504th Infantry Regiment (United States)

[edit] World War II service

For more information see: 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (World War II)

504th Parachute Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia

This regiment moved from Fort Benning to Fort Bragg on September 30, 1942 to finish its training, fill its Table of Organization and Equipment, and prepare for its Staging Call. When the call came, it Staged at Camp Edwards on April 18, 1943, and it made its Port Call on May 10, 1943, when it departed the New York Port of Embarkation. It landed in North Africa on May 10, 1943, where it got acclimated, and prepared for service in the Sicilian Campaign. 504th PIR was air dropped onto Gela on July 9, 1943. 504th PIR then assaulted Salerno, and participated as "leg infantry" during the Italian campaign.

Both the drops in Sicily and Salerno were inside friendly lines. However, in Sicily the regiment suffered seriously from friendly fire and a total of 318 American troops were killed or wounded in the operation. At Salerno, oil drums filled with gasoline soaked sand were ignited every 50 yards to guide the pilots to a shrinking drop zone. This latter drop is referred to as the "Oil Can Drop" and the regiment was credited by General Mark Wayne Clark as being "responsible for saving the Salerno beachhead."

Due to significant casualties suffered in Italy, the 504th was withheld from the Normandy invasion to reorganize. (The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment was used in its place.) The regiment participated in Operation Market Garden, seizing key bridges over the Maas-Waal Canal. For his conduct during this action, Private John Towle[1] was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. The regiment also particapated in the Battle of the Bulge.

[edit] Post World War II Service

[edit] Occupation and Garrison

Following their occupation duty with the 82d Airborne Division in Berlin, the Devils reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Regiment remained at Fort Bragg until 1957, when the era of infantry regiments as tactical units ended and the Pentomic era began, in which designations were used to perpetuate lineages and honors. On 1 September of that year the lineage of Company A, 504PIR was reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry and remained assigned to the 82nd as one of five battle groups that replaced the three regiments previously assigned to the division. The lineage of Company B, 504PIR was used to reflag existing elements of the 11th Airborne Division in Germany as HHC, 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry.

The 1st ABG, 504th Infantry remained assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division until 11 December 1958 when it rotated to Germany (along with 1-505th) to become part of the Airborne component of the newly-reactivated 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized). Both 1-504th and 1-505th were replaced in the 82nd by 1-187th and 1-503rd, which rotated from the 24th Infantry Division in Germany to the 82nd. The colors of both remained with the 8th until the end of the Pentomic era, at which time (1 April 1963) they were reorganized and reflagged as 1st and 2nd Battalions (Airborne), 509th Infantry, elements of the division's 1st Brigade (Airborne). The colors of 1-504th returned to the 82nd, and on 25 May 1964 they were reorganized and redesignated as 1st Battalion (Airborne), 504th Infantry, an element of the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.

The 2nd ABG, 504th Infantry remained with the 11th Airborne Division in Germany only until 1 July 1958, when its colors were inactivated and the unit was reflagged as a non-Airborne battle group and the division was reflagged as the 24th Infantry Division. The colors were relieved on 9 May 1960 from assignment to the inactive 11th Airborne Division and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division and reactivated on 1 July 1960, and then reorganized and redesignated on 25 May 1964 as the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 504th Infantry, joined 1-504th as an element of the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.

[edit] The Dominican Republic, April 1965

On April 26, 1965, the 82d Airborne Division received orders to prepare to deploy forces to the Dominican Republic. Two days earlier, a revolution had erupted in the Caribbean nation which put the safety of almost 3,000 American citizens in jeopardy. The initial deployment of 82d Airborne soldiers came on April 30, 1965, and the two battalions of the 504th followed on May 3, 1965, landing at San Isidro Air Base to perform both military and humanitarian missions in support of Operation Power Pack. The 504th conducted military operations to help establish and maintain control of Santo Domingo and to provide security along the All American Expressway that ran through the city.

During these operations, the 504th was often subject to sniper fire and in repeated contact with enemy factions, as it contributed greatly to the establishment of security and to the distribution of food and medical supplies to those in need. Only five days after the arrival of the first U.S. forces, approximately 2,700 American citizens and 1,400 civilians from other nations were evacuated without injury. However, it became apparent that to restore stability to the Dominican Republic would require a continued U.S. presence, so the 504th remained as part of the Inter-American Peace Force for over a year, not returning to Fort Bragg until the summer of 1966.

The father of Senator John McCain led the US invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965. On one side, there were forces loyal to Juan Bosch, the democratically elected left-wing President who was committed to land redistribution and helping the poor. On the other side, there were forces who had overthrown the elected government and looked nostalgically to the playboy tyranny of Rafael Trujillo. John McCain Senior intervened to ensure the supporters of the democratic government were crushed, bragging that it taught the natives "how to behave themselves." He saw this as part of a wider mission, where the US would take over Britain's role as a "world empire."[2]

[edit] Operation Golden Pheasant, Honduras 1988

In March 1988, 1st and 2d Battalions, 504th were joined soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division (Light) at Fort Ord, California in a deployment to Honduras as part of Operation Golden Pheasant - The 7th ID was the first unit on the ground and went directly to protect the local generals - a deployment ordered by President Reagan in response to actions by the Cuban and Soviet-supported Nicaraguan Sandinistas that threatened the stability of Honduras’ democratic government. On March 17, 1988, 1st Battalion landed at Palmerola Airfield, a Honduran Air Force Base that was the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Honduras. 2d Battalion jumped onto the airfield a day later, and the troopers of the 504th began rigorous training exercises with orders to avoid the fighting on the border. Had those orders changed, the Devils were prepared to fight, but the invading Sandinista troops had already begun to withdraw. In only a few days, the Sandinistan government negotiated a truce with Contra leaders, and by the end of March the paratroopers of the 504th had returned to Fort Bragg.

[edit] Parachutes in Panama, 1989

On December 20, 1989, the 504th was again sent into battle as part of Operation Just Cause. The intent of this operation was to protect U.S. civilians in Panama, secure key facilities, neutralize both the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) and the "Dignity Battalions," and restore the elected government of Panama by ousting General Manuel Noriega. The 3d Battalion had been prepositioned at Fort Sherman two weeks prior to the operation and was under the control of the 7th Infantry Division. The battalion conducted air and sea assaults in northern and central Panama to seize the dam that controlled the water in the Panama canal, a prison, several police stations, several key bridges, a PDF supply point, the PDF demolitions school and an intelligence training facility. The operations were designed to neutralize the PDF while protecting U.S. nationals and the canal itself during the first few hours of the battle.

The 1st and 2d Battalions, 504th, along with 4th Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, conducted a parachute assault on the Omar Torrijos International Airport. Following the airborne assault, the paratroopers soon found themselves engaged in fierce combat in urban and rural areas. As a testament to the discipline of the soldiers, however, the unit achieved all key objectives while causing only minimal collateral damage.[3]

[edit] Devils in the Desert, 1990

On August 2, 1990, the Iraqi Army (the world’s fifth largest) attacked Kuwait. Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were quickly committed to Saudi Arabia and were positioned against an enemy that greatly outnumbered them. As diplomatic efforts failed, it became clear that the Iraqi Army would not withdraw. Plans were thus developed for Operation Desert Storm.

President Bush’s warning to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 went unheeded, and on January 17, 1991 the air war began. Allied sorties pounded the enemy for more than a month as the XVIII Airborne Corps made a rapid movement westward to position its units to roll up the flank of the multi-echeloned Iraqi defense. In a powerful offensive lasting only 100 hours, the Allied forces -- with the 82d on the far western flank -- crossed into Iraqi territory, devastated the Iraqi Army and captured thousands of enemy soldiers. The dangerous task of clearing countless enemy bunkers was quickly completed by the 82d troopers, and the 504th returned to Fort Bragg in April 1991.

[edit] Hurricane Andrew, 1992

In August 1992, 2d Battalion, 504th PIR was alerted to deploy with a task force to the hurricane-ravaged area of South Florida to provide humanitarian assistance following Hurricane Andrew. For more than thirty days, the troopers provided the citizens with food, shelter and medical attention.

[edit] Operation Uphold Democracy, Haiti 1994

Demonstrating its readiness again in September 1994, the Regiment was called upon to take part in Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. As the main effort of the 82d Airborne Division, the 504th, along with 2d Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, was tasked to conduct an airborne assault to seize Port-au-Prince International Airport and to secure key objectives in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area to oust Jean Bertrand Aristide. Several months of rigorous training had been conducted prior to the invasion. Less than three hours from drop time, however, the mission was terminated, and the aircraft returned with the 82d units to Pope Air Force Base.

[edit] Lineage

[edit] Regiment

504th PIR Insignia Background

• Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1947 as the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
• Allotted 15 November 1948 to the Regular Army.
• Relieved 1 September 1957 from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division; concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 504th Infantry Regiment, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS).
• Withdrawn 1 May 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System (USARS).

[edit] First Battalion

1/504th PIR Insignia Background

• Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1947 as Company A, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
• Allotted 15 November 1948 to the Regular Army
• Reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 82d Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
• Relieved 11 December 1958 from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division and assigned to the 8th Infantry Division
• Relieved 1 April 1963 from assignment to the 8th Infantry Division and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division
• Reorganized and redesignated 25 May 1964 as the 1st Battalion, 504th Infantry.

[edit] Second Battalion

2/504th PIR Insignia Background

• Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1947 as Company B, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
• Allotted 15 November 1948 to the Regular Army.
• Reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry, relieved from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division, and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated).
• Inactivated 1 July 1958 in Germany.
• Relieved 9 May 1960 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division.
• Activated 1 July 1960 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
• Reorganized and redesignated 25 May 1964 as the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry.

[edit] Third Battalion

3/504th PIR Insignia Background

• Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1947 as Company C, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
• Allotted 15 November 1948 to the Regular Army.
• Inactivated 1 September 1957 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and relieved from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division; concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry.
• Redesignated 3 July 1968 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 504th Infantry (organic elements concurrently constituted).
• Assigned 15 July 1968 to the 82d Airborne Division and activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

(The battalion was part of the 4th Brigade, temporarily activated when the 3rd Brigade was sent to Viet Nam. Units of the division's 4th Brigade remained in skeletal status, never being fully manned, and were inactivated upon the return of the 3rd Brigade from Viet Nam.)

• Inactivated 15 December 1969 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and relieved from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division.
• Assigned 1 May 1986 to the 82d Airborne Division and activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
• After participating in OIF from Sep 2005 to Jan 2006 under the excellent command of LTC Larry Swift, 3rd Battalion was reflagged as the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (different lineage and honors) under LTC Menes in May 2006.

[edit] Honors

[edit] Campaign Participation Credit

[edit] World War II

1. Sicily (with arrowhead)
2. Naples-Foggia
3. Anzio (with arrowhead)
4. Rhineland (with arrowhead)
5. Ardennes-Alsace
6. Central Europe

[edit] Armed Forces Expeditions

1. Dominican Republic (Except Third Battalion)
2. Panama (with arrowhead)
3. Grenada (Company A, 2/504th IR ONLY)

[edit] Southwest Asia

1. Defense of Saudi Arabia
2. Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

[edit] Decorations

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for ANZIO BEACHHEAD
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for NIJMEGEN, HOLLAND
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for CHENEUX, BELGIUM
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for SOUTHWEST ASIA
• Valorous Unit Award for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (2003)
• Army Superior Unit Award for 1996
• Military Order of William (Degree of the Knight of the Fourth Class) for NIJMEGEN 1944
• Netherlands Orange Lanyard
• Belgian Fourragere 1940
• Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the ARDENNES
• Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM AND GERMANY

[edit] Former Commanders

1. COL Theodore L. Dunn 1 MAY 42--1 DEC 42
2. COL Reuben Henry Tucker III 1 DEC 42--10 MAY 46
3. LTC(P) Charles H. Chase 10 MAY 46--21 JUL 46
4. LTC(P) William Westmoreland 21 JUL 46--12 AUG 47
5. LTC(P) Robert L. Ashworth 12 AUG 47--24 OCT 47
6. COL Edward H. Lahti 24 OCT 47--10 APR 49
7. COL Chas C. W. Allan 10 APR 49--8 JUL 50
8. COL Joseph P. Cleland 8 JUL 50--13 APR 51
9. COL Maurice D. Stratta 13 APR 51--4 JAN 52
10. COL Teddy H. Sanford 4 JAN 52--3 MAY 53
11. COL William A. Dodds 3 MAY 53--AUG 54
12. COL John Lattin AUG 54-- AUG 55
13. COL Allen H. Foreman AUG 55 -- JUL 56
14. COL Robert Lindville JUL56 -- AUG 57
15. COL Albert W. Frink AUG 57 -- MAY 59
16. LTC(P) Sidney M. Marks MAY 59 -- AUG 59
17. COL Warren K. Bennet AUG 59 -- OCT 59
18. LTC(P) Harry Snavely NOV 59 -- DEC 59
19. COL Joseph B. Seay DEC 59 -- DEC 60
20. COL Sidney M. Marks DEC 60 -- JUN 62
21. COL Harold R. Kennedy JUN 62 -- 3 JUN 63
22. COL James P. Moore 3 JUN 63 -- FEB 64
23. COL Albert E. Milloy FEB 64 -- 24 MAY 64
24. COL Robert F. Bayard 24 MAY 64 -- 15 AUG 65
25. COL William H. Hard 15 AUG 65 -- 30 JUN 67
26. COL W.B. Roop 30 JUN 67--15 AUG 68
27. COL Waldo W. Brooks Jr. AUG 68 -- SEPT 69
28. COL Hanz K. Drvener 24 SEPT--30 SEPT 70
29. COL C.K. Nulsen 30 SEPT 70--17 JAN 72
30. COL E.A. Partain 17 JAN 72--6 JUL 73
31. COL G.S. Meloy 6 JUL 73--1 NOV 74
32. COL D.L. Buckner 1 NOV 74--30 APR 78
33. COL J.K. Gibler 30 APR 76--28 OCT 77
34. COL D.E. Williford 28 0CT 77--20 APR 79
35. COL C.H. Ferguson 20 APR 79--17 JUL 80
36. COL Peter J. Boylan 17 JUL 80--7 JAN 83
37. COL David A. Bramlett 7 JAN 83--21 OCT 83
38. COL Henry H. Shelton 21 OCT 83--22 OCT 85
39. COL William M. Steele 22 OCT 85--22 OCT 87
40. COL George A. Crocker 22 OCT 87--28 SEP 89
41. COL Jack P. Nix Jr. 28 SEP 89--6 SEP 91
42. COL Robert R. Harper Jr. 6 SEP 91--21 SEP 93
43. COL John Abizaid 21 SEP 93--12 JUN 95
44. COL David Petraeus 12 JUN 95--3 JUN 97
45. COL Karl R. Horst 3 JUN 97--22 JUN 99
46. COL Leo A. Brooks Jr. 22 JUN 99--31 MAY 01

[edit] See also

504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (World War II)

http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-a/

http://www.foxco504thpir.com/index.html

[edit] External links

• Narrative of Action of the First Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry at Cheneux, Belgium
• Towle's Medal of Honor citation
• Rape and murder of an 11-year-old Albanian girl on January 13, 2000 by SSG Frank Ronghi of the 3rd Bn, 504th PIR; abusive treatment of civilians by other members of the battalion

[4]