During World War II, the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (508th PIR or Red Devils) was a regiment of the 82d Airborne Division which in turn became part of XVIII Airborne Corps of the United States Army.
| 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942-1946, 1951-1957, 1962- |
| Country | USA |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Parachute Infantry |
| Role | Airborne Battalion Combat Team (Deployable within 14 hours) |
| Size | approx. 1,000 |
| Garrison/HQ | Vicenza, Italy |
| Nickname(s) | Red Devils |
| Motto(s) | Fury From the Sky |
| Engagements | Battle of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, Tet Offensive |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Colonel Roy E. Lindquist |
The regiment was activated on 20 October 1942 at Camp Blanding, Florida. After extensive training and maneuvers the unit embarked on 19 December 1943 in New York and sailed on 28 December 1943 for Belfast, Ireland, arriving on 8 January 1944. After additional training at Cronmore, the unit was moved by ship to Glasgow, Scotland and by train on the 13 March 1944 to Wollaton Park, Nottinghamshire, England. Wollaton Park was shared as a base camp with the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
After service in Operation Overlord jumping on 6 June 1944 the unit returned to its billet at Wollaton Park and prepared for its part in Operation Market Garden jumping in 17 September 1944. The regiment later played a part in the Battle of the Bulge.
The unit was inactivated on 25 November 1946.
The 508th was reactivated as the 508th Airborne Infantry in 1951 at Fort Bragg, NC and later moved to Fort Campbell where it once again deactivated in March, 1957.
When the Army reorganized in 1962 under the Kennedy Administration, the 508th reorganized under the Combat Arms Regimental System as a parent regiment and at the same time renamed the 508th Infantry.
Reactivated in 1996, the 1/508 Airborne Battalion Combat Team, a part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade which was reactivated in 2000 was stationed in Vicenza, Italy. They conducted a combat jump into northern Iraq in March of 2003 and continued to serve throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. They have their own artillery support in the 3/319 Airborne Field Artilery which consists of six 105mm howitzers. Joining them in the brigade is 2nd Battalion 503rd Airborne and several support units.
As of January 2006, the 508th has been reactivated as the Fourth Brigade Combat Team, 82D Airborne Division.
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