517th Parachute Infantry Regiment (United States)

During World War II, the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment (517th PIR) was a separate infantry regiment of the United States Army, at times attached to the 17th Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division and later, the 13th Airborne Division.

During most of their combat, the unit was an independent combined force of 17th Airborne troops called the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team or 517th PRCT / PCT / RCT.

The unit formed in early 1943 and trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. The 517th saw heavy fighting in Italy in June 1944, before being transferred to take part in Operation Dragoon in August 1944, in Southern France, which happened to be their first combat jump. Following the liberation of France, the 517th was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division and fought with it in Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge. Following the end of World War II, the 517th was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where the unit was inactivated on 25 February, 1946.

Operation Dragoon

The 517th was one of three parachute infantry regiments assigned to the First Airborne Task Force, which was charged with the assault on Southern France. The assault was set for 0800 on August 15, 1944, however, the 517th dropped early at 0328 on the 15th. After three days of heavy fighting around the towns of Le Muy, Les Arcs, La Motte and Draguignan, German resistance ceased. For their participation in Operation Dragoon and the subsequent liberation of France, the 517th PIR was awarded the French Croix de......
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