501st Parachute Infantry Regiment

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The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment was part of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II and during the Vietnam War. The 501st was constituted at Camp Toccoa, Georgia on 15 November, 1942 under the leadership of Col. Howard "Jumpy" Johnson, a former United States Naval Academy drop out. Later attached to the 101st Airborne Division along with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 501st sailed to England in preparation for the Allied invasion of Western Europe. The unit entered combat for the first time on the night of the 5th of June as a portion of Operation Hornpipe, the Allied parachute and glider drops to secure vital road junctions and other key locations prior to the arrival of the seaborne-contingent of the Operation Overlord on June 6. The 501st would remain in continuous action for a month during the Normandy Campaign, having a significant role in the Battle for Carentan. The 501st also took part in operations near Eindhoven, in Holland as part of Field Marshall Mongomery's Operation Market-Garden. They also took part in the famous Battle of the Bulge. During the Battle of the Bulge the 101st, as one of the few forces available to contain the German advance was rushed forward to defend the vital road junction of Bastogne. Famously, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe answered the German demand for surrender with the reply "To the German Commander: NUTS! -The American Commander" and the division fought on until the siege was lifted and the German advance halted. The 101st suffered horrible losses; 1,766 Killed In Action; 6,388 Wounded In Action; and 324 Died of Wounds during World War II. The 501st of the 101st was one of the most notable forces in WWII.

Also activated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan from October 2003 until August of 2004. The unit was based near the city of Khost at FOB Salerno and sustained 0 friendly KIA's while confronting the enemy on numerous occasions. While rounding up insurgents, protecting the border, and seeking out weapons caches, the soldiers of the 501st also helped to make life better for the local people of the region, the Pashtun.