110 HRES 1136 IH: Honoring and expressing gratitude to the U.S. House of Representatives 2008-04-23 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1136 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 23, 2008 Mr. Johnson of Georgia submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services RESOLUTION Honoring and expressing gratitude to the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (“Triple Nickles”) of the United States Army.

Whereas in December 1942, the Advisory Committee on Negro Troop Policies recommended the establishment of an African-American parachute battalion; Whereas on February 25, 1943, Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall directed that the 555th Parachute Infantry Company be constituted; Whereas on December 19, 1943, the headquarters of Army Ground Forces authorized the activation of the company as an all-black unit with black officers as well as black enlisted men; Whereas all members of the unit were to be volunteers, with an enlisted cadre to be selected from personnel of the 92d Infantry Division; Whereas the company was officially activated on December 30, 1943, at Fort Benning, Georgia; Whereas, after several months of training, the unit moved to Camp Mackall, North Carolina, where it was reorganized and redesignated on November 25, 1944, as Company A of the newly-activated 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion; Whereas in May 1945, the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was sent to the west coast of the United States to combat forest fires ignited by Japanese balloons carrying incendiary bombs; Whereas, while stationed at Pendleton Field, Oregon, with a detachment in Chico, California, unit members courageously participated in dangerous fire-fighting missions throughout the Pacific Northwest during the summer and fall of 1945, earning the nickname Smoke Jumpers in addition to Triple Nickles; Whereas, after nearly five years of honorable service to the United States, the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was disbanded on December 9, 1947, and became the 3rd Battalion, 505 Airborne Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division; and Whereas the United States will be forever indebted to the soldiers of the first all African-American Parachute Infantry Battalion and their families for their sacrifices and their contributions to the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives honors and expresses gratitude for the service and sacrifices of the members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion and their families upon the 65th anniversary of the unit’s activation.