[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 130 (Thursday, September 11, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO THE TRIPLE NICKELS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 11, 2014

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, there are those who offer their 
vocations to their community, their family, and their country. Then 
there are those who blaze such a trail of dedication and service that 
all who follow behind cannot help but to offer gratitude and great 
thanks. I rise today to celebrate and honor the men of the 555th 
Parachute Infantry Company as they are remembered in a ceremony fitting 
their legacy.
  The men who comprised the Triple Nickels broke through barriers, 
jumped out of planes, and showed up for battle. What began with 20 
young African-American enlisted men in 1943 ended, in name only, in 
1947. The 555th would become the 3rd Battalion, 505th Infantry 
regiment, 82nd Airborne Division and would be the first African-
American unit in history to become a part of an American combat 
division. The legacy of mighty soldiers that began with these men 
continued into the 188th Airborne Infantry Regiment, the 11th Airborne 
Division, and the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.
  I join with all those gathered to dedicate a monument to the Triple 
Nickels Association in offering my profound thanks. In overcoming great 
obstacles, the men of the 555th became more than paratroopers. Their 
legacy lives on today in a military free of racial barriers and in the 
hearts and minds of all who seek freedom. I ask my colleagues to join 
with me in celebrating and remembering the men of the 555th Parachute 
Infantry Company.