501st PIR Geronimo

The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (501 PIR) lineage can be traced back to the 29th Infantry Regiment which spawned a vounteer group known as the Parachute Test Platoon on June 26, 1940. Eventually, these parachute-trained volunteers would comprise the Army's first regular all-parachute tactical outfit, the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion under the command of Major William M. Miley who later commanded the 17th Airborne Division. The nucleus of this unit provided part of the cadre, the unit number, the genealogical lineage and the heraldic background of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment which was activated in Toccoa, GA on 15 November 1942 under the command of Colonel Howard R Johnson.