Fort Leavenworth in Leavenworth County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

555th Parachute Infantry Company

Triple Nickel Smoke Jumpers

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 9, 2011

1. 555th Parachute Infantry Company Monument

Inscription.
Dedicated to the first black
parachute infantry
—————
The Original Seventeen*
—————
1st Assigned and Selected
1ST SGT. Walter Morris
1st to Take Qualification Jump
SSGT Calvin R. Beal
—————
SSGT. Hubert Bridges • SSGT. Lonnie M. Duke
SSGT. Robert F. Greene • SGT. Clarence H. Beavers
SGT. Ned D. Bess • SGT. James E. Kornegay
SGT. Leo D. Reed • SGT. Samuel W. Robinson
SGT. Jack D. Tillis • SGT. Roger S. Walden
SGT. Daniel C. Weil • SGT. Elijah Wesby
CPL. McKinley Godfrey, Jr. • CPL. Carstell O. Stewart**
TECH 4. Alvin L. Moon
—————
*16 Qualified on 08 Feb 1944
**On Emergency Leave, Qualified One Week Later

Placed on Army rolls
25 Feb 1943
Authorized as 555th PI Company
19 Dec 1943 - Ft. Benning, Ga.
Activated as 555th PI Battaltion
25 Nov 1944 - Camp Mackall, NC.
Redesignated as 3rd Battalion
505th Abn Infantry Regiment
and integrated
82nd Abn Division - 09 Dec 1947
Inactivated - 15 Dec 1947
Removed from Army rolls
22 Aug 1950
—————
"These great paratroopers walked point for their race and for our country,

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facing down discrimination by 'Standing in the Door' as one and jumping into our nation's history."
LTG David H. Petraeus
07 Sep 2006
—————
Significant Dates and Info
1st Trng Jump - 10 Sep 1944
1st to Die - PFC. Malvin L. Brown
1st Battalion Commander
CPT. James H. Porter
1st Black Officers Assigned and
Qualified
1st Lt. Jasper E. Ross
2nd Lt. Clifford Allen
2nd Lt. Edward Baker
2nd Lt. Bradley Biggs
2nd Lt. Warren C. Cornelius
2nd Lt. Edwin H. Wills
—————
"The Fire-Fly Project"
(Secret Mission)
May - Oct 1945
1st Fire Jump - 14 Jul 1945
Last Fire Jump - 10 Oct 1945
Total Fires Fought - 36
Total Individual Jumps - 1200
No Combat Jumps

Erected 2006 by 555th Parachute Infantry Association and Fort Leavenworth.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Air & Space • Civil Rights • War, World II.

Location. 39° 20.799′ N, 94° 55.148′ W. Marker is in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in Leavenworth County. Memorial is on Grant Avenue near Smith Lake, on the right when traveling north. Monument is on the Circle

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 9, 2011

2. 555th Parachute Infantry Company Monument

Smith Lake in background

of Firsts at the Buffalo Soldiers Memorial. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Leavenworth KS 66027, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. General Colin L. Powell (within shouting distance of this marker); General Roscoe Robinson Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); 2nd Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper (within shouting distance of this marker); BG Benjamin H. Grierson (within shouting distance of this marker); The Buffalo Soldier Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); 32nd and 44th U.S. Volunteer Infantries (approx. 0.2 miles away); Captain William Clark (approx. ¼ mile away); Captain Meriwether Lewis (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Leavenworth.

Also see . . .
1. 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (United States). Wikipedia entry (Submitted on January 12, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. 555th Parachute Infantry Info Sheet. CMH Online website entry (Submitted on February 25, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

3. 555th Parachute Infantry Association. Association website homepage (Submitted on February 25, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

4. Circle of Firsts Honors Black Soldiers. U.S. Army website entry (Submitted on February 25, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

555th Parachute Infantry Company Members image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 9, 2011

3. 555th Parachute Infantry Company Members

555th Parachute Infantry Company Dedication image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 9, 2011

4. 555th Parachute Infantry Company Dedication

555th Parachute Infantry Company Firsts image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 9, 2011

5. 555th Parachute Infantry Company Firsts

555th Parachute Infantry Company Bust image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 9, 2011

6. 555th Parachute Infantry Company Bust

Modeled after 1ST SGT Walter Morris

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on February 25, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,402 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 25, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.