Thanks to Major General William C. Lee and his relentless persuit and vision of the movement and deployment of foot soliders from the air, the first "Parachute Test Platoon" was formed in 1940. Despite the cries from the Army Air Corps, who were hoping to have full control over this new "Glamour group", the infantry board at Ft. Benning prevailed. The parachutist will be Infantry, and therefore, will be controlled by the U.S. Army. So at the first formation of June 26th 1940, soliders of the Infantry school's 29th Infantry "Demonstration" Regiment were told abuot a once in a lifetime opportunity to volunteer for an elite parachute test platoon would be dedicated to exciting adventure, and responsible for creating all new "Airborne"equipment and "Techniques. 200 men signed up that day, and of those 200 men only 39 were selected. The Platoon leader was Lt. William T. Ryder, a graduate from west point. To this day the paratrooper concept is the same, every man a volunteer! On August 6th 1940, Lt Ryder became known as Americas first paratrooper. His historic jump was made from a Douglas B-18 Bomber, over Cactus feild at Ft. Benning G.a. The man who was picked to follow Lt Ryder "froze" in the door , so Pvt. William "Red" King put his feet and knees in the breeze, leaping from the door becoming the "First Enlisted Paratrooper". On the night before the "Test Platoons" first mass tactical jump, four commerades from the test platoon were said to have taken in a movie at the post theatre. They had watched an old western featuring U.S. Calvary troops shooting it out with the great Apache war chief Geronimo. Before returning back to the barracks the men stopped by the beer shack where they spent several hours drinking and talking about the next days jump. Pvt. Aubrey Eberhardt was catching hell from one of the troopers about how he was going to be too scared before the next days jump that he wouldnt even be able to speak. The tall lanky Eberhardt responded "NONSENSE!" As a matter of fact he would shout "GERONIMO!" as soon as he leaped from the door of the douglas bomber. Eberhardt kept his pledge, and the other test platoon men bailed out with indian war whoops and shouts of "GERONIMO!" From that moment on paratroopers would call the Apache Cheifs name on every jump, and "GERONIMO", not only became the bn mottoof the first tactical airborne unit, but the battle cry of the American Paratroopers. The civilian population then and will always associate "GERONIMO" with the nations most elite.. The Paratroopers. Two months after the formation of the 1st Parachute Test Platoon was formed, the United States Army activated the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion, Major William M. Miley commanding. The 501st was again formed under Mt. Curahee, Camp Taccoa Ga. and was attached to the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) Where on June 6th, 1944 the Geronimos were baptised by fire, making their first combat jump (oper. Overlord) into Normandy. Im sorry I dont have more history listed. I would like to add history of the 501st during Operation Market Garden, The Battle of the Buldge. The units history in Vietnam, to thier current history. Part of the 6th Infantry Division Ft. Richardson Ak. (Arctic Paratroopers)