[The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment]

The Starting Point
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The regiment was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia on 6 July 1942, as part of the US Airborne Command based at Ft. Bragg. In 1943, the 505th was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. Of note, the first colonel of the regiment was James M. Gavin, later commander of the 82nd Airborne division for much of World War II.



World War II
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In preparation for the invasion of Sicily, the regiment was moved to Tunisia, in North Africa, where they completed six weeks of training. The regiment made a combat jump into Sicily, which was the first regimental sized combat jump in history. The unit then returned to North Africa for refit before participating in the assault on Salerno, where they made their second combat jump.
In the American airborne landings in Normandy, the 505th actually jumped before its scheduled "h-hour", thus earning their motto "H-minus".



Distinctive Unit Insignia
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The colors blue and white are used to symbolize Infantry. The black panther symbolizes stealth, speed and courage, all characteristics of a good Paratrooper. The wings are added to represent entry into combat via air, and the bendlets symbolize the unit's parachute drops into combat. The winged red arrowhead is used to represent the regiment's first combat attack in Sicily during World War II.