Brief History of the 82nd Airborne

82nd Airborne Division History

The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps.

The 82nd Division was constituted in the National Army on 5 August 1917, and was organized on 25 August 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Since its initial members came from all 48 states, the unit acquired the nickname "All-American", which is the basis for its famed "AA" shoulder patch. Famous soldiers of the division include Sergeant Alvin C. York, General James M. Gavin, Dave Bald Eagle (grandson of Chief White Bull), Senator Strom Thurmond (325GIR in World War II), Senator Jack Reed and Congressman Patrick Murphy (the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress.) State Representative Bryan Lentz (PA-161) attempted to become the second member of the 82nd Airborne to join Congress, but was not elected.

In World War II

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 brought the United States to war again. The 82nd Infantry Division was called to active duty on 25 March 1942 with Major General Omar Bradley as commander and Brigadier General Matthew Ridgway as assistant commander. At Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, the Division was organized as a triangular division, built around 3 infantry regiments. Alvin York was invited to visit the Division to build esprit-de-corps. A Division song was even written for the occasion. In June 1942, Ridgway succeeded Bradley in command of the 82nd Infantry Division.

Due to its high level of training, the 82nd Infantry Division was designated the US Army's first airborne division. The 82nd was reorganized and redesignated the 82nd Airborne Division on 15 August 1942. The original organization called for one parachute infantry regiment and 2 glider infantry regiments. On 1 October 1942 the 82nd moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where training continued and final organizational changes were made. The final structure contained the 504th and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments, the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 319th and 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalions, 376th and 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalions, 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, and various support units.

In April 1943, the 82nd departed Fort Bragg and eventually arrived at Casablanca, Morocco, on 10 May 1943. Shortly, the 82nd Airborne Division moved to Oujda where intense training was conducted for the invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel James Gavin, was chosen to spearhead the assault. The 505th Parachute Infantry was reinforced with the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. On 9 July 1943, Gavin's 505th Combat Team conducted the first American regimental combat parachute assault in the vicinity of Gela, Sicily.

The paratroopers were widely scattered, but were able to gather into small groups to harass the enemy. Colonel Gavin formed one group on Biazza Ridge where the Herman Goering Division was stopped before reaching the newly established American beachhead at Gela. On the evening of 11 July 1943, the remainder of the 504th Parachute Infantry parachuted into Sicily. Passing over the American fleet, the transports were mistaken for enemy bombers and 23 were shot down. Eighty-one troopers were killed, including the assistant division commander, Brigadier General Charles Keerans. The 82nd Airborne Division continued its fighting in Sicily by leading Patton's westward drive to Trapani and Castellmare. In 5 days, the Division moved 150 miles and took 23,000 prisoners.

On 9 September 1943, General Clark's Fifth Army launched Operation Avalanche with an amphibious landing at Salerno, Italy. Several operations had been planned for the 82nd Airborne, including a drop on Rome, but were cancelled. Within 4 days the Allied beachhead was in trouble. General Clark sent an urgent request to General Ridgway who was in Sicily with the 82nd Airborne. On 13 September 1943, Colonel Reuben Tucker led his 504th combat team (minus 3rd battalion) on a parachute assault at Paestum, south of Salerno. On 14 September 1943, the 505th Parachute Infantry jumped. The paratroopers were rushed to the front line where they engaged the enemy in the rugged hills and drove them back. On 15 September 1943, the 25th Infantry and 3/504th Parachute Infantry conducted an amphibious landing near Salerno. Throughout September and October the 82nd conducted operations in the Salerno/Naples area. The 82nd Airbrone was the first unit to enter Naples. The Division advanced north to the Volturno River, cleared the area of the enemy, and became the first unit to set sail for England, via Ireland, to prepare for the invasion of Normandy.

The 504th Parachute Infantry, meanwhile, continued fighting in the Venafro sector of Italy until being relieved on 27 December 1943. By 22 January 1944, the 504th Combat Team was back in action as part of Fifth Army's amphibious assault at Anzio during Operation Shingle. The 504th Parachute Infantry took up positions on the right flank of the beachhead along the Mussolini Canal. 3/504th Parachute Infantry was committed to fighting in the northern sector where it earned a Presidential Unit Citation for actions in the town of Aprilia. While operating along the Mussolini Canal, a German officer noted in his diary, "American parachutists -- devils in baggy pants --- are less than 100 meters from my outpost line. Seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere." The 504th Parachute Infantry encountered elements of the Herman Goering Division, the 16th SS Panzer Granadier Division, and the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Division. The 504th Parachute Infantry was finally withdrawn from Anzio on 25 March 1944 and set sail for England to join the Division once again.

While the 82nd Airborne was in England, a decision was made to add a parachute regiment to the airborne divisions for the upcoming invasion of Normandy. With the 504th still in Italy, 2 regiments were needed. The 2nd Airborne Brigade, containing the 507th and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments, was sent from Fort Bragg to join the Division. Early in the morning of 6 June 1944, the 505th Parachute Infantry, 507th Parachute Infantry, and 508th Parachute Infantry, along with artillery and engineers, parachuted into Normandy to being Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Overlord. The mission of the Division was to seize the town of St. Mere Eglise and crossings over the Merderet River. By dawn, the 505th Parachute Infantry had secured St. Mere Eglise and a bridge over the Merderet at La Fiere. Gliders carrying the 325th Glider Infantry and antitank guns began to arrive and join the fighting. Some of the heaviest fighting occurred on 9 June 1943 as the Division seized the causeway at La Fiere. During the action, PFC Charles DeGlopper of C Company, 325th Glider Infantry, earned the Medal of Honor. The 82nd Airborne continued fighting in Normandy for 33 days, leading the Allied advance west across the base of the Cotentin Peninsula. The Division earned the Presidential Unit Citation, 2 French Croix de Guerre, and the French Fourragere of the Croix de Guerre. The 82nd Airborne was relieved in Normany on 8 July and returned to England to prepare for future airborne operations.

On the afternoon of 17 September 1944, the 82nd conducted its fourth parachute assault, this time into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. The Division's objectives were to seize bridges over the Maas and Waal Rivers, and hold the high ground between Nijmegen and Groesbeek. The 504th Parachute Infantry was returned to the 82nd and the 507th Parachute Infantry departed. The 508th Parachute Infantry remained with the 82nd Airborne. The majority of the drops were on target and assembly was rapid. The bridge over the Maas River at Grave was captured on 17 September 1944. On 20 September 1944, the 505th Parachute Infantry launched an attack through Nijmegen to capture the south end of the bridge over the Waal River. The 504th Parachute Infantry, with C Company, 307th Engineers, launched a simultaneous attack across the river to capture the north end of the bridge. The first wave suffered 50 percent casualties, but captured its objective. On 21 September 1944, Private John Towle of C Company, 504th Parachute Infantry, single handedly broke up an enemy counter attack consisting of 100 men and 2 tanks. For his actions, Towle received the Medal of Honor. After 56 days of combat in Holland, the 82nd was relieved on 11 November 1944 and sent to rest camps near Rheims, France.

On 16 December 1944, lead elements of a German offensive broke through the American line in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium. The only reserve forces available were the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The 82nd was alerted on 17 December 1944 and by the next evening was in Webermont, Belgium, on the northern shoulder of the bulge created by the enemy attack. On the morning of 19 December 1944, the 82nd Airborne took up defensive positions along the Salm River. There, the 82nd stopped Von Runstedt's armored offensive. In the fierce fighting of the Battle of the Bulge, 1st Sergeant Leonard Funk of C Company, 508th Parachute Infantry, earned the Medal of Honor.

The 82nd was on the offensive by January 1945. The Division moved through Belgium and the Hurtgen Forest, penetrated the Seigfried Line, and arrived at the Roer River by February 1945. On 30 April 1945, the 82nd Airborne conducted its last combat operation of World War II with an assault crossing of the Elbe River near Bleckede, Germany. On 2 May 1945, Major General Gavin accepted the surrender of 150,000 troops of the German 21st Army. On the same day, troopers of the Division liberated survivors of the Woebbelin Concentration Camp. After 6 campaigns spanning 442 days in combat, the war was over for the 82nd.

From August to December 1945, the 82nd conducted occupation duty in Berlin, Germany. There, while being reviewed by General George Patton, the 82nd Airborne Division received its title "America's Guard of Honor." In January 1946, the 82nd returned to the United State aboard the Queen Mary and led the victory parade in New York City on 12 January 1946.