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3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
Saturday, 27 October 2007
The 187th Infantry Regiment is the only airborne regiment in the history of the U.S. Army to fight in every war since the inception of airborne tactics. From glider to parachute to helicopter, the Soldiers of the 187th have entered combat in each mode of airborne warfare and have pioneered its implementation. Throughout its history, the Soldiers of the187th have upheld the motto “Ne Desit Virtus, Let Valor Not Fail.”
The Regiment was constituted on Nov. 12, 1942 at Camp Mackall, N.C. On Feb. 25, 1943, it was activated and designated as a glider infantry regiment assigned to the 11th Airborne Division.
The first mission of the Regiment was to help convince the War Department that an airborne division could fly over water to a target -- on instruments, at night -- drop with minimal casualties, and then wage sustained combat operations while being resupplied entirely by air.
On Dec. 6, 1943, the Division’s landings were perfectly executed. By dawn the next morning, the objective was taken. The success of the Knollwood Maneuvers, as these initial forays were called, proved the effectiveness of the concept and compelled the War Department to create other airborne divisions.
In May 1944, the Regiment deployed to the southwest Pacific. On the night of Dec. 6, 1944, it was attacked by the Japanese. The 187th Soldiers repelled the enemy force, and three months later seized Lipa Airfield on Luzon.
The 187th fought continuously until January 1945 on Leyte, and suffered heavy casualties taking Purple Heart Hill.
At Nasugbu Bay, the Regiment performed a para-amphibious assault and fought their way into the jungle to Tagaytay Ridge. They also captured Fort McKinley in the 11th Airborne Division's attack on Manila, and conquered the heavily defended Mount Macolod.
At 0100 hours on Aug. 30, 1945, the first planes carrying 187th Soldiers left for Atsugi Airfield. This was a momentous occasion; the Americans were the first foreign troops to enter Japan in 2,000 years.
While serving as part of the American occupation force, the paratroopers of the 187th were given the nickname “Rakkasan” by the Japanese. It loosely translates as “falling umbrella.”
On Aug. 27, 1950, the Regiment was reorganized and re-designated as the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. The unit was quickly sent to Korea and within its first month defeated an enemy force of 3,000.
In Korea, the Rakkasans performed a textbook parachute assault and heavy drop at Sukchon-Sunchon. They defeated the Chinese at the Battle of Wonju, performed another record-breaking airborne operation into the Munsan-ni Valley, fought bloody battles at Inje and Wonton-ni, and quelled prison-camp riots at Koje-do.
The Rakkasans’ success in Korea changed the face of airborne warfare and revitalized interest in the use of paratroopers. It also convinced the Pentagon to reactivate XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C.
For additional information, visit the Rakkasans' homepage: http://www.campbell.army.mil/newinternet/unitpages/FlagTroop/Default.asp?uid=14
