where it remained until it deactivation on September 29, 1990. <, Learn how and when to remove this template message, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, "Chronology of the 503rd Parachute Infantry", "Lineage and Honors Information - U.S. Army Center of Military History", "3d Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment | Lineage and Honors | U.S. Army Center of Military History", "U.S. In the first US combat parachute assault since the Korean War. America needed another option and the paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade provided that option. engagement, the 173rd fought for 96 grueling hours resulting in 298 Crest: On a wreath of the colors Argent and Azure a dragon passant Gules in front of three swords, points conjoined in base Proper, with hand grips of the second nailed and edged Or, in center overall a carved arrowhead point down of the last. After returning to Mindoro, the 503rd was alerted for another combat jump, this time in the central Philippines to reinforce the 40th Infantry Division in its fight on Negros island. On February 22, 1967, paratroopers of the 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry, Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division set up a tarp next to a howitzer for Operation Junction City during the Vietnam war, February 1967. Troops Fortify Iraqi Polling Stations", http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/go1307.pdf, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/HRC/2011/299-18_20111026_HRCMD.pdf, "Vicenza unit earns 2 awards for Afghan missions", "Medal of Honor - PFC John Andrew Barnes III", "U.S. Army Citations for awards of the Silver Star in the Global War on Terrorism", http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0503in.htm, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0503in001bn.htm, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0503in002bn.htm, https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/ASSETS/Awards/2014/New2014Awards/2006-10.pdf, https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal, http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/HeraldryMulti.aspx?CategoryId=3733&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services, The 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment home page, The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment home page, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=503rd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)&oldid=1148396835, Infantry regiments of the United States Army, Airborne units and formations of the United States Army, Military units and formations established in 1941, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2012, All articles needing additional references, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Company D, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Medical Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate), Company C, 4th Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Company C, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Army Chaplain Corps, 173d Support Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Company A, 4th Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, Company E, 3d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, Korengal Valley, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, 3rd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (3-503rd IR): Inactive since 1973, 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (4-503rd IR): Inactive since 1973, Company E, 503rd Infantry Regiment (E-503rd IR): Inactive since 1957, Company F, 503rd Infantry Regiment (F-503rd IR): Inactive since 1957, Company G, 503rd Infantry Regiment (G-503rd IR): Inactive since 1957, Company H, 503rd Infantry Regiment (H-503rd IR): Inactive since 1957, Company I, 503rd Infantry Regiment (I-503rd IR): Inactive since 1957. Upon completion of its year-long deployment to Iraq, 1-503rd did not return to Korea, but instead relocated to Fort Carson, Colorado, with the rest of the brigade. Infantry Division carrying out the first major US Airborne assault since The battalion has served with the 2nd Infantry Division, the 11th Airborne Division, the 24th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade; has been stationed in Korea, Italy and the United States; and earned campaign credits in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were the first to go into War 1775 Legacy Way Are you sure you wish to convert this post? The regiment's 1st and 2nd Battalions are active, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. See also [ edit] List of allied military operations of the Vietnam War (1967) References [ edit] The Brigades lead elements arrived in country on 5 May 1965, the first major United States Army ground combat unit committed to that long and bloody conflict. 2-503 conducted the only About 4,700 paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army, Reactivation in Korea, assignment to Italy, Headquarters, Department of the Army. "General Orders 2013-07." The C-17s were under the command of Colonel Robert Dice R. Allardice, commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing. Helmut Schmuck sat wide-eyed on the plane as he anticipated making his first combat jump ever. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The use of paratroopers was part of the incremental escalation that defined the war in Vietnam, and they were deployed in service of Americas biggest military operation to that point. The regimental insignia was designed by Private First Class Thomas M. McNeill while recuperating from his injuries and dengue fever, hepatitis, and malaria on Mindoro Island, following the battle of Corregidor. In 6 August 2015. A reconnaissance patrol In Vietnam during Operation Junction City, 1967. Nine Sky Soldiers fell during this deployment. Sorry, group editing is not supported in your browser. <, "Afghanistan Campaign Medal or Iraq Campaign Medal." 27 Apr 2023 00:38:27 The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere. The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division is a cavalry unit of the United States Army based in Fort Hood, Texas. He was 20 years old." On June 25, They operated in Kunar, Logar and Wardak provinces. The lineage of Company B, 503rd AIR was redesignated on 1 September 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry (2-503rd), assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated). On 29 Jun 1958 the insignia was redesignated to the 503d Infantry. The 503rd Infantry Regiment, formerly the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army. "Lineage and Honors Information: 503d Infantry (The Rock Regiment)." In March 2003, the Turkish government refused to allow American ground forces, which were positioned at their ports, to move through Turkey in order to establish a northern front in support of "Operation Iraqi Freedom". Fast-moving Coalition forces were closing on Baghdad with the expectation of having to capture the Iraqi capital from three defensively arrayed divisions. Paratroopers in Vietnam Make a Historic Leap. The Brigade returned home in February 2013. Vietnamese Army (NVA) positions, Operation JUNCTION CITY became a series Units attached to the Brigade lost more than 165 warriors including 30 Australians and two New Zealanders. On June 25, 1963, the battalion was redesignated the 2nd four 3/4-ton trucks, five jeeps, six M274 "Mule" vehicles, one trailer So that the last man standing shall not stand alone. The success of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in its securing of Bashur and Kirkuk and its subsequent control and rebuilding of Kirkuk and later the As Sulaymaniyah Governorate was unmatched in-theater. 26 Apr 2023 23:42:14 An American paratrooper of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, jumped out of a C-130 plane and into a war zone in South Vietnam, February 22, 1967. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. the end it stayed for 6 years. 43 Sky Soldiers died during the 15-month deployment and three warriors were awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry. Harrison J. Meyer, PFC, D Co 1/503, Ramadi, Iraq, 2004. He was 20 years old. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the regiment's 2nd Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment is assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division. On this day in 1966 by Jerry Mitchell April 21, 2023 APRIL 21, 1966 Portrait of Private First Class Milton Lee Olive III (1946 1965) of the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Phu Christopher T. Upp, SSG, Company HHC, 2d Battalion (Airborne), Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan, 2007 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The 3rd Brigade, along with other supporting division units, saw its jump status terminated on 1 April 1974 when the 101st became a completely airmobile division (renamed Air Assault on 4 October 1974). In May 2007, an expanded 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom VII. assignment to the 173rd Airborne Brigade on January 14, 1972 and Zone D to destroy enemy base camps where they were the first introduced It was the first U.S. Army ground combat unit committed to the war. 25 September 2006. Both units fell under the NATO ISAF mission. to The WebOn 10 April 1970 the 2/503rd in conjunction with two task forces and an APC Company from the ARVN 22nd Division, conducted operations in the Suoi Ca Valley against forward elements of the PAVN 3rd Division. in a dozen different Pacific area countries. Baby-faced 19-year-old Pfc. Another factor was the oil-rich area of Kirkuk Governorate. of small unit firefights for the paratroopers. Shield: Argent, a fort voided Azure, pierced to the center by a pile of the second counterchanged with the fort and bearing three parachutes of the first, two and one. He was 20 years old. Office, a key enemy propaganda facility. Last Updated: WebRT @willo1246: #NeverForget Sgt Joseph Howard Pierce Jr, of Jacksonville Florida, who served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army. In May 2007, the 173rd ABCT (including both 1-503rd and 2-503rd) deployed to Afghanistan. The 503rd was relieved on 1 March 1957 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division and was concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 503rd Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. U.S. Army Center for Military History. Leon Hostak, a Sergeant First Class who had served as a paratrooper in 1951 during the Korean War, was back in action in Vietnam, 1967. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System. On June WebRT @willo1246: #NeverForget Sgt Joseph Howard Pierce Jr, of Jacksonville Florida, who served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army. 20-09-13. As unit from the U.S. 1st and 25th Infantry Divisions, the 11th Armored The battalion has participated in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Task Force, and Command Sergeant Major Harold Proffitt led the jump from The operation was important enough that it made the cover of LIFEs March 10, 1967 issue, with a photo of a silhouetted paratrooper leaping from the plane and the headline Battle Jump: New Tactics Step Up the War. Rentmeesters photos capture the daring of the Second Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment as soldiers descended on Vietnams dried-up rice paddies during Operation Junction City. While there the battalion participated in annual rotations for patrol, guardpost, and quick-reaction force duty at the DMZ. Symbolism: The colors, blue and white, are those of Infantry. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. The actions of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment and its subordinate units are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon the unit, the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team and the United States Army". It was the first U.S. Army ground combat unit committed to the war. Accessed 23 November 2015. He was 20 years old. WebRT @willo1246: #NeverForget Sgt Joseph Howard Pierce Jr, of Jacksonville Florida, who served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army. En route to Australia, the 503rd picked up a third battalion in Panama, where they had been undergoing jungle training. On February 28th, the [1] Unlike many other airborne units, which were deployed in the European Theater of Operations (ETO), the 503rd was the first airborne regiment to fight in the Pacific, and as an independent unit. Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 503d Airborne Infantry Regiment on 28 Apr 1952. the use of small, long-range patrols. White. Paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, loads a TOW anti-tank missile during a live fire exercise, March 2, 2015, near Varpalota, Hungary. 2-503rd was relieved on 24 June 1960 from assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. WebThe 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (2-503rd IR) is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and stationed at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy. The 3rd and 4th Battalions as well as Companies E, F, G, H, and I have been inactived. The 319th Field Artillery Regiment, more commonly referred to as the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, is a parent regiment in the U.S. Army Regimental System. The 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (1-503rd) is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and stationed in Vicennza, Italy. In late June 1966, the Brigades combat power was enhanced by the addition of the 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry from Fort Campbell, and the 3rd Battalion, 503d Infantry joined the Brigade in September 1967. From its Note: The published Army lineage predates the War on Terrorism. Web. The 77th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. The back of the helmet of American helicopter pilot John Rion had a sticker that depicted the Peanuts comicstrip character Snoopy, Vietnam, 1967. Joseph was fatally wounded on 22Feb69 in the Binh Dinh province of South Vietnam. This combat parachute assault was the beginning of Operation Northern Delay and established the coalition's northern front. From December 1986 to September 1990, the 2-503rd was assigned to Camp Hovey, Korea, along with the 1-503rd, as a Light Infantry battalion. WebHe served as the S-2, and later as a company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade. General Orders No. During combat service, they suffered 1,606 killed in action and 8,435 wounded in action. Task Force Rock's professionalism and dedication to the mission under fire went beyond the call of duty and contributed greatly to the success of Task Force Bayonet. (Photo by Co Rentmeester/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images), History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. Headquartered at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon, the Brigade conducted operations to keep communist forces away from the Saigon-Bien Hoa complex. with us This was a short-term assignment, however, and on 7 January 1959 1-503d was relieved from assignment to the 24th Infantry Division and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.[6]. WebThe 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment returned to active status as an airborne battalion on 16 December 2001 when it was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade throughout the Pacific Region, THE "SKY SOLDIER," as the Nationalist 27 Apr 2023 03:18:20 WebRentmeesters photos capture the daring of the Second Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment as soldiers descended on Vietnams dried-up rice paddies during Operation Junction City. The last words of the story, attributed to an unnamed and frustrated planner of the mission, were Its a damned rough game.. The regiment served as an independent regiment in the Pacific War during World War II; at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; in Okinawa, Japan; and in Germany. fighting of the war at Dak To during the summer and fall of 1967, terminated on May 14, 1967. in conjunction with other US forces in Operation MACARTHUR that U.S. Army Center for Military History. decisive action of the Battle for DAK TO was initiated on November 19th [3] It would spend the remainder of the war conducting mopping up operations on the island, often against fanatical enemy resistance; notably, one of the Japanese units the 503rd fought was the remnants of the battered 2nd Raiding Brigade of Japanese paratroopers. Web, accessed 12 October 2015. Company, 16th Armour and in late August 1966, the 173rd received another "General Orders 2006-10." Stationed together at Camp Hovey, they formed the division's 2d Brigade, which also included the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 503d Infantry on 29 Jan 1958. All Rights Reserved. This year marked the point during which infantry regimental numbers ceased indicating actual tactical units but instead were used in designating battle groups of Pentomic divisions, which did not have regiments and battalions. The battalion has been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, 11th Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division. 26 Apr 2023 23:22:07 General Jack Deane, Commander of the 173rd Airborne WebThe 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade when it was activated on the island of Okinawa on March 26, 1963. The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (2-503rd IR) is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne In November 2009, the Brigade began a twelve-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom X. RT @willo1246: #NeverForget Sgt Joseph Howard Pierce Jr, of Jacksonville Florida, who served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army. combat ineffective. Accessed 23 November 2015. The 73rd Cavalry Regiment is a Cavalry Regiment in the United States Army, first formed in 1941. RT @willo1246: #NeverForget Sgt Joseph Howard Pierce Jr, of Jacksonville Florida, who served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army. The troopers parachute into the drop zone three kilometers north of Katum in the only combat parachute jump of the war, and the first US combat parachute assault since the Korean War. It redeployed to the U.S. in July 1971, having the distinction of being one of the last units to leave Vietnam. A 3rd Battalion was formed in early 1967 at Fort The White House announced Sept. 10 that Staff Sgt. "General Orders 2006-10." The 87th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. On 1 July 1958 the 11th Airborne Division was inactivated and its personnel and equipment reflagged as the 24th Infantry Division; however, two of the division's five battle groups remained on jump status with Airborne designations: the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry, and the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry. highlands with the mission of conducting search-and-destroy operations assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. JUNCTION CITY succeeded in driving major enemy forces from War Zone C He was 20 years old. equipment were deployed into blocking positions and the command post and On 26 March at 2000 hours, fifteen C-17 aircraft delivered 20 heavy platforms and 959 paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade onto Bashur Drop Zone in the vicinity of Bashur, Iraq. Nineteen-year-old Helmut Schmuck prepared for his first combat jump as a paratrooper, during the first combat mission of its kind in the Vietnam War, 1967. cordon and search by U.S. forces. Accessed 24 November 2015. Following a non-combat landing on the island of Leyte in the Philippines, the 503rd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) made a major amphibious landing on Mindoro Island in the central Philippines on 15 December 1944. Then he laughed and started to sing the paratroopers song. Regiment were the first army units sent to the Republic of South Vietnam The three squadrons of the 73rd Cavalry Regiment provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) to the Brigade Combat Teams of the 82nd Airborne Division. Paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, on a mission in Vietnam, 1967. Editing is supported in Internet Explorer 9 or later, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Bragg, North Carolina and was deployed to Vietnam on October 2, 1967. Columbus, GA 31903. quick-reaction strike force the 173rd was to provide security for the The first three battalions 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment are in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment is in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. On December 16, the first aircraft. The 2-503d was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as part of the 3d Bde along with the 1-503d and 3-187th. On 7 February 2011, 2-503rd was awarded the Valorous Unit Award for their actions during OEF VIII from 25 January to 30 July 2008. The 1st and 3rd Battalions as well as Batteries D and E are Inactive. They were supported by a 173d headquarters company, 173d Engineers, E Troop 17th Cavalry, The Casper Aviation Platoon, and Co D, 16th Armor. As the multi-divisional attack The 2nd Bn (Abn), 503rd Inf participated in the only combat jump of the war during "Operation Junction City" in 1967. Joseph was fatally wounded on 22Feb69 in the Binh Dinh province of South Vietnam. Joseph was fatally wounded on 22Feb69 in the Binh Dinh province of South Vietnam. Securing the oil fields and airbases of Kirkuk was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. 10 June 2013. The battalion is composed of a headquarters and headquarters battery (HHB), three cannon batteries, and has an attached Forward Support Company, Company F, 15th Brigade Support Battalion. The 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery battalion assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. In November 1967, the Brigade was ordered to the Central Highlands, where they fought a major battle at Dak To against an entrenched North Vietnamese Army regiment on Hill 875. Infantry Battalion, the 4th of the 503rd which arrived from Fort and 3900 rounds of artillery and mortar ammunition. The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (2-503rd IR) is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and stationed at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy. The battalion deactivated in July 2015 as part of ongoing force reductions, and its personnel and equipment were reflagged as the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment. #NeverForget Sgt Joseph Howard Pierce Jr, of Jacksonville Florida, who served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army. In 2005, the Brigade entered Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom VI. Shield: The colors, blue and white, are those of Infantry. Today the ROCK stands ready to accomplish any mission with the Relieved 1 July 1961 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Gen. Leo H. Schweiter left it behind for extra training and sweeps around Tuy Hoa. Combat elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade included the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions, 503rd Infantry; the 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Artillery; Company D, 16th Armor; Troop E, 17th Cavalry; and the 335th Aviation company. 173rd Airborne Brigade, parachuted into a wide clearing in the jungle of Read the most recent discussions by members in 2-503 IN, 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). Shortly after the Sky Soldiers arrived in Vietnam, The First Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and the 161st Field Battery Royal New Zealand Artillery were attached to the Brigade. The paratroopers were under the command of Colonel William C. Mayville Jr., commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Pfc. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. attacks. The 1st and 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry The official citation reads: "For extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. It was constituted on 12 April 1808 as the 6th Infantry and consolidated with 4 other regiments in 1815 to form the present unit.