division, but in 1978 the Army authorized it for service-wide wear. Soldiers continued to wear the garrison cap with glider patch, bloused boots, and the cloth wing oval behind their wings, as had division paratroopers before them. A blue beret was authorized for the division in the early 1970s until revoked at the end of 1979. The division also was authorized to wear a full color (white eagle) shoulder patch insignia instead of the subdued green eagle shoulder patch that was worn as a combat patch by soldiers who fought with the 101st in Vietnam, a distinction shared with the 1st and 5th Infantry divisions.
Charles Bloodworth, a pathfinder officer in the 101st during the early 1970s, describes the transition of the post-war division to fully Air Assault and the adoption of the Air Assault Badge at this link.
In September 1980, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry of the division' 2nd brigade, conducted operation Bright Star ’80, a peacekeeping deployment to Egypt.
Tragedy struck the division on 12 December 1985. A civilian aircraft, Arrow Air Flight 1285
Arrow Air Flight 1285
Arrow Air Flight 1285 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registered N950JW, which operated as an international charter flight carrying U.S. troops from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, Germany and Gander, Newfoundland...
, chartered to transport some of the division from peacekeeping duty with the Multinational Force and Observers
Multinational Force and Observers
The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.-Background:...
on the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
to Kentucky, crashed near Gander, Newfoundland. All eight air crew members and 248 US servicemen died, most were from the 3d Battalion, 502d Infantry. The crash was the worst in Canadian aviation history. President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy traveled to Fort Campbell to comfort grieving family members. On 8 March 1988, two U.S. Army helicopters collided in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, killing 17 servicemen.
Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
during the combat air assault into enemy territory. The 101st sustained no soldiers killed in action during the 100-hour war and captured thousands of enemy prisoners of war. The 101st Aviation Regiment, fired the first shots of the war when eight AH-64 helicopters successfully destroyed two Iraqi early warning radar sites.
The division has supported humanitarian relief efforts in Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, then later supplied peacekeepers to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
Kosovo
In August 2000, the 2nd battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, as well as some elements from the 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) From Fort Campbell, Kentucky, helped secure the peace in Kosovo and support the October elections for the formation of the new Kosovo government.Montana forest fires
In September and October 2000, the 3d Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, helped fight fires on the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana. Designated Task Force Battle Force and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jon S. Lehr, the battalion fought fires throughout the surrounding areas of their Valley Complex near Darby, Montana.Operation Enduring Freedom
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) was the first conventional unit to deploy in support of the American War on Terrorism. The 2d Brigade, "Strike", built around the 502d Infantry, was largely deployed to Kosovo on peacekeeping operations, with some elements of 3rd Battalion, 502nd, deploying after 9/11 as a security element in the U.S. CENTCOMUnited States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
AOR with the Fort Campbell-based 5th Special Forces Group
5th Special Forces Group (United States)
The 5th Special Forces Group is a United States Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 21 September 1961 during the Cold War.-Unit history:...
. The Division quickly deployed its 3rd Brigade, the 187th Infantry's Rakkasans, as the first conventional unit to fight as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
After an intense period of combat in rugged Shoh-I-Khot Mountains of eastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
during Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
with elements of the 10th Mountain Division, the Rakkasans redeployed to Fort Campbell only to find the 101st awaiting another deployment order. In 2008, the 101st 4th BCT Red and White "Currahee" including the 1st and the 2nd Battalions, 506th Infantry "Band of Brothers" were deployed to Afghanistan. The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to Afghanistan as Task Force Destiny in early 2008 to Bagram Air Base. 159th Combat Aviation Brigade deployed as Task Force Thunder to Afghanistan in early 2009. In March 2010, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed again to Afghanistan as Task Force Destiny to Kandahar Airfield to be the aviation asset in southern Afghanistan.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
(Operation Iraqi Freedom). General Petraeus led the division into Iraq saying, "Guidons, Guidons. This is Eagle 6. The 101st Airborne Division's next Rendezvous with Destiny is North to Baghdad. Op-Ord Desert Eagle 2 is now in effect. Godspeed. Air Assault. Out." The division was in V Corps, providing support to the 3rd Infantry Division by clearing Iraqi strongpoints which that division had bypassed. 3rd Battalion 187 inf regt (3rd Brigade) was attached to 3rd Infantry Division and was the main effort in clearing Saddam International Airport. The Division then went on to a tour of duty as part of the occupation forces of Iraq, using the city of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
as their primary base of operations. 1st and 2d Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade) oversaw the remote airfield Qayarrah West 30 miles (48.3 km) south of Mosul. The 502d Infantry Regiment (2d Brigade) and 3d Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment were responsible for Mosul itself while the 187th Infantry Regiment (3d Brigade) controlled Tal Afar
Tal Afar
Tal Afar is a city and district in northwestern Iraq in the Ninawa Governorate located approximately 30 miles west of Mosul and 120 miles north west of Kirkuk.While no official census data exists, the city which had been...
just north of Mosul.
Once replaced by the first operational Stryker
Stryker
The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
Brigade, the 101st was withdrawn in early 2004 for rest and refit. As part of the Army's modular transformation, the existing infantry brigades, artillery brigade, and aviation brigades were transformed. The Army also activated the 4th Brigade Combat Team
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
, which includes the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 506th Infantry Regiment ("Currahee") and subordinate units. Both battalions were part of the 101st in Vietnam but saw their colors inactivated during an Army-wide reflagging of combat battalions in the 1980s, with 1–506th INF resurfacing in Korea, along with 1-503d INF and 2-503d INF (the latter later inactivated), as Air Assault units within the 2d Infantry Division. The colors of the 506th have returned to the 101st and 1-503d and 2-503d are parachute infantry battalions of the 173d Airborne Brigade in Italy, just as they were when the 173d was in Viet Nam.
The reconfiguration of 101st formed seven major units in the division (four infantry BCTs, two combat aviation brigade
Combat Aviation Brigade
A Combat Aviation Brigade is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack helicopters , reconnaissance helicopters , medium-lift helicopters , heavy-lift helicopters , and MEDEVAC capability.- History :Combat...
s (CABs), and one sustainment brigade), making it the largest formation currently in the U.S. Army.
As of December 2007, 143 members of the Division have died while on service in Iraq.
Second deployment to Iraq
Iraqi security forces
Iraqi security forces is a U.S. Department of Defense term for all security forces of the Federal government of Iraq. They consist of the following organizations:*Ministry of Defence **Iraqi Armed Forces:*** Iraqi Army*** Iraqi Air Force...
and conducting security operations in Ninevah and Dahuk provinces as the headquarters for Task Force Freedom was disestablished.
During the second deployment, 2d and 4th Brigades of the 101st Airborne Division were assigned to conduct security operations under the command of Task Force Baghdad, led initially by 3d Infantry Division
U.S. 3d Infantry Division
The 3rd Infantry Division is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It is a direct subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and U.S. Army Forces Command...
, which was replaced by 4th Infantry Division
U.S. 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
. The 1st Battalion of the 506th Infantry (4th Brigade) was separated from the division and served with the Marines in Ramadi, in the Al Anbar province. 3d Brigade was assigned to Salah ad Din and Bayji sectors and 1st Brigade was assigned to the overall Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
province which included Hawijah, one of the deadliest cities in Iraq.
Task Force Band of Brothers' primary mission during its second deployment to Iraq was the training of Iraqi security forces. When the 101st returned to Iraq, there were no Iraqi units capable of assuming the lead for operations against Iraqi and foreign terrorists. As the division concluded its tour, 33 battalions were in the lead for security in assigned areas, and two of four Iraq divisions in northern Iraq were commanding and controlling subordinate units.
Simultaneously with training Iraqi Soldiers and their leaders, 101st Soldiers conducted numerous security operations against terrorist cells
Clandestine cell system
A clandestine cell structure is a method for organizing a group of people in such a way that it can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization. Depending on the group's philosophy, its operational area, the communications technologies available, and the nature of the mission,...
operating in the division's assigned, six-province area of operations. Operation Swarmer
Operation Swarmer
Operation Swarmer was a joint U.S-Iraqi air assault offensive targeting insurgents in Salahuddin province, near the central city of Samarra, Iraq....
was the largest air assault operation conducted in Iraq since 22 April 2003. 1st Brigade conducted Operation Scorpion
Operation Scorpion
Operation Scorpion was a joint U.S-Iraqi air assault offensive targeting insurgents near Kirkuk, Iraq. It was led by Iraqi command and targeted 8 villages in the area. 52 suspected insurgents were detained....
with Iraqi units near Kirkuk.
Developing other aspects of Iraqi society also figured in 101st operations in Iraq. Division commander Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Thomas Turner
Thomas R. Turner II
Lieutenant General Thomas R. Turner II is the commanding general of the United States Army North, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Military career:...
hosted the first governors' conference for the six provinces in the division's area of operations, as well as the neighboring province of Erbil. Numerous civil affairs operations were directed by the division, including the construction and renovation of schools, clinics, police stations, and other important landmarks in civilian communities from Turkey to Baghdad and from the Syrian border to the Iranian border.
Return to Afghanistan
While the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams were deployed to Iraq 2007–2008, the division headquarters, 4th Brigade Combat Team (506th Infantry Regiment), the 101st Sustainment Brigade, and the 101st Aviation Brigade followed by the 159th Aviation Brigade were deployed to Afghanistan for one-year tours falling within the 2007–2009 window.2010 Deployments to Afghanistan
The Division Headquarters, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade101st Combat Aviation Brigade
The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army. It was first organized in July 1968 as an Aviation Group. It was redesignated an Aviation Brigade in 1986. It has served in almost every single military operation since the Vietnam War...
(101st Aviation Regiment), 1st Brigade Combat Team (327th Infantry Regiment), 2nd Brigade Combat Team (502nd Infantry Regiment), 3rd Brigade Combat Team (187th Infantry Regiment), and 4th Brigade Combat Team (506th Infantry Regiment) deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. This is the first time since returning from Iraq in 2006 where all four infantry brigades (plus one CAB) have served in the same combat theater. As of 5 June 2011, 131 soldiers had been killed during this deployment, the highest death toll to the 101st Airborne in any single deployment since the Vietnam War
General information
The most recent change of command within the division took place in 12 August 2011. During this change of command, MG James McConville took command of the 101st from the division's previous commander, MG John F. Campbell.- Commanding General: Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
James McConville - Deputy Commanding General (Operations): Brigadier General Steve Townsend.
- Deputy Division Commander (Support): Brigadier General Warren E. Phipps.
- Chief of Staff: Colonel Pete Johnson
- Division Command Sergeant Major: Command Sergeant Major Scott C. Schroeder
Parachute Demonstration Team
The "Screaming Eagles" is also the nickname for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Command Parachute Demonstration Team. The unit traces its history to the late 1950s, during the infancy of precision free fall. The command group formed a full-time team in 1984.Total Death Toll
Some "Screaming Eagles" staff has encountered a major disaster on board Arrow Air Flight 1285Arrow Air Flight 1285
Arrow Air Flight 1285 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registered N950JW, which operated as an international charter flight carrying U.S. troops from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, Germany and Gander, Newfoundland...
which crashed just a short way near Gander International Airport
Gander International Airport
Gander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport.-Early years and prominence:...
, Gander
Gander
-Canada:* Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, a town in Canada** Gander , a provincial electoral district** Gander Academy, an elementary school in Gander** Gander Collegiate, a high school in Gander...
, Newfoundland. All 256 troops and crews were killed. Investigators said that the cause is from icing
Atmospheric icing
Atmospheric icing occurs when water droplets in the atmosphere freeze on objects they contact. This can be extremely dangerous to aircraft, as the built-up ice changes the aerodynamics of the flight surfaces, which can increase the risk of a subsequent stalling of the airfoil...
. The terrifying scene happened on 12 December 1985. It was recorded as the 17th from all the fatal crash with 256 people died. The plane's route is from Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
to Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Campbell Army Airfield
Campbell Army Airfield is a military airport at Fort Campbell, which is located near Hopkinsville, a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. Previously Campbell Air Force Base, a U.S. Air Force installation from 1947 to 1959, this U.S. Army airfield has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23...
with stopovers Cologne Bonn International Airport
Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne/Bonn Airport is an international airport located in the district of Porz in the city of Cologne, Germany, and is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. The airport is centrally located in the Cologne/Bonn Region southeast of Cologne city centre and northeast of Bonn...
and Gander International Airport
Gander International Airport
Gander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport.-Early years and prominence:...
.
Current structure
101st Airborne Division:
- 101st Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion ("Gladiators")
- A Company ("Slayers") MRF
- B Company ("Black Dragons")
- C Company ("Spartans")
- Headquarters and Support Company ("Sentries")
- 101st Airborne Division Band ("Pride of the Eagle")
- 1st Brigade Combat Team1st Brigade Combat Team1st Brigade Combat Team or 1 BCT is a modularized brigade of the United States Army. It may refer to:* 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division * 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division...
("Bastogne")(♣)- 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment ("Above the Rest")
- 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment327th Infantry RegimentDuring World War II, the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment was a gliderborne regiment of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division. It fought during World War II as part of the U.S. 82nd Division...
("No Slack") - 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery320th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 320th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army.-Lineage:Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as the 320th Field Artillery and assigned to the 82d Division...
("Balls of the Eagle") - 1st Squadron (RSTA), 32nd Cavalry ("Victory or Death")
- Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
- 426th Brigade Support Battalion ("Taskmasters")
- 2nd Brigade Combat Team2nd Brigade Combat Team2nd Brigade Combat Team or 2 BCT is a designation for modularized brigades of the United States Army. It may refer to:*2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division *2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division...
("Strike")(♥)- 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment ("First Strike")
- 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment502nd Infantry RegimentThe 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment was established during World War II as a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army. The Regiment saw substantial action in World War II and went on to deploy in the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation...
("Strike Force") - 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment ("Top Guns")
- 1st Squadron (RSTA), 75th Cavalry Regiment75th Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 75th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment. Currently, only 1st Squadron , assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, is active.-Training and Activation:...
("Widowmakers") - Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
("One Strike, One Team") - 526th Brigade Support Battalion
- 3rd Brigade Combat Team ("Rakkasan")()
- 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment187th Infantry RegimentThe 187th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.The regimental motto is the Latin "Ne Desit Virtus" . The nickname "The Rakkasans" is derived from the Japanese word for parachute. The name was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan...
(United States)|187th Infantry Regiment]] ("Leader Rakkasans") - 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment187th Infantry RegimentThe 187th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.The regimental motto is the Latin "Ne Desit Virtus" . The nickname "The Rakkasans" is derived from the Japanese word for parachute. The name was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan...
("Iron Rakkasans") - 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment ("Red Knight")
- 1st Squadron (RSTA), 33rd Cavalry("War Rakkasans")
- 626th Brigade Support Battalion ("Assurgam")
- Special Troops Battalion ("Rak Solid")Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (United States)The 3rd Special Troops Battalion is a support battalion assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team 187th Infantry Regiment , 101st Airborne Division , Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Created on 15 September 2004 as part of the U.S. Army's brigade realignment plan to transform brigades into units of action...
- 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment
- 4th Brigade Combat Team ("Currahee")(♠)
- 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment ("Red Currahee")
- 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment ("White Currahee")
- 1st Squadron (RSTA), 61st Cavalry Regiment (United States)61st Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 61st Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 2004.-Distinctive Unit Insignia:* DescriptionA Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches in diameter overall blazoned as follows: Per pale Gules and Argent, a pall Sable charged with ten mullets Or,...
("Panther") - 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment ("Guns of Glory")
- 801st Brigade Support Battalion ("Maintaineers")
- Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
("Apache")
- 101st Combat Aviation Brigade101st Combat Aviation BrigadeThe 101st Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army. It was first organized in July 1968 as an Aviation Group. It was redesignated an Aviation Brigade in 1986. It has served in almost every single military operation since the Vietnam War...
("Wings of Destiny")(♦)- Headquarters and Headquarters CompanyHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyIn United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...
("Hell Cats") - 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment ("Out Front")
- 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation101st Aviation Regiment (United States)The 101st Aviation Regiment is an aviation regiment of the U.S. Army.-Lineage:Constituted 7 December 1950 in the Regular Army as the 4th Light Aviation SectionActivated 19 December 1950 in KoreaInactivated 5 November 1954 in Korea...
("Expect No Mercy") - 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment ("Eagle Assault")
- 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment (GSAB) ("Shadow of the Eagle")
- 96th Support Battalion (Aviation) ("Troubleshooters")
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- 159th Combat Aviation Brigade159th Combat Aviation BrigadeThe 159th Combat Aviation Brigade is part of the 101st Airborne Division , based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 101st Airborne Division is the only division with two aviation brigades...
("Eagle Thunder")- Headquarters and Headquarters CompanyHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyIn United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...
- 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment ("Pale Horse")
- 3d Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment ("Eagle Attack")
- 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment ("Wings of the Eagle").
- 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment (GSAB) ("Eagle Lift")
- 563rd Support Battalion (Aviation) ("Keep Them Fighting")
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- 101st Sustainment Brigade101st Sustainment Brigade (United States)The 101st Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Campbell. It provides logistical support to the 101st Airborne Division , and is under the direct command of FORSCOM.-Organization:...
("Life Liners") (operational control, but not part of the division)- 101st Brigade Troops Battalion ("Trojans")
- 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion ("Drive the Wedge")
- 106th Transportation Battalion
- 326th Engineer Battalion (assigned to the Fort Bragg-based 20th Engineer Brigade20th Engineer BrigadeThe 20th Engineer Brigade is a combat engineer brigade assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps of the United States Army stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Although the brigade was identified as an Airborne unit, not all of its subordinate units were airborne qualified—despite the Airborne tab...
; under local admin control of the 101st Sustainment Brigade at Fort Campbell) - 716th Military Police Battalion (assigned to the Fort Bragg-based 16th Military Police Brigade16th Military Police BrigadeThe 16th Military Police Brigade is a Military Police brigade of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It was the only airborne-qualified military police brigade in the United States Army. It provides law enforcement and police duties to the Fort Bragg area, and for...
; under local admin control of the 101st Sustainment Brigade at Fort Campbell)
HHC, 101st Division
- Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as Headquarters, 101st Division
- Organized 2 November 1918 at Camp ShelbyCamp ShelbyCamp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate begins at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state owned training site in the nation. During wartime, the camp's mission is to serve as a major, independent mobilization station of the...
, Mississippi - Demobilized 11 December 1918 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi
- Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserve as Headquarters, 101st Division
- Organized 10 September 1921 at MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin - Redesignated 31 March 1942 as Division Headquarters, 101st Division
- Disbanded 15 August 1942; concurrently, reconstituted in the Army of the United States as Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Camp ClaiborneCamp ClaiborneCamp Claiborne was a U.S. Army military camp during World War II located in Rapides Parish in central Louisiana. The camp was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Eighth Service Command, and included 23,000 acres ....
, Louisiana - Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France
- Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army
- Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Inactivated 27 May 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Reorganized and redesignated 3 February 1964 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Airborne Division
HHC, 1st Brigade
- Constituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters Company, 101st Division
- Organized in November 1921 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Reorganized and redesignated 31 March 1942 as Headquarters and Military Police Company (less Military Police Platoon), 101st Division
- Disbanded 15 August 1942; concurrently reconstituted in the Army of the United States as Headquarters Company, 101st Airborne *Division, and activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana
- Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France
- Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army
- Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Inactivated 27 May 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1956 as Headquarters and Service Company, 101st Airborne Division
- Reorganized and redesignated 25 April 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Command and Control Battalion, 101st Airborne Division
- Reorganized and redesignated 3 February 1964 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
HHC, 2nd Brigade
- Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Headquarters, 159th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 80th Division
- Organized 27 August 1917 at Camp Lee, Virginia
- Demobilized 1 June 1919 at Camp Lee, Virginia
- Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 159th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 80th Division
- Organized in September 1922 at RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia - Redesignated 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 159th Brigade
- Redesignated 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 159th Infantry Brigade
- Converted and redesignated 12 February 1942 as the 80th Reconnaissance Troop (less 3rd Platoon), 80th Division (Headquarters and *Headquarters Company, 160th Infantry Brigade, concurrently converted and redesignated as the 3rd Platoon, 80th Reconnaissance Company, 80th Division)
- Troop ordered into active military service 15 July 1942 and reorganized at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, as the 80th Cavalry *Reconnaissance Troop, an element of the 80th Division (later redesignated as the 80th Infantry Division)
- Reorganized and redesignated 12 August 1943 as the 80th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
- Inactivated 6 January 1946 at Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New Jersey - Redesignated 15 July 1946 as the Reconnaissance Platoon, 80th Airborne Division
- Activated 21 May 1947 at RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia, as the 80th Airborne Reconnaissance Platoon, an element of the 80th Airborne Division - (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve)
- Reorganized and redesignated 20 April 1948 as the Reconnaissance Platoon, 80th Airborne Division
- Reorganized and redesignated 18 September 1950 as the 80th Airborne Reconnaissance Company
- Reorganized and redesignated 10 May 1952 as the 80th Reconnaissance Company, an element of the 80th Infantry Division
- Disbanded 29 March 1959 at Richmond, Virginia
- Reconstituted (less 3rd Platoon) 22 October 1963 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 159th Infantry Brigade (3rd Platoon, 80th Reconnaissance Company--hereafter separate lineage)
- Redesignated 21 January 1964 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
- Activated 3 February 1964 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
HHC, 3rd Brigade
- Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Headquarters, 160th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 80th Division
- Organized 27 August 1917 at Camp Lee, Virginia
- Demobilized 7 June 1919 at Camp Lee, Virginia
- Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 80th Division
- Organized in September 1922 at BaltimoreBaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland - Redesignated 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Brigade
- Redesignated 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Infantry Brigade
- Converted and redesignated 12 February 1942 as the 3d Platoon, 80th Reconnaissance Troop, 80th Division (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 159th Infantry Brigade, concurrently converted and redesignated as the 80th Reconnaissance Troop [less 3rd Platoon], 80th Division)
- Troop ordered into active military service 15 July 1942 and reorganized at Camp ForrestCamp ForrestCamp Forrest, located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, was one of the U.S. Army's largest training bases during World War II. It was an active Army post between 1941 and 1946.-History:...
, Tennessee, as the 80th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, an element of the 80th Division (later redesignated as the 80th Infantry Division) - Reorganized and redesignated 12 August 1943 as the 80th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
- Inactivated 6 January 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
- Redesignated 15 July 1946 as the Reconnaissance Platoon, 80th Airborne Division
- Activated 21 May 1947 at RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia, as the 80th Airborne Reconnaissance Platoon, an element of the 80th Airborne Division - (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve)
- Reorganized and redesignated 20 April 1948 as the Reconnaissance Platoon, 80th Airborne Division
- Reorganized and redesignated 18 September 1950 as the 80th Airborne Reconnaissance Company
- Reorganized and redesignated 10 May 1952 as the 80th Reconnaissance Company, an element of the 80th Infantry Division
- Disbanded 29 March 1959 at RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia - 3rd Platoon, 80th Reconnaissance Company, reconstituted 22 October 1963 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Infantry Brigade (remainder of the company – hereafter separate lineage)
- Redesignated 21 January 1964 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
- Activated 3 February 1964 at Fort CampbellFort CampbellFort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky
HHB, 101st Division Artillery
- Constituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 176th Field Artillery Brigade
- Organized in 1923 in WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
- Redesignated 30 January 1942 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 101st Division Artillery
- Disbanded 15 August 1942; concurrently reconstituted in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 101st Airborne Division Artillery, and activated at Camp ClaiborneCamp ClaiborneCamp Claiborne was a U.S. Army military camp during World War II located in Rapides Parish in central Louisiana. The camp was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Eighth Service Command, and included 23,000 acres ....
, Louisiana - Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France
- Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army
- Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Inactivated 27 May 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
- Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1956 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Battery, 101st Airborne Division Artillery
- Reorganized and redesignated 25 April 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 101st Airborne Division Artillery
HHC, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade
- Constituted 7 December 1950 in the Regular ArmyRegular ArmyThe Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
as the 4th Light Aviation Section - Activated 19 December 1950 in Korea
- Inactivated 5 November 1954 in Korea
- Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 101st Aviation Company, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort CampbellFort CampbellFort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... - Reorganized and redesignated 3 December 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Aviation Group
- Reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as the 101st Aviation Brigade, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System
HHC, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army as Company A, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division
- Activated 3 December 1962 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Inactivated 4 April 1979 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Activated 30 September 1981 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.
HHC, 2nd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army as Company B, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division
- Activated 3 December December 1962 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
- Reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division
- Inactivated 16 November 1988 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Activated 16 August 1991 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
HHC, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- 1 July 1968 in the Regular Army as Company C, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division
- Activated 20 December 1968 in VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. - Reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.
HHC, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 1 July 1968 in the Regular Army as Company D, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division
- Activated 20 December 1968 in Vietnam
- Inactivated 30 September 1981 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as an element of the 101st Airborne Division
HHC, 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 16 September 1987 in the Regular Army as the 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
HHC, 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 16 September 1987 in the Regular Army as the 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Battalion was formed using the assets of the 123rd Aviation Battalion. The 123rd had been reactivated on 17 December 1985 from aviation assets within the 101st Division's command groups and the 163rd Aviation Company.
HHC, 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 7 December 1950 in the Regular Army as the 4th Light Aviation Section.
- Activated 19 December 1950 in Korea
- Inactivated 5 November 1954 in Korea
- Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 101st Aviation Company, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Reorganized and redesignated 3 December 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Aviation Battalion
- Headquarters Company, 101st Aviation Battalion reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division
HHC, 8th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 16 October 1987 in the Regular Army as the 8th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
HHC, 9th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
- Constituted 16 December 1989 in the Regular Army as the 9th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Campaign Participation Credit
- World War I (2nd and 3rd Brigades ONLY):
- Hundred Days OffensiveHundred Days OffensiveThe Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
(also known as the Battle of Saint-Quentin or the Second Battle of the Somme); - Meuse-Argonne OffensiveMeuse-Argonne OffensiveThe Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
; - Picardy 1918
- World War II (except 159th Aviation Brigade):
- Normandy (with arrowhead);
- Rhineland (with arrowhead);
- Ardennes-Alsace;
- Central Europe
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
(Except 159th Aviation Brigade):
- Vietnam War
- Defense (1st Brigade Only);
- Counteroffensive (1st Brigade Only);
- Counteroffensive, Phase II (1st Brigade Only)
- Counteroffensive, Phase III;
- Tet Counteroffensive;
- Counteroffensive, Phase IV;
- Counteroffensive, Phase V;
- Counteroffensive, Phase VI;
- Tet 1969/Counteroffensive;
- Summer-Fall 1969;
- Winter-Spring 1970;
- Sanctuary Counteroffensive;
- Counteroffensive, Phase VII;
- Consolidation I;
- Consolidation II
- Southwest Asia (Except 159th Aviation Brigade):
- Defense of Saudi Arabia;
- Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Decorations
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for NORMANDY (Division and 1st Brigade Only)
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BASTOGNE (Division and 1st Brigade Only)
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for DAK TO, VIETNAM 1966 (1st Brigade Only)
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for DONG AP BIA MOUNTAIN (3rd Brigade Only)
- Valorous Unit Award for THUA THIEN PROVINCE (3rd Brigade and DIVARTY Only)
- Valorous Unit Award for TUY HOA (1st Brigade Only)
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1965–1966 (1st Brigade Only)
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1968 (3rd Brigade Only)
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for SOUTHWEST ASIA (Except 159th Aviation Brigade)
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for Iraq 2005–2006 (4th Brigade Only)
- French Croix de guerre with Palm, World War II for NORMANDY (Division and 1st Brigade Only)
- Belgian Croix de guerre 1940 with Palm for BASTOGNE (Division and 1st Brigade Only);
- cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at BASTOGNE (Division and 1st Brigade Only)
- Belgian FourragèreFourragèreThe fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
1944 (Division and 1st Brigade Only) - Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in FRANCE AND BELGIUM (Division and 1st Brigade Only)
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1966–1967 (1st Brigade Only)
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968 (2d Brigade Only)
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968–1969 (Except 159th Aviation Brigade)
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971 (Except 159th Aviation Brigade)
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1968–1970 (Except 159th Aviation Brigade)
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1970 (DIVARTY only)
- Navy/Marine Unit Commendation (Army) for Iraq 2005–2006 (4th Brigade Only)
- Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation for Afghanistan 2008–2009 (5–101 AVN only)
- Henry KnoxHenry KnoxHenry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
Award for Field Artillery Battery of the Year in the U.S. Army 2010 (Bravo Battery, 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team only)
Division commanders
|
John J. Hennessey John Joseph Hennessey was a United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Readiness Command from 1974 to 1979.-Military career:... May-70 – February-71 Sidney Bryan Berry Sidney Bryan Berry is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General, former Superintendent of West Point , and former Commissioner of Public Safety for the state of Mississippi .-Early life and education:... August-73 – July-74 John A. Wickham, Jr. General John Adams Wickham was United States Army Chief of Staff from 1983 to 1987.He graduated in 1950 from the United States Military Academy... March-76 – March-78 John Miller -Politics:* John Miller , Governor of North Dakota, 1889–1891* John Miller , Governor of Missouri, 1826–1832; U.S. Representative from Missouri, 1837–1843... June-91 – July-93 William F. Kernan General William F. "Buck" Kernan was born in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was commissioned in November 1968 from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He holds a bachelor's degree in History, and a master's degree in Personnel Administration. His military education includes the... February-96 – February-98 Robert T. Clark Lieutenant General Robert T. Clark is a retired United States Army general. His last assignment was as the Commanding General, Fifth United States Army which he commanded from December 5, 2003 to December 2006.... February-98 – June-00 Richard A. Cody Richard A. Cody is a retired United States Army general who served as the 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 24, 2004 to July 31, 2008. He retired from the Army on August 1, 2008.-Early life and career:... June-00 – July-02 Thomas R. Turner II Lieutenant General Thomas R. Turner II is the commanding general of the United States Army North, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Military career:... May-04 – November-06 Jeffrey J. Schloesser Jeffrey J. Schloesser, USA is a retired Major General and the current President of . Schloesser retired from the Army in August 2010 as the Director of Army Aviation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G3/5/7 and former commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell,... November-06 – July-09 |
Noted Members (selection)
- Ed AustinEd AustinT. Edward "Ed" Austin, Jr. was an American politician and attorney. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the first Public Defender for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit from 1963 to 1968, and served as State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit from...
- Florida politician and lawyer - Donald BurgettDonald BurgettDonald R. Burgett is a writer and a former World War II paratrooper. He was among the Airborne troopers who landed in Normandy early on the morning of D-Day. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division, , and the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment...
– Author of four books on his experiences as a paratrooper during World War II - Joseph BeyrleJoseph BeyrleJoseph R. Beyrle is thought to be the only American soldier to have served with both the United States Army and the Soviet Army in World War II. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Beyrle graduated from high school in 1942 with the promise of a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, but enlisted in...
– The only American soldier to have served with both the United States Army and the Soviet Army in World War II - Robert G. ColeRobert G. ColeLieutenant Colonel Robert George Cole was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the days following the D-Day Normandy invasion of World War II.-Early U.S. Army career:...
– World War II Medal of Honor recipient - Fred DaileyFred DaileyFred L. Dailey is a former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Ohio's 18th congressional district...
– Ohio politician - Joe E. MannJoe E. MannJoe Eugene Mann was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
– World War II Medal of Honor recipient - James R. HendrixJames R. HendrixJames R. Hendrix was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II....
– World War II Medal of Honor recipient - William C. LeeWilliam C. LeeMajor General William Carey "Bill" Lee was an American U.S. Army soldier and general. Lee is often referred to as the "Father of the U.S. Airborne".-Biography:...
– General, World War II veteran, considered as one of the most important influences behind the establishment of U.S. airborne troops - Mike LebowitzMike LebowitzMichael J. Lebowitz is a Washington, D.C., attorney and expert in the field of military law and Military Expression. Along with being an advocate for veterans' issues, he is known to be at the forefront of First Amendment issues pertaining to the military...
– Attorney, pioneer in field of military expressionMilitary expressionMilitary expression is an area of military law pertaining to the United States military that relates to the free speech rights of its service members.- Limitations on military expression :...
, military lawMilitary lawMilitary justice is the body of laws and procedures governing members of the armed forces. Many states have separate and distinct bodies of law that govern the conduct of members of their armed forces. Some states use special judicial and other arrangements to enforce those laws, while others use...
, served in Iraq with Pathfinder Company of 101st Airborne Division. - Eric Rudolph – Terrorist responsible for the Centennial Olympic Park bombingCentennial Olympic Park bombingThe Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States during the 1996 Summer Olympics, the first of four committed by Eric Robert Rudolph...
and others - Robert SinkRobert SinkLieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink was a United States Army officer during World War II, the Korean War, and early parts of the Vietnam War, though he was most famous for his command of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division...
- was most famous for his command of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Played by Dale DyeDale DyeDale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
in the mini-series Band Of Brothers. - Jack WardenJack WardenJack Warden was an American character actor.-Early life:Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Laura M. and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician. He was of Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry...
– actor who served with the 501st Infantry Regiment (United States); Ironically in That Kind of WomanThat Kind of WomanThat Kind of Woman is a 1959 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, who was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 9th Berlin International Film Festival. It stars Sophia Loren. The screenplay by Walter Bernstein, based on a short story by Robert Lowry , is highly reminiscent of the 1938 film...
Warden played a paratrooper from the 101st's rivals: the 82nd Airborne Division! - Ernie WheelwrightErnie Wheelwright (running back)-Biography:Ernest Lamour 'Wheels' Wheelwright was born in Columbus, Ohio on November 28, 1939 and attended Southern Illinois University. He had several careers but is chiefly remembered as an American Football player who played as a running back for the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and the New...
– American football player, actor & singer - Jesse WhiteJesse White (politician)Jesse Clark White is a Democratic American politician. He is currently the 37th and second-longest serving Secretary of State of Illinois, after James A. Rose, and the first African American to hold this position....
– Illinois politician. - Kenneth Robetcky, Bronze Star, and Commendation MedalCommendation MedalThe Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...
receipent with 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. - Barry WinchellBarry WinchellBarry Winchell was an infantry soldier in the United States Army, whose murder by a fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, became a point of reference in the ongoing debate about the law known as "Don't ask, don't tell", which required the US military to discharge service members based on sexual...
– Pfc, whose murder by a fellow soldier at Fort CampbellFort Campbell, KentuckyFort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky became a point of reference in the ongoing debate about the law known as the "Don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" policy. - Richard D. Winters – Major, World War II veteran, portrayed by Damian Lewis in the TV series Band of Brothers
- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
– American musician - Blake ClarkBlake ClarkBlake Clark is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, and veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as a Captain with the 101st Airborne Division....
– American actor - Frank T. Benkovsky WW2 Bronze Star, Purple Heart 377th PFA Battery A 101st ABD
- Tommy MercerTommy MercerTommy Mercer is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Crimson. He is currently one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions with Matt Morgan...
Professional Wrestler, currently signed to TNA Wrestling under the name Crimson
In popular culture
- 1949 movie Battleground followed the 327th Glider Infantry
- 1956 movie Screaming EaglesScreaming Eagles (film)Screaming Eagles is a 1956 black-and-white World War II film directed by Charles F. Haas and released by Allied Artists. It stars Tom Tryon, Jan Merlin and was the film debut of Jacqueline Beer a French Miss Universe 1954 runner up. The story is set during the night of the Normandy Invasion where...
depicted a small unit on D-Day - 1962 movie The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
mentions the 101st Airborne - 1967 movie The Dirty DozenThe Dirty DozenThe Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
, set in World War II sets the "Dirty Dozen" against the "best" of the 101st Airborne to prove their worth - 1977 movie A Bridge Too Far features the 101st Airborne
- 1987 John IrvinJohn IrvinJohn Irvin is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...
movie Hamburger HillHamburger HillHamburger Hill is a 1987 American war film about the actual assault of the U.S. Army's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, part of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division 'Screaming Eagles', on a well-fortified position, including trenchworks and bunkers, of the North Vietnamese Army on Ap Bia...
, set in May 1969 during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of... - 1993 Alice in ChainsAlice in ChainsAlice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
song "RoosterRooster (song)"Rooster" is a grunge song by the band Alice in Chains. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt . The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
", talks about guitarist Jerry CantrellJerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
's father who fought in Vietnam in the 101st airborne division - 1998 movie Saving Private RyanSaving Private RyanSaving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
s title character is a soldier in the 101st Airborne division. In addition, Miller's men encounter pathfinders from the 101st in a village - 1998 movie The SiegeThe SiegeThe Siege is a 1998 American thriller film directed by Edward Zwick. The film is about a fictional situation in which terrorist cells have made several attacks on New York City...
staring Denzel WashingtonDenzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
has the 101st Airborne division occupying and sealing off Brooklyn under martial law - 1999 movie The HurricaneThe Hurricane (1999 film)The Hurricane is a 1999 biographical film directed by Norman Jewison, and starring Denzel Washington. The script was adapted by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from the books Lazarus and the Hurricane by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton and The Sixteenth Round by Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.The film...
starring Denzel WashingtonDenzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
playing Ruben "Hurricane" Carter is seen wearing the 101st airborne armpatch - 2001 TV series Band of Brothers, chronicling the exploits of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, in the Second World War
- 2002 video game Medal of Honor: FrontlineMedal of Honor: Frontline-External links:*...
. - 2003 movie Soldier's GirlSoldier's GirlSoldier's Girl is a 2003 drama film produced by Showtime. It is based on a true story: the relationship between Barry Winchell and Calpernia Addams and the events that led up to Barry's murder by fellow soldiers. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank R...
based on 2/502nd Infantry Barry WinchellBarry WinchellBarry Winchell was an infantry soldier in the United States Army, whose murder by a fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, became a point of reference in the ongoing debate about the law known as "Don't ask, don't tell", which required the US military to discharge service members based on sexual...
's murder by a fellow soldier. - 2003 television series The West Wing episode "Inauguration: Over There" has the 101st Airborne deployed alongside the 82nd Airborne Division to the fictional country of Equatorial Kundu to stop a genocide
- 2003 video game Call of DutyCall of DutyCall of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
, the player belonged to the division in the first campaign. Furthermore, the logo of the 'Screaming Eagles' appears in the loading screen - 2004 video game Conflict: VietnamConflict: VietnamConflict: Vietnam is the third installment in the Conflict series of video games for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC.- Gameplay :A third person shooter, Conflict: Vietnam has the player taking control of a squad of four 101st Airborne Division soldiers on the eve of the Tet Offensive in...
- 2006 the real-time strategy game Company of HeroesCompany of HeroesCompany of Heroes is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Relic Entertainment. It was released on September 12, 2006, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label. A standalone expansion, Opposing Fronts, was released on September 25, 2007. A second standalone...
features Airborne troops who occasionally yell "screamin' eagles" - 2007 documentary movie I Am an American SoldierI Am an American SoldierI Am an American Soldier is a 2007 documentary film about the Iraq War, produced by John Laurence."One Year in Iraq with the 101st Airborne."...
followed C co, 3 BCT during its tour of duty in Iraq in 2006. - 2007 video game Team Fortress 2Team Fortress 2Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
s soldier class yells the words "Screamin' Eagles" occasionally on a taunt or critical hit - 2008 video game EndWarEndwar-Media:*Tom Clancy's EndWar, a video game based on a futuristic global war, in the Tom Clancy series of games*Tom Clancy's EndWar , the novel written by David Michaels which ties in with the game...
as a selectable battalion - 2009 television series The Real World: BrooklynThe Real World: BrooklynThe Real World: Brooklyn is the twenty-first season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
featured cast member Ryan Conklin was a member of the 101st - 2010 movie Valentine's DayValentine's Day (film)Valentine's Day is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and based on the novel by Michael Connelly. The screenplay and the story was written by Katherine Fugate, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Akiva Goldsman, Rob Reiner, P. J...
features Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
as a captain in the 101st Airborne Division - 2010 song Screaming Eagles of the Swedish Power Metal band SabatonSabatonA sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's armour that covers the foot. Fifteenth century sabatons typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot...
on there album Coat Of ArmsCoat of Arms (album)-Personnel:* Joakim Brodén - vocals* Rickard Sundén - guitars* Oskar Montelius - guitars* Pär Sundström - bass* Daniel Mullback - drums* Daniel Mÿhr - keyboards-Chart performance:-Certifications:- Notes :...
goes about the 101st and the Siege of Bastogne - 2011 movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon the commander of NEST puts a call for the 101st for backup
- In the TV series BonesBones (TV series)Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
Seeley BoothSeeley BoothFBI Special Agent "In charge" Seeley Joseph Booth is a fictional character in the US television series, Bones , portrayed by David Boreanaz. Agent Booth is a co-protagonist of the series alongside Dr...
is a former master sergeant of the 101st Airborne Division - The video game series Brothers in ArmsBrothers in Arms (series)Brothers in Arms is a video game series consisting of three main games and seven spin-off games.-Main series:Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter video game created by Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is...
- The book Buffalo Soldiers by Tom Willard
- The books Soldiers for the Truth and About Face by Colonel David Hackworth
- The books Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose and Biggest Brother by Major Dick Winters
- The song "Screaming Eagles" on the album Coat of Arms by SabatonSabaton (band)Sabaton is a Grammis-nominated power metal band from Falun, Sweden formed in 1999. The band's main lyrical themes are those of historical wars. This is heard in albums Primo Victoria, Attero Dominatus and Coat of Arms where all of the songs, except final tracks, take inspiration from historical...
depicts the Siege of Bastogne
David Daniel Mickey Marcus, a tough Brooklyn street kid, rose by virtue of his courage and intelligence to help save Israel in 1948 and become its first general since Judah Maccabee. After a distinguished career in military and public service to the United States, the 46-year-old Marcus wrote his name forever in the annals of Israeli history.
See also
- World War II Combat Jump Airfields:
- RAF AldermastonRAF AldermastonRAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
- RAF Chalgrove
- RAF Exeter
- RAF MerryfieldRAF MerryfieldRAF Station Merryfield is a former Second World War airfield at the village of Ilton near Ilminster in southwest Somerset, England. The name comes from the ruins of Merryfield House. The airfield is located approximately north of Chard, about southwest of London...
- RAF North WithamRAF North WithamRAF Station North Witham is a former World War II airfield in Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is located in Twyford Wood, approximately east-southeast of Cotgrave; about north-northwest of London...
- RAF RamsburyRAF RamsburyRAF Station Ramsbury is a former World War II airfield in Wiltshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Marlborough; about west of London. Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily...
- RAF UpotteryRAF UpotteryRAF Station Upottery is a former World War II airfield in East Devon, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Honiton; about southwest of London...
- RAF Aldermaston
- Arrow Air Flight 1285Arrow Air Flight 1285Arrow Air Flight 1285 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registered N950JW, which operated as an international charter flight carrying U.S. troops from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, Germany and Gander, Newfoundland...
- 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment