Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
Cool! Man, this is stuff I didn't know! The germs of a lot of stories--and not just scifi--are in these histories! -- Original message -- Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/LRMolB/TM ~- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
Did you know: Clark Terry, celebrated jazz trumpeter had to wait until the early 80's to receive his diploma from the Armed Forces School Of Music? I don't have all of the details, but I do know he was a Navy musician...What I don't know is if he has served during WWII or the Korean Conflict... sancochojo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. - - Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/LRMolB/TM ~- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
I think it was Korea. Astromancer [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Did you know: Clark Terry, celebrated jazz trumpeter had to wait until the early 80's to receive his diploma from the Armed Forces School Of Music? I don't have all of the details, but I do know he was a Navy musician...What I don't know is if he has served during WWII or the Korean Conflict... sancochojo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. - - Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] SPONSORED LINKS Science fiction and fantasy Music genres Genre magazine - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. - Excuse me while I whip this out. Cleavon Little , Blazing Saddles - Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
Thanks... Martin Pratt [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think it was Korea. Astromancer [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Did you know: Clark Terry, celebrated jazz trumpeter had to wait until the early 80's to receive his diploma from the Armed Forces School Of Music? I don't have all of the details, but I do know he was a Navy musician...What I don't know is if he has served during WWII or the Korean Conflict... sancochojo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. - - Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] SPONSORED LINKS Science fiction and fantasy Music genres Genre magazine - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. - Excuse me while I whip this out. Cleavon Little , Blazing Saddles - Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
YES! I saw a History Channel special on Airborne troops, and the Triple Nickel was one of the units featured. There was also a special on the Army Corps of Engineers, and how at least 1/3 of the troop who built the Alaskan Highway were Black. ---Original Message--- From: sancochojo Date: 11/14/05 08:10:19 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/LRMolB/TM ~- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
You said it, Keith! Can you imagine some of the SF stories that could come out of some of this history??? And with Black Folks, too! LOL! ---Original Message--- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 11/14/05 11:40:25 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Cool! Man, this is stuff I didn't know! The germs of a lot of stories--and not just scifi--are in these histories! -- Original message -- Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/LRMolB/TM ~- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ * To unsubscribe
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
http://www.iaje.org/bio.asp?ArtistID=34 A classic freelance musician who is a welcome and distinctive addition to whatever band or jam session is fortunate enough to be graced by his presence. His earliest band experience was on the bugle with the Tom Powell Drum and Bugle Corps. In high school he took up the valve trombone. Prior to entering the service he played riverboat jobs in St. Louis. After induction he was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station from 1942-1945. Upon his discharge he found work with Lionel Hamptons band, and back in St. Louis with George Hudson. He rounded out the 40s playing with bands led by Charlie Barnet, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Charlie Ventura, and George Hudson. ---Original Message--- From: Astromancer Date: 11/14/05 17:05:56 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Did you know: Clark Terry, celebrated jazz trumpeter had to wait until the early 80's to receive his diploma from the Armed Forces School Of Music? I don't have all of the details, but I do know he was a Navy musician...What I don't know is if he has served during WWII or the Korean Conflict... sancochojo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohb.htm No African American soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II. In 1993 the Army contracted Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, to research and prepare a study to determine if there was a racial disparity in the way Medal of Honor recipients were selected. Shaw's team researched the issue and, finding that there was disparity, recommended the Army consider a group of 10 soldiers for the Medal of Honor. Of those 10, seven were recommended to receive the award. In October of 1996 Congress passed the necessary legislation which allowed the President to award these Medals of Honor since the statutory limit for presentation had expired. The Medals of Honor were presented, by President William Clinton, in a ceremony on 13 January 1997. Vernon Baker was the only recipient still living and present to receive his award; the other six soldiers received their awards posthumously, with their medals being presented to family members. ---Original Message--- From: Astromancer Date: 11/14/05 17:05:56 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Did you know: Clark Terry, celebrated jazz trumpeter had to wait until the early 80's to receive his diploma from the Armed Forces School Of Music? I don't have all of the details, but I do know he was a Navy musician...What I don't know is if he has served during WWII or the Korean Conflict... sancochojo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
I'm working on it... M C Jennings [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You said it, Keith! Can you imagine some of the SF stories that could come out of some of this history??? And with Black Folks, too! LOL! ---Original Message--- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 11/14/05 11:40:25 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Cool! Man, this is stuff I didn't know! The germs of a lot of stories--and not just scifi--are in these histories! -- Original message -- Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] SPONSORED LINKS Science fiction and fantasy Music genres Genre magazine - YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
Just let me know! I'll be first in line to buy!!! ---Original Message--- From: Astromancer Date: 11/14/05 23:26:37 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting I'm working on it... M C Jennings [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You said it, Keith! Can you imagine some of the SF stories that could come out of some of this history??? And with Black Folks, too! LOL! ---Original Message--- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 11/14/05 11:40:25 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Cool! Man, this is stuff I didn't know! The germs of a lot of stories--and not just scifi--are in these histories! -- Original message -- Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black paratrooper can say he is standing on the shoulders of those 16 men who graduated in the original class of paratroopers, and we should never forget it. YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group scifinoir2 on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] SPONSORED LINKS Science fiction and fantasy Music genres Genre magazine
Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting
...And the family of Dori Miller is still waiting... M C Jennings [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohb.htm No African American soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II. In 1993 the Army contracted Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, to research and prepare a study to determine if there was a racial disparity in the way Medal of Honor recipients were selected. Shaw's team researched the issue and, finding that there was disparity, recommended the Army consider a group of 10 soldiers for the Medal of Honor. Of those 10, seven were recommended to receive the award. In October of 1996 Congress passed the necessary legislation which allowed the President to award these Medals of Honor since the statutory limit for presentation had expired. The Medals of Honor were presented, by President William Clinton, in a ceremony on 13 January 1997. Vernon Baker was the only recipient still living and present to receive his award; the other six soldiers received their awards posthumously, with their medals being presented to family members. ---Original Message--- From: Astromancer Date: 11/14/05 17:05:56 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Famous Black Military Units - Another Unit worth noting Did you know: Clark Terry, celebrated jazz trumpeter had to wait until the early 80's to receive his diploma from the Armed Forces School Of Music? I don't have all of the details, but I do know he was a Navy musician...What I don't know is if he has served during WWII or the Korean Conflict... sancochojo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Another Unit worth noting, The Triple Nickel When the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Company, remembered by many as the Triple Nickel, arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., for airborne training in December 1943, it marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. Retired Col. Porcher L. Taylor recently asked a couple of soldiers if they'd ever heard of a unit called the Triple Nickel. Yeah, that's the MP company over here, the soldiers said, referring to the recently inactivated 555th MP Co. at Fort Lee, Va. Taylor, 69, couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent case of mistaken military identity. They didn't know. So, I took time to tell them something about it, and they were real interested, he said. For Taylor and the almost 1,000 members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association, the nickname bears witness to a legacy of the first black airborne unit, the 555th Parachute Inf. Bn. It's a part of history that really needs to be told, said Taylor, a Petersburg, Va., native and member of the Tri-Cities Chapter, one of 26 555th PIA chapters. The Triple Nickel began its trek into airborne history Dec. 19, 1943, as the 555th PI Co. Almost a year later, the unit became a battalion and included riggers, jumpmasters, pathfinders and communications soldiers. The 555th PIB didn't deploy overseas during World War II. It was mobilized to fight a threat closer to home as smokejumpers, airborne firefighters. Under this mission, soldiers made more than 1,000 jumps, fighting forest fires in Oregon and California, some of which were started by Japanese incendiary balloons. In December 1947 the 555th was redesignated as the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 82nd Abn. Division. Members of the original Triple Nickel went into combat during the Korean War, joining such other airborne units as the 2nd Ranger Co. and the 187th Abn. Combat Team. The association keeps busy today handing out annual scholarships to college students, donations to local Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and to black history museums, said retired Lt. Col. John T. Boyd Jr., a past president of the Tri- Cities Chapter. Airborne has always been an elite unit of the Army, said Boyd, a 52-year-old Vietnam veteran from Richmond. During World War II, the African-American soldier wasn't allowed to serve in an elite unit. So, a gentleman began to train 16 soldiers using the same techniques he observed from the training of white troops. As more attention is focused on the exploits of black soldiers in World War II, especially through the awarding of seven Medals of Honor last year, Boyd and others in the 555th PIA feel the time is right for the public to embrace their legacy, too. As a teenager, retired Lt. Col. John Edward McNeil Sr. saw Fort Bragg's first group of black airborne soldiers when they attended his church in Fayetteville, N.C. They had on those highly shined boots and those crisp, starched olive drab uniforms and those glider patches on their caps. I made up my mind, right after high school, that I wanted to be one of those guys, said McNeil, 64, who served eight years as an enlisted paratrooper before becoming an officer, first in the Signal Corps and later in military intelligence. Every black
