Sgt Z's Page Round 3

On August 16, 1940, 48 volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon performed the first official U.S. military parachute jump at Fort Benning, Georgia. Today, the date is celebrated as National Airborne Day, a day to honor the U.S. Airborne Forces.

After the first jump, a large force of more 100,000 paratroopers was formed and assigned to the 11th 13th, 17th, 82d, and 101st Airborne Divisions, which fought in every theater during World War II, according to the Department of Defense. Parachutes were an innovative technique used by the Allied Forces, enabling them to deploy troops behind enemy lines. Parachute assaults were key to the US military’s success in the battles for Sicily, Salerno, and D-Day. During Operation Market Garden, the jump into Holland in September, 1944, the airborne forces secured all of their objectives.

Building on the success of the airborne divisions in WWII, the United States military continued to develop this means of enveloping the enemy from above. This approach grew to include Ranger and Special Forces units in the Army, and airborne organizations in the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Airborne forces have made combat jumps in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

“Waves of mountains, in a sea of stone.” by | William Patino

August 15, 2026, is the 81st anniversary of VJ Day!

August 14th is National Navajo Code Talkers Day, a day to commemorate the contributions of Native American code talkers who served in the U.S. military during World Wars I and II. Code talkers utilized a secret, coded language, based on their native language, to communicate important information over military telephones and radios.

During World War II, the U.S. Marines enlisted 29 Navajo men who participated in every major Marine operation in the Pacific theater. Code talkers worked in pairs — one on the frontlines and one behind the lines – communicating by radio and telephone. To prevent the enemy from breaking the code and gaining access to important information, there were no printed code manuals. Code talkers had to memorize all the words and translations they used.