History 501st Infantry Regiment (United States)

1 history

1.1 world war ii
1.2 cold war
1.3 vietnam
1.4 post vietnam
1.5 operation enduring freedom
1.6 operation iraqi freedom
1.7 operation enduring freedom

history

the following history provided 4th brigade combat team (airborne), 25th infantry division, public affairs office.

world war ii

the 501st parachute infantry regiment activated @ camp toccoa, georgia on 15 november 1942. 501st part of 101st airborne division during world war ii , vietnam war.

camp toccoa, ga, c. 1942

the famous test platoon, prime ancestor of american parachute units, provided nucleus of 1st parachute battalion, in turn provided part of cadre, unit number, genealogical lineage , heraldic background of 501st parachute regiment. initial group of officers hand picked first commander, colonel howard r. johnson.

colonel howard r. johnson. first commander of 501st pir

known peers skeets , in swashbuckling mold of of original parachute regimental commanders, of whom popular saying command parachute unit, don t have nuts, helps!

an annapolis graduate had boxed while midshipman, johnson had transferred army on graduation , had been @ tank destroyer center before volunteering parachute duty. took parachuting gross understatement: ate, slept, , breathed it, , jumped whenever possibly could, jumping many times in single day. nickname among men became jumping johnson. zealot on physical conditioning, himself , in regiment, , led calisthenics, running , other physical activities. set record running currahee mountain (which loomed on camp toccoa) , challenged in regiment beat time. heavy punching bag hung outside quarters, , when not punching that, johnson seen throwing huge knife @ hanging plywood replicas of hitler , hirohito.

all members of regiment parachute volunteers, minor fraction qualified jumpers during training @ camp toccoa, ga. so, when arduous training on in march 1943, unit marched atlanta, ga, distance of 105 miles (169 km). moved fort benning, ga, jump train members not qualified.

with jump training over, regiment assigned airborne command @ camp mackall, nc. home base during prolonged maneuvers in north carolina, tennessee, , louisiana, , until january 1944, when regiment deployed england, way of camp myles standish, ma. once in england 501st became permanent attachment of 101st airborne division , vital part of famous unit duration of world war ii.

in england, training hard, realistic , became increasingly oriented toward airborne assault german-held europe. although none of soldiers knew initially, regiment training operation overlord, secret allied plan combined air, naval, amphibious, , airborne operations breach hitler s atlantic wall. d-day drew closer, few key commanders , staff briefed on part 101st play in operation overlord. d-day days away, 501st rest of division sequestered in guarded marshaling camps every man learned own mission , overall mission of 501st , 101st airborne division. these extensive , intensive briefings later prove vital during actual operations.

the 501st (less 3rd battalion) took off merryfield airport @ 2245, 5 june 1944, while 3rd battalion departed @ same time welford. units flew across english channel , set drop normandy, 5 hours prior seaborne landing. 501st drop zones north , east of carentan. 2 battalions seize key canal locks @ la barquette , destroy bridges on douve river, while third battalion in division reserve.

the troop aircraft formations scattered due combination of low clouds, poor visibility , enemy anti-aircraft fire. caused highly scattered drops , units dispersed across battlefront. ensuing action bore little resemblance briefing, because soldiers prepared, regiment , division accomplished multiple missions, none of them rehearsed. success credited initiative, stamina, , daring of individual parachutists, decided how best accomplish part of overall mission. capture of key causeway utah beach @ pouppeville scratch force of 100 officers , men, formed around nucleus 3rd battalion (division reserve) of 501st, typical. members of ad hoc force included both general maxwell taylor , assistant division commander gerald higgins. general taylor later quipped that, never few led many.

shoulder sleeve insignia of 101st airborne division. 501st assigned 101st airborne during world war ii , vietnam.

fierce fighting in normandy no means ended d-day, continued important results in assisting amphibious landings , joining beach @ utah @ omaha. efforts of 501st came @ high cost: regiment lost 898 men killed, wounded, missing, or captured.

the 501st returned base in england in mid-july, regaining pre-d-day capabilities many replacements , round of intensive training. received presidential citation action in normandy. briefed on several planned air assaults france, each aborted when allies overran planned objectives. in fall of 1944 began preparing airborne assault occupied netherlands.

code-named market garden, combined deep airborne thrust through west of netherlands 1st allied airborne army, overland drive british 2nd army. plan visualized airborne forces seizing key bridges on rivers , canals 2nd army move deep , fast on distance of more 100 miles (160 km), past rhine river, last major water obstacle short of berlin. airborne assault made in daylight. 101st airborne division assigned southernmost bridges @ eindhoven, son, sint oedenrode , veghel, 501st assigned veghel bridges. airborne assault went scheduled on 17 september 1944, improved performance troop carrier units. drop zones hit drop patterns.

former headquarters of 501st parachute infantry regiment klondike in veghel. insignia of 101st airborne division can still seen on top of facade

1st battalion, 501st parachute infantry regiment, however, dropped 5 miles (8.0 km) east of planned drop zone. in spite of this, 4 bridges in veghel captured intact. began difficult part of operation, keeping open highway on 2nd army must pass reach british 1st airborne division, fighting life @ northern end of airborne corridor. fatal flaw in plan became more evident each day forces proved few both keep open key highway , fight on linkup british airborne across rhine. 1st airborne division paid full price flaw went down fighting against overwhelming odds; less 2 thousand men escaped death or capture.

the 501st, rest of division, moved initial objective areas positions on island between waal , rhine rivers; became clear not withdrawn netherlands after few days, had been told; combat skills needed british. prolonged fighting on island way use airborne unit. after initial hard fighting became static war of patrolling , attrition, principally artillery , mortars. 1 such mortar attack, near heteren, on 8 october 1944, fatally wounded colonel johnson.

col howard johnson

as being evacuated, last words ltc ewell were, take care of boys.

colonel johnson best-known loss, him lost 661 other fine soldiers. ltc julian ewell, taciturn west pointer, succeeded col johnson. less extrovert johnson, more made lack of flash , dash keen mind, tactical prescience , around professional competence.

after 72 days of combat in netherlands division returned new staging area in mourmelon, france, thought long, well-deserved rest. accordingly, many men on leave or pass, division commander in united states, assistant division commander in england (leaving artillery commander, general mcauliffe, in command), , there still major shortages of equipment , supplies had not been replaced after netherlands.

the division ill-prepared word received in late evening of 17 december. germans had launched major offensive @ dawn on 16 december through ardennes in lightly held sector of vii corps. @ time shaef s reserve consisted of 101st , 82nd. 101st ordered move truckborne bastogne, hub town of major radial road net, stem oncoming germans. general mcauliffe ordered move regimental combat teams without waiting absentees. 501st lead combat team in division move, , after grueling truck ride, reached bastogne @ 2230 hrs. thus, midnight, 501st regiment combat team ready action. ewell asked mcauliffe definite assignment , ordered move out on eastern road through longvilly , seize , hold key road junction beyond longvilly. 501st first fight @ bastogne when 1 of battalions ran enemy near neffe, few kilometers out of bastogne.

thus began defense of bastogne in 501st gave not 1 foot of ground, , in division, , comrades in arms, stopped cold germans throw @ them, ruined hitler s offensive time table , won 101st first presidential unit citation ever awarded full division.

once again, 501st paid dear price of 580 killed, wounded or captured. 1 casualty colonel ewell, badly wounded , relinquished command ltc robert ballard, had commanded 2nd battalion beginning. bob ballard quiet floridian not professional soldier johnson or ewell, fine officer had learned how command quietly , while winning admiration , respect of men. ballard continued in command of 501st until end of world war ii. operations after bastogne have been anticlimactic under circumstances, except light skirmishing in alsace, , drive germany s last redoubt, bavaria, seemed cakewalk. living in germany after v-day indeed, rudely interrupted orders move billets in joigny , auxerre, france. troops advised not take captured cars or loot them.

once in france 501st began training invasion of japan. on 20 august 1945, 501st disbanded, ahead of inactivation of 101st division in november 1945.

cold war

the 501st reconstituted on 1 august 1946 @ fort benning, ga, 501st parachute infantry battalion inactivated there on 23 november 1948. between 1951 , 1956 501st served 101st regular army non-airborne training unit on 2 occasions, once @ camp breckinridge, ky., , once @ fort jackson, sc. in spring of 1956, 501st , 101st moved (less personnel , equipment) fort campbell, ky, activated provisional organization test pentomic concept. word pentomic referred 5 battle groups, in lieu of regiments , division s organic atomic weapon capability. 1 of 5 battle groups 1st airborne battle group, 501st infantry. first commander col harry kinnard, had been member of world war ii regiment , g-3 of division netherlands. matters on lineage, on 25 april 1957, 501st regiment ceased exist tactical unit , re-designated 501st infantry, parent regiment under combat arms regimental system. simultaneously, on same date, company a, 501pir reorganized , re-designated headquarters , headquarters company, 1st airborne battle group, 501st infantry, , remained assigned 101st airborne division (organic elements concurrently constituted , activated). believe or not, element of 501st served 82nd airborne division when 82nd reconfigured in pentomic format. on 1 september 1957, company b, 501pir reorganized , re-designated headquarters , headquarters company, 2nd airborne battle group, 501st infantry organic element of 82nd airborne division, , activated @ fort bragg, nc (concurrently, organic elements constituted , activated @ fort bragg). when pentatonic concept gave way reorganization objective army division (road), brigades , battalions instead of battle groups, 2nd airborne battle group, 501st infantry reorganized , re-designated 2nd battalion, 501st infantry. on 1 february 1964, colors relieved assignment 82nd , assigned 101st @ fort campbell, ky. 101st reorganized road airborne division, , 1st airborne battle group, 501st infantry became 1st battalion, 501st infantry, of 101st.

vietnam

when 101st deployed south vietnam in 1967, included 1st , 2nd battalions of 501st. division participated in twelve campaigns , decorated republic of vietnam on 3 occasions. 2nd battalion, 501st, while attached 3rd brigade, 101st received presidential unit citation actions during battle of hamburger hill in may 1969; unit s battle streamer embroidered dong ap bia mountain. 2nd battalion, 501st participated in operation texas star, culminated in battle of fire support base ripcord in july 1970. entire 101st participated in operation dewey canyon ii, in support of arvn attack on ho chi minh trail in laos in february–march 1971.

in may 1968 101st s jump status terminated , reorganized airmobile division.

post vietnam

as part of post-vietnam reorganization, 2nd bn, 501st infantry inactivated on 31 july 1972, , in restructuring u.s. army regimental system, 1st bn, 501st infantry inactivated @ fort campbell on 5 june 1984. in october 1989 501st regiment reorganized under u.s. army regimental system headquarters @ fort richardson, alaska. simultaneously, 1st bn (abn), 501st infantry assigned 6th infantry division , activated @ fort richardson. 6th, formed when 172nd infantry brigade expanded division, inactivated during post-cold war draw down , reverted again 172nd infantry brigade (united states). 1st bn (abn), 501st inf made separate battalion combat team short period of time, around 4th brigade (airborne), 25th infantry division constructed, serves day. of 3 original parachute regiments organic or attached 101st airborne division in world war ii, 501st remains unit on jump status.

operation enduring freedom

fob salerno. forward operating base near city of khowst, afghanistan.

oef iv-v: tf 1–501 deployed operation enduring freedom – afghanistan october 2003 until august 2004 under direct command of cjtf-180 , 1st brigade, 10th mountain division. unit based in city of khost @ fob salerno near eastern border pakistan. 501st played significant role in disrupting enemy communications , infiltrations across border in area of operation. commanded ltc harry c. glenn, 501st conducted coordinated searches , patrolled mountains on operations avalanche , blizzard, , storm, on mission root out taliban , al qaeda loyalists in khost province , paktia province. natives of region, pashtun, were, more not, both enemies , allies 501st, making mission more difficult. many enemy killed , more captured result of unit s time in-country.

operation iraqi freedom

oif vi-viii: 501st deployed part of parent brigade in september 2006 till october 2007, , final elements returned in december 2007 part of 14-month tour in north babil province, iraq, 35 miles (56 km) south of baghdad. unit tenant organization @ fob iskandariyah , conducted full-spectrum operations in area s major population centers: bahbahani, jurf sakhr, musayyib , tahrir.

scouts 1–501st infantry regiment (airborne) conducting amphibious operations fob iskandariyah in 2007.

the 501st responsible support operations in city , province of karbala , provided paratroopers additional contingency operations in anbar province, najaf , hillah. 6 months, 501st attachments responsible cities of iskandariyah , haswah surrounding rural communities.

paratroopers 1–501st infantry regiment (airborne) conduct air insertion part of operation gecko north of jurf sakhr, iraq in 2007.

through combined use of ground, air , amphibious operations, unit credited capture or neutralization of multiple ranking insurgents , bringing strong measure of security area, bolstering capabilities of iraqi security , defense forces. 501st served under divisional control of both 1st cavalry division part of multi-national division-baghdad , 3rd infantry division component of multi-national division-central. unit awarded valorous unit award, second highest unit award in army, efforts during 2006–2007 deployment.

operation enduring freedom

oef ix-x: in february 2009, 14 months after returning 15-month deployment iraq, 501st deployed second time eastern afghanistan part of regional command east, international security assistance force. battalion’s area of combat operations included khost , paktika provinces, on border pakistan; brigade headquarters @ forward operating base salerno in khost. known task force yukon. 1–501 in bn (abn) called task force 1 geronimo , conducted counterinsurgency operations 12 months in partnership afghan national security forces , supervised governance, development, , agriculture projects in coordination afghan government. battalion redeployed fort richardson in march 2010. welcome home ceremony held on 25 march 2010 @ sullivan arena in anchorage alaska governor sean parnell in attendance. 7 soldiers killed in action during deployment; honored large stone memorial located in front of battalion headquarters @ fort richardson. efforts in afghanistan in 2009–2010, battalion was, once again, awarded valorous unit award actions.

oef xii-xiii: after 18 months of dwell time @ home station joint base elmendorf-richardson, alaska, 1–501 in (abn) deployed once again operation enduring freedom xii-xiii in december 2011. 1 of 3 maneuver battalions of 4th brigade combat team, 25th infantry division – task force spartan – 1–501 in (abn), known operationally task force blue geronimo, assumed authority of central , eastern khost province. task force spartan, higher headquarters @ regional command east, international security assistance force, arrayed across khost , paktia provinces combat taliban , haqqani network elements. both battalion , brigade headquarters located @ forward operating base salerno in khost city.

for ten months, through october 2012, 501st aggressively countered taliban , haqqani network infiltrations , through khost province. @ same time, task force trained 2 battalions of afghan national army, 2 zones of afghan border police, , entire contingent of afghan uniformed police (khost) conduct security operations lessening dependence on isaf assistance. elements of task force sent paktia , paktika provinces on various week-long operations supplement 3rd battalion, 509th infantry regiment (airborne) , 1st squadron, 40th cavalry regiment (airborne) 4/25 abct 1st battalion, 28th infantry regiment 4th brigade combat team, 1st infantry division. 8 soldiers of task force blue geronimo killed in action in khost province; memorialized on stone monument in front of battalion headquarters @ fort richardson, names transplanted among other fallen paratroopers of 1st battalion, 501st infantry regiment (airborne).