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505th Infantry Regiment (United States)

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505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th PIR
Active1942-
CountryUSA
BranchArmy
TypeParachute Infantry
Motto(s)H-Minus
EngagementsOperation Husky, Operation Avalanche, Operation Neptune, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge
Commanders
Notable
commanders		James M. Gavin, Matthew Ridgway

The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (505th PIR) is the historical name of one of three infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army. The unit is now redesignated the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. [1]

Unit History

Activation

The regiment was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia on July 6, 1942, as part of the US Airborne Command based at Ft. Bragg. [2] In 1943, the 505th was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division.

World War II

In preperation for the invasion of Sicily, the regiment was moved to Tunisia, in North Africa, where they completed six weeks of training.[3] The regiment made a combat jump into Sicily, which was the first regimental sized combat jump in history.[4]. The unit then returned to North Africa for refit before participating in the assault on Salerno, where they made their second combat jump.

The regiment was the spearhead of the airborne operation surrounding the invasion of Normandy. The 505th actually jumped prior to the scheduled "h-hour", thus earning their motto "H-minus". [5] Upon completing operations in the Ste. Mere-Eglise area, the unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. [6] In September 1944, the unit then participated in Operation Market Garden [7], in which the regiment received a second Presidential Unit Citation [8]. The regiment was then caught in the Battle of the Bulge, which was their last major engagement of the war. By the end of the war, the 505th was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the French Forragere, the Netherlands Military Order of William, and the Belgium Forragere.[9]

Following the German surrender, the regiment served as part of the Allied occupation force in Berlin.

Post World War II

After World War II, the 505th returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In June 1957, the regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 505th Infantry and relieved from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division. In May 1964, the 505th Infantry was redesignated as the 3d Brigade, 82d Airborne Division. On April 30, 1965, the 3d Brigade was alerted for combat as part of "Operation Power Pack", the defense of the Dominican Republic against communist insurgents. Within 18 hours, the first C-130 landed at San Isidro Airfield, Dominican Republic. After two months of bitter fighting, the 3d Brigade returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. [10]

On July 24 1967, the 3d Brigade deployed to Detroit, Michigan to assist local authorities in quelling a civil disturbance. This was not the only civil disturbance mission performed by the brigade. The 3d Brigade deployed to Washington, D.C. in May 1971 to help local and federal officials in their efforts to keep demonstrators from disrupting the daily operation of the Government. Nine years later in August 1980, the lst Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry was alerted and deployed to conduct civil disturbance duty at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania during the Cuban refugee internment. [11]

Vietnam War

Less than a year later, on February 12 1968, the 3d Brigade was alerted for deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in response to the Tet Offensive. After 22 months of fighting, the Brigade had helped secure the region south of the DMZ and redeployed to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in December 1969, the only Brigade of the 82d Airborne Division to participate in the Vietnam conflict.[12]

Post-Vietnam

The 3d Brigade deployed the lst Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry to the Middle East in March 1982 as the first United States member of the multi-National Forces and Observers (MFO) rotation in the Sinai. 1-505 returned home in August 1982 from the most important peacekeeping mission in history.[13]

In October 1983, the 3d Brigade deployed to the country of Grenada to evacuate US citizens and restore free government during Operation Urgent Fury. [14] In December 1989 the 505th PIR participated in Operation Just Cause and assisted in freeing the country of Panama from the dictator Manuel Noriega. [15]

In August 1990, the 505th was airlifted to Saudi Arabia as a part of Operation Desert Shield The ground phase of operation Desert Storm began February 25, 1991 and saw the Brigade move north to conduct combat operations through the Euphrates River Valley. After eight months, the Brigade had helped secure U.S. objectives and redeployed to Fort Bragg in April 1991.[16]

In March 1994 the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment was tasked to serve as part of the Multi National Forces and observers in the Sinai Peninsula. TF 4-505th was activated on November 4, 1994 and was made up of 88% National Guard and Reservist from 32 different states, as well as 12% active duty soldiers. The 4-505th deployed to the Sinai from January 1995 through July 1995. [17]

In September 1994, the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment along with the rest of the 82d Airborne Division was alerted as part of Operation Restore Democracy. The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment was scheduled to make combat parachute jumps in order to help oust the military-led dictatorship and restore the democratically elected president. The 82d's first wave was in the air, with the 505th loaded on aircrafts awaiting takeoff when the Haitian military dictators, upon learning the 82d was on the way, agreed to step down and averted the invasions.[18]

In December 1994, the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment participated in Operation Restore Hope. The 2d Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment departed Fort Bragg for Panama in order to restore order against the upsurge of the Cuban refugees. The Battalion participated in the safegurading of the Cuban Refugees and the active patrolling in and around the refugee camps.[19]

From July 2002 to January 2003, the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. From August 2003 to April 2004, the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment again deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[20] The regiment has recently helped perform security operations in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. [21] They are currently in Iraq serving a twelve-month deployment.[citation needed]

Distinctive Unit Insignia

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment on 24 January 1952. It was redesignated for the 505th Infantry Regiment on 20 May 1958. [22]

The 505th PIR distinctive unit crest is, according to the Pentagon

"A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 5/16 inches (3.33 cm) in height overall, consisting of a shield blazoned: Argent, four bendlets Azure surmounted by a winged Black panther salient inverted Proper, that part on the bendlets fimbriated of the first. On a wreath Argent and Azure, a winged arrowhead point down Gules, in front of a cloud Proper. Attached below the shield a Blue scroll turned Silver and inscribed "H-MINUS" in Silver."[23]

The colors blue and white are used to symbolize Infantry. The black panther symbolizes stealth, speed and courage, all characteristics of a good parachutist. The wings are added to represent entry into combat via air, and the bendlets symbolize the unit's parachute drops into combat. The winged red arrowhead is used to represent the regiment's first combat attack in Sicily during World War II. [24]

References

  1. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/82abn-3bde.htm
  2. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/82abn-3bde.htm
  3. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/1-505/1505pir.htm
  4. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/82abn-3bde.htm
  5. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/82abn-3bde.htm
  6. ^ http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/505/505.html
  7. ^ http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/505/505.html
  8. ^ http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/505/505.html
  9. ^ http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/505/505.html
  10. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  11. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  12. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  13. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  14. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  15. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  16. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  17. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  18. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  19. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  20. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/History.htm
  21. ^ http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-c/
  22. ^ http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/505th%20Infantry%20Regiment.htm
  23. ^ http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/505th%20Infantry%20Regiment.htm
  24. ^ http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/505th%20Infantry%20Regiment.htm

See also

82nd Airborne Division Infantry Fort Bragg

Military.com members page for 1/505 Official U.S. Army page for 505th PIR 505th PIR: Airborne Historical Association 505th PIR: Fox Company, Living History Detachment

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