I didn't see it here. And I spend all my free broke-as-hell time here.

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (AP) -- The 101st Airborne Division on Thursday reactivated a historic unit whose actions during World War II were the subject of the book "Band of Brothers." The 506th Regimental Combat Team -- also known as the "Currahees," a Cherokee Indian word meaning "stands alone" -- returned to the division just as its soldiers were completing final preparations to return to Iraq. "Our Currahees have trained hard and are ready to join their brothers," Col. Thomas Vail, said as the unit's 3,500 soldiers stood behind him. "They are ready to sacrifice their personal comfort and safety to answer a call to duty." The reactivation is part of the 101st Airborne Division's recent expansion from three to four brigade combat teams under a Pentagon plan to reorganize the Army into smaller, easily deployable units. The unit -- then called the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment -- was among the first to land in Normandy during World War II. The Army deactivated and reactivated the unit several times, sending its soldiers to Korea and Vietnam, where the unit was critical to winning the battles on Hamburger Hill. First Sgt. Edward Lawrence, the brigade's rear detachment commander, said the reactivation brings instant identity to a brigade whose current members have yet to be tested. "It gives these young soldiers the history that they know about. It gives them something to base all further accomplishments on," he said. While long famous for its missions inside the military, little was known about the unit until Stephen E. Ambrose published "Band of Brothers" in 2001. The book was later adapted for an HBO miniseries. Veterans attending the reactivation ceremony applauded when the brigade accepted the 506th flag. "The unit's colors stay alive," said Brice Bickerton, of Clairton, Pa., a Vietnam veteran from the unit. The deployment to Iraq later this fall will be the division's second; more than 60 soldiers based at Fort Campbell have died in the war.

www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/13/band.brothers.ap/index.html

Good stuff.

I am a unit history geek.

Glad to see them back.

The Army's pulling out all the stops.

After decades of throwing away history,
they finally re-activate the 173rd...

The 506th....

11th ACR....

 I love these units.....Just wish it wasn't so ..............

Army.

The brass wouldn't know unit pride and heritage if it bit them in the ass.

so, now that there's four units again, are they gonna start painting the heart, club, diamond and spades on there helmets again?

Quoted: so, now that there's four units again, are they gonna start painting the heart, club, diamond and spades on there helmets again?

They should.

Quoted: The Army's pulling out all the stops. After decades of throwing away history, they finally re-activate the 173rd... The brass wouldn't know unit pride and heritage if it bit them in the ass.

Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too.

We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger afloat.

Quoted: Quoted: The Army's pulling out all the stops. After decades of throwing away history, they finally re-activate the 173rd... The brass wouldn't know unit pride and heritage if it bit them in the ass. Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too. We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger[/ afloat.

Or

America

Enterprise

Saratoga

Yorktown

You can probably come up with more.

Well im in 2/506 and we put our spades on long ago actually.. we were all excited when we did that! 1st bat didnt though.. Probably just waiting until today.
.

187th RCT..............the original!

And the most decorated US Army unit of them ALL!

Reasearch it!



RAKKASAN!

Quoted: Or America Enterprise Saratoga Yorktown You can probably come up with more.

There is a ship named Enterprise. CVN 65

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The Army's pulling out all the stops. After decades of throwing away history, they finally re-activate the 173rd... The brass wouldn't know unit pride and heritage if it bit them in the ass. Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too. We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger[/ afloat. Or America Enterprise Saratoga Yorktown You can probably come up with more.

Actually we still have Enterprise. Yorktown is still used by CG-48. It would be nice have a new Hornet or Intrepid.

The active units of the 101st already have the shapes on the sides of thier helmets, i have pics I've got off the internet of 101st soldiers with hearts and clubs on the helmets, i havent seen diamonds or spades though, but hopefully we'll be seeing them sometime soon.

Quoted: 187th RCT..............the original! And the most decorated US Army unit of them ALL! Reasearch it! img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/ladyrt007/187in.gif RAKKASAN!

With a proud history during WWII... not.  

BASTOGNE BULLDOGS!  1-327!

Not to take away from the 101st but the 506th served in Iraq as part of the 2nd Infantry Division.  They deployed directly from Korea to Iraq (the first time this has ever been done).  The unit recently returned as part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team to Ft. Carson.  After arriving at Ft. Carson, the unit was "reflagged" as the 2nd/ 12th Infantry .  So, in essence, the flag was simply transferred from Ft. Carson to Ft. Campbell.  The unit iteslf did not move to Ft. Campbell.  All the Currahees that served in Iraq remain at Ft. Carson under a new unit crest.

Quoted: Quoted: The Army's pulling out all the stops. After decades of throwing away history, they finally re-activate the 173rd... The brass wouldn't know unit pride and heritage if it bit them in the ass. Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too. We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger afloat.

Oh, how I'd truly love to see a carrier nicknamed the "Lady Lex". There are just some ships/units that deserve to be around forever.

Quoted: 187th RCT..............the original! And the most decorated US Army unit of them ALL! Reasearch it! img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/ladyrt007/187in.gif RAKKASAN!

3/187th Alumni here. 1983-1986

RAKKASAN (Falling umbrellas from the sky)

I miss it now. Didn't then.

...also known as the "Currahees," a Cherokee Indian word meaning "stands alone"...

Uh, oh... Wait until the libtards/PC Police get wind of this.  

The diamonds belong to the 501st, which is still in Alaska.

There were hearts, clubs, toriis, and  now spades.  The 320th FA has big circles represening cannonballs. ("Balls of the Eagle")

<----3/320 FA, attached to the Rakkasans here, MAY 97 - OCT 02.  Took some leisurely trips to Kosovo and Afghanistan with the Rakkasans.  I'm glad to see the 506th is back home with the 101st.  They did do great things with 2nd ID, but they've always belonged to the Screaming Eagles.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The Army's pulling out all the stops. After decades of throwing away history, they finally re-activate the 173rd... The brass wouldn't know unit pride and heritage if it bit them in the ass. Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too. We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger[/ afloat. Or America Enterprise Saratoga Yorktown You can probably come up with more. Actually we still have Enterprise. Yorktown is still used by CG-48. It would be nice have a new Hornet or Intrepid.

Dunno if it would really be appropriate to make a new Intrepid, since the old one still exists.

Glad to see the military resurecting the 506th.

Someone post those pics of the emblems on the side of our troops helmets, Havn't seen 'em yet(except from WWII)

Cool News!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: so, now that there's four units again, are they gonna start painting the heart, club, diamond and spades on there helmets again? I'm pretty sure they still do.

Yes, they have patches now that they sew to the helmet covers....in fact I now have three helmets that came back so far, a 101st Division HQ (patch has a representation of the Screaming Eagle patch embroidered on it), a 327th Infantry, Engineer Company (Club with an "E" embroidered on it), and a 320th Artillery (the big circle "cannonball" with tic mark)....I'll have to find a 506th one...it would go nice with my WWII 506th helmet....

I think its cool they went back to this old tradition. Of course during WWII they did it so you could quickly identify which unit a guy was in when the sticks got scattered, which happened in spades on the Normandy Drop....

Quoted: so, now that there's four units again, are they gonna start painting the heart, club, diamond and spades on there helmets again?

Some of them never stopped.

I was with 327th in the late 90s. I had a club stenciled on my helmet underneath the camo cover. It wasn't unit SOP and it couldn't be seen with the cover on, but it was still there.


Currently I think all the units wear the appropriate insignia as a patch on their helmet covers.


327th Infantry


502d Infantry


187th Infantry





ETA:


Oh yeah, the 101st won't be complete until we get the 501st back.


Geronimo!

Quoted: Quoted: 187th RCT..............the original! And the most decorated US Army unit of them ALL! Reasearch it! img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/ladyrt007/187in.gif RAKKASAN! With a proud history during WWII... not.   BASTOGNE BULLDOGS!  1-327!

I'm wearing my 1-327 sweatshirt right now...

Quoted: Oh, how I'd truly love to see a carrier nicknamed the "Lady Lex". There are just some ships/units that deserve to be around forever.

+1

I was thinking the same thing. I spent many hours as a child exploring every inch of her when she was stationed in Pensacola. What a history she has.

Bring back the Gray Ghost!

Quoted: Quoted: 187th RCT..............the original! And the most decorated US Army unit of them ALL! Reasearch it! img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/ladyrt007/187in.gif RAKKASAN! With a proud history during WWII... not.   BASTOGNE BULLDOGS!  1-327!

Ummm WRONG!

www.rakkasan.net/

The 187th is the only airborne regiment of the army to have served in all major conflicts and wars  (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq) since the inception of airborne warfare in the US Armed Forces in 1940.  Further, it is the only Regiment to have served in combat in all forms of airborne warfare to include air landing, glider, parachute and air assault.   No other Regiment in the army can lay claim to that distinction and it is doubtful that any Regiment of any army in the world can claim a similar record.

......

The "Rakkasans" deployed to the pacific in mid-1944 with the 11th Airborne Division and saw combat service in New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon. The 187th was the first Airborne Regiment in company with the 188th, to conduct a combat amphibious landing on enemy held shores, landing in Lingayen Gulf to flank the Japanese lines on Luzon.   In the bloody battles of Purple Heart hill, Tagatay Ridge, Nichols Field, Manila and Mount Macelod the Rakkasans decimated their foe.   They also earned the distinction of being the only allied airborne force to meet and destroy an enemy combat parachute operation on their positions when Japanese airborne units tried to recapture airfields on Leyte taken by the Rakkasans.

....

When the war ended the 187th, as part of the 11th Airborne Division, was chosen to spearhead the occupation of Japan and thus became the first foreign troops to set foot on Japanese soil in over a thousand years. They also participated in the securing of Tokyo and by this action were instrumental in being among the first American combat forces to occupy an enemy nation capital in the Pacific Theater.  No other Airborne Regiment in WWII achieved that honor.

Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too. We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger[/ afloat.

Or

America

Enterprise

Saratoga

Yorktown

You can probably come up with more.


Actually we still have Enterprise. Yorktown is still used by CG-48. It would be nice have a new Hornet or Intrepid.

Dunno if it would really be appropriate to make a new Intrepid, since the old one still exists.



Sneak, the Intrepid on the Hudson River has been stricken from the naval register. So the name is available for use. It`s a better name for a cvn than George Bush. Then again so is Lexington.

Quoted: Now we History geeks just gotta get the Navy to do it too. We get Carriers named after living/recent Presidents and a Senator, but there's currently no Ranger[/ afloat. Or America Enterprise Saratoga Yorktown You can probably come up with more. Actually we still have Enterprise. Yorktown is still used by CG-48. It would be nice have a new Hornet or Intrepid. Dunno if it would really be appropriate to make a new Intrepid, since the old one still exists. Sneak, the Intrepid on the Hudson River has been stricken from the naval register. So the name is available for use. It`s a better name for a cvn than George Bush. Then again so is Lexington.

They are trying to get the next carrier built named the USS America since the original was just sank earlier this year.

Quoted: [Actually we still have Enterprise. Yorktown is still used by CG-48. It would be nice have a new Hornet or Intrepid. Dunno if it would really be appropriate to make a new Intrepid, since the old one still exists. Sneak, the Intrepid on the Hudson River has been stricken from the naval register. So the name is available for use. It`s a better name for a cvn than George Bush. Then again so is Lexington.

I believe the Yorktown CG-48 has been decommissioned....I think all three of the first Tico's were, since they didn't have the VLS system, but the old Mk 26 twin arm launchers for their missiles...

Quoted: Quoted: [Actually we still have Enterprise. Yorktown is still used by CG-48. It would be nice have a new Hornet or Intrepid. Dunno if it would really be appropriate to make a new Intrepid, since the old one still exists. Sneak, the Intrepid on the Hudson River has been stricken from the naval register. So the name is available for use. It`s a better name for a cvn than George Bush. Then again so is Lexington. I believe the Yorktown CG-48 has been decommissioned....I think all three of the first Tico's were, since they didn't have the VLS system, but the old Mk 26 twin arm launchers for their missiles...

The Global Security website shows the first four Ticonderoga class cruisers as being decomissioned.  USS Yorktown is showed as having decomissioned on December 3rd of 2004.  That leaves USS Thomas S. Gates as the only non-VLS Tico in service and she's slated for a decomm in FY2006.

Quoted: Quoted: Oh, how I'd truly love to see a carrier nicknamed the "Lady Lex". There are just some ships/units that deserve to be around forever. +1 I was thinking the same thing. I spent many hours as a child exploring every inch of her when she was stationed in Pensacola. What a history she has. Bring back the Gray Ghost!

You mean the "Blue Ghost"?



crappy night pic from the bayfront, Corpus Christi, TX.  You can barely make out the "16"


decent day pic from the aquarium

Quoted: 187th RCT..............the original! And the most decorated US Army unit of them ALL! Reasearch it! img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/ladyrt007/187in.gif RAKKASAN!

HOOAH!!!

<-------Recon, 3/187th


The 1/506th has been part of the Second ID since the mid 1980's

Quoted: Quoted: Oh, how I'd truly love to see a carrier nicknamed the "Lady Lex". There are just some ships/units that deserve to be around forever. +1 I was thinking the same thing. I spent many hours as a child exploring every inch of her when she was stationed in Pensacola. What a history she has. Bring back the Gray Ghost!

This is the Grey Ghost, the USS Pensacola (CA-24) and my Grandfather is onboard.

When did this turn into a Navy boat thread? From the title, I thought it was about the 101st and the 506th and a 4th brigade added? Did I miss something here?

Quoted: When did this turn into a Navy boat thread? From the title, I thought it was about the 101st and the 506th and a 4th brigade added? Did I miss something here?

Easy Co in Holland



Dick Winters