The 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment (517th PIR) was an
airborne infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, formed 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 ...
. At times the regiment was attached to the
17th Airborne Division
The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley.
It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1 ...
,
82nd Airborne Division and later, the
13th Airborne Division. During most of their combat, the unit was an independent combined force of 17th Airborne troops called the
517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (517th PRCT) was an airborne, specifically a parachute infantry, regiment of the United States Army that was formed in March 1943 during World War II, training at Camp Toccoa in the mountains of Nort ...
or 517th PRCT /517th PCT /517th RCT.
The unit was formed in early 1943 and trained at
Camp Toccoa
Camp Toccoa (formerly Camp Toombs) was a basic training camp for United States Army paratroopers during World War II west of Toccoa, Georgia. Among the units to train at the camp was the 506th Infantry Regiment. The regiment's Company E ("Easy ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. The 517th saw heavy fighting in the
Italian Campaign in June 1944, before being transferred to take part in
Operation Dragoon in August 1944, in Southern France, which happened to be their first combat jump. Following the liberation of France, the 517th was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division and fought with it in Belgium, during the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
. Following the end of the war, the 517th was assigned to
Fort Bragg,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, where the unit was inactivated on 25 February 1946.
Operation Dragoon
The 517th was one of three parachute infantry regiments assigned to the
First Airborne Task Force, which was charged with the assault on Southern France. The assault was set for 0800 on 15 August 1944, however, the 517th dropped early at 0328 on the 15th. This marked the unit's first combat jump. After three days of heavy fighting around the towns of
Le Muy
Le Muy (; oc, Lo Muei) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 9,288.
Le Muy was one of the first places to be liberated in the Allied invasion of ...
, Les Arcs, La Motte and
Draguignan
Draguignan (; oc, Draguinhan) is a commune in the Var department in the administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (formerly Provence), southeastern France.
It is a sub-prefecture of the department and self-proclaimed "capital of ...
, German resistance ceased. For their participation in
Operation Dragoon and the subsequent liberation of France, the 517th PIR was awarded the
French Croix de Guerre by the
Provisional Government of the French Republic.
Battle of the Bulge
The 517th was attached to the
XVIII Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
following the liberation of France, along with the
82nd,
101st
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute mul ...
, and
13th Airborne Divisions. Elements of the 517th participated in counter-attacks near the Belgian towns of Soy, Sur-Les-Hys,
Hotton
Hotton (; wa, Houton) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium.
The municipality lies 12 kilometers from Marche-en-Famenne in the Ardennes and has more than 5,400 inhabitants. The river Ourthe crosses Hotton. ...
, and
Manhay
Manhay (; wa, Manhé) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium.
On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 119.81 km², had 3,185 inhabitants, giving a population density of 26.6 inhabitants per km ...
, pushing the German offensive past its starting point. The 517th suffered heavy casualties in the ferocious fighting during the battle, during which 1st Battalion, 517th received the
Presidential Unit Citation for its successful assault on Soy and Hotton.
Last days of World War II
Following the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
, the 517th PIR was assigned to the
13th Airborne Division, to take part in
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest ai ...
, the airborne crossing of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
river. However, prior to the operation, the 13th's participation in the attack was called off. The 517th, then attached to the
17th Airborne Division
The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley.
It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1 ...
, was slated to take part in
Operation Coronet, the airborne invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, which was also called off after
V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
.
Statistics
The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team accumulated over 150 combat days during five campaigns on battlefields in Italy, France, Belgium and Germany.
The battalion casualty rate was 81.9 percent. The team suffered 1,576 casualties and had 247 men killed in action.
PFC
Melvin E. Biddle B/1/517th PIR was awarded 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 ...
for heroic actions during the Soy-Hotton engagement.
On 15 February 1945, elements of the RCT were assigned to the
13th Airborne Division. The 13th was inactivated in February 1946.
In addition to the one
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 ...
, troopers of the 517th PRCT earned 6
Distinguished Service Crosses, 131
Silver Stars, 631
Bronze Stars
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
, 1,576
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
s, 5
Legion of Merits, 4
Soldier's Medal
The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Army' Soldier's Medal is equiv ...
s, 2
Air Medal
The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.
Criteria
The Air Medal was establish ...
s and 17
French Croix de Guerres.
Notable soldiers
*
Richard J. "Dick" Seitz, led the 2nd Battalion. He later went on to become a Lt. General, commanding
Fort Bragg, the
82nd Airborne Division, and the
XVIII Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
.
*
Melvin Zais
Melvin Zais (May 8, 1916 – May 7, 1981) was a United States Army general who served in the Second World War and Vietnam War.
Military career
A 1933 graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School, Zais attended the University of New Hampshire and gradu ...
, commanded the 3rd Battalion and then became executive officer for the Regimental Combat Team. He went on to become Commanding General of the
U.S. Third Army
The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...
.
*
Melvin E. Biddle, B Company,
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 ...
recipient.
*
George W. Dunaway
George W. Dunaway (July 24, 1922 – February 6, 2008) was a United States Army soldier who served as the second Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in on September 1, 1968, and served until his term ended in September 1970.
Early life
Dunaw ...
became the 2nd
Sergeant Major of the Army
The Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) is a unique non-commissioned rank and position of office in the United States Army. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted soldier in the Army, unless an enlisted soldier is servi ...
from 1968 to 1970, the highest ranking enlisted man in the Army.
*
David E. Grange, Jr., Commanding General, Sixth U.S. Army
*
Terry Sanford
James Terry Sanford (August 20, 1917April 18, 1998) was an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford served as the 65th Governor of North Carolina from 1961 to 1965, was a two-time U.S. pr ...
, an FBI agent, joined the 517th. He later became state legislator, lawyer, author of several books, Governor of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, U.S. senator,
Duke University president, and two-time presidential candidate.
References
{{Reflist
External links
517th Veterans Home Page*Paratroopers' Odyssey: A History of the 517th Parachute Combat Tea
517
Military units and formations established in 1943
Infantry regiments of the United States Army in World War II
517
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
1943 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
1946 disestablishments in North Carolina
517