The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion was an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

United States Army unit that saw combat in

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during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. This VLA (Very Low Altitude) barrage balloon battalion "was raised up in 1942 just a year after the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery ...

took over responsibility for barrage balloons from the

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

." Their first assignment was

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and Omaha beaches on 6 June 1944 (the D-Day invasion). The mission of the 621-man assault force was to raise

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-filled barrage balloons to protect assaulting infantry and armor from being strafed by enemy aircraft. "They flew at an altitude of around 200 feet to defend soldiers landing on the beaches against strafing attacks by German aircraft." A commendation by Supreme Allied Commander

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Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

cited the unit for conducting "its mission with courage and determination, and proved an important element of the air defense team". The battalion served 140 days in France. In late July 1944, Battery A of the 320th moved from Omaha Beach to the port city of Cherbourg. The remaining three batteries stayed on Omaha and Utah Beaches until early October, when deteriorating weather prevented ships from landing. The battalion's service in France came to an end on 24 October, when the men boarded ships bound for

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. "By the end of October 1944, the 320th VLA Battalion was on its way back to Camp Stewart, Ga., to train for service in the Pacific Theater. They eventually made it as far as

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before the war ended." The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion was unique at Normandy for two reasons. First, it was the only American barrage balloon unit in France and second, it was the first black unit in the segregated American Army to come ashore on D-Day. Five battalion

medic A medic is a person involved in medicine such as a medical doctor, medical student, paramedic or an emergency medical responder. Among physicians in the UK, the term "medic" indicates someone who has followed a "medical" career path in postgra ...

s were the first to land on Omaha Beach at approximately 9 a.m. A wounded medic, Waverly B. Woodson Jr., was nominated for the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

, though he never received it. In 2020 four members of U. S. Congress proposed legislation authorizing the President to award it posthumously. The VLA units used smaller barrage balloons weighing only that could easily be moved by a few men and transported across the channel on landing craft. A standard balloon crew was normally five men, but the 320th reduced crews to three and four men for the Normandy invasion. Henry Parham, the last surviving member of this unit, died in July 2021.

Notes

External links

''The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion''

''Barrage Balloons in World War II''

References

* *Mills, Alice (2014-12-02). Black GIs Normandy 1944. Editions Cahiers du Temps. Kindle Edition. *{{cite web , last1=Sherman , first1=Ben , title=All-black balloon unit served with distinction on D-Day , url=https://www.army.mil/article/119639/All_black_balloon_unit_served_with_distinction_on_D_Day , website=www.army.mil , access-date=13 April 2020 , language=en , date=1 May 2014 Air defense artillery battalions of the United States Army African-American history of the United States military Battalions of the United States Army in World War II

See also

Notes

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References