CHRONOLOGICAL
LINEAGE OF THE 503d INFANTRY
(THE
ROCK REGIMENT)
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1st BATTALION, 503d INFANTRY (THE ROCK REGIMENT)
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2d BATTALION, 503d INFANTRY (THE ROCK REGIMENT)
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3d BATTALION, 503d INFANTRY (THE ROCK REGIMENT)
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4th BATTALION, 503d INFANTRY (THE ROCK REGIMENT)
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My Comment - Note that the 503d Infantry and the 503d Battalions all
bear the annotation of THE ROCK REGIMENT. This, of course pays tribute
to the retaking from the Japanese of the island fortress of Corregidor
by the 503d Parachute Regimental Combat Team, the 3d Battalion of the
34th Infantry Division and all other units who combined to make up what
Colonel George M. Jones had designated as "THE ROCK FORCE."
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14 MAR 1941
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503d Parachute Battalion constituted.
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504th Parachute Battalion constituted.
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1st Battalion, 503d Infantry constituted in the Army
of the United States as Company A, 503d Parachute Infantry Battalion
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2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry constituted in the Army
of the United States as Company B, 503d Parachute Infantry Battalion.
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3rd Battalion, 503d Infantry constituted in the Army
of the United States as Company C, 503d Parachute Infantry Battalion.
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22 AUG 1941
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1st Battalion, 503d infantry activated.
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2d Battalion, 503d Infantry activated.
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3d Battalion, 503d Infantry activated.
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My comment - In my mind I am able to distinguish constituted and
activated as the difference between conception and birth.
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5 OCT 1941
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504th Parachute Battalion activated at Fort Benning, Georgia.
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24 FEB.1942
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1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry consolidated with Company A,
503rd Parachute Infantry (concurrently constituted) and
consolidated unit designated as Company A,
503rd Parachute Infantry.
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2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry consolidated with Company B,
503rd Parachute Infantry (concurrently constituted) and
consolidated unit designated as Company A,
503rd Parachute Infantry.
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3d Battalion, 503rd Infantry consolidated with Company C,
503rd Parachute Infantry (concurrently constituted) and
consolidated unit designated as Company A,
503rd Parachute Infantry.
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503rd Infantry (The Rock Regiment) constituted in the Army of the
United States as the 503rd Parachute Infantry (1st Battalion
concurrently consolidated with the 503rd Parachute Battalion, and the
2nd Battalion consolidated with the 504th Parachute Battalion) and
consolidated units designated as the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 503rd
Parachute Infantry.
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My comment - The above reference to the 503rd Infantry (The Rock
Regiment),
of course, refers to the present 1996 designation. "The Rock,"
was to become associated with the 503rd much later in its history and
comes from the airborne assault on the island fortress, of Corregidor.
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2 MAR 1942
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503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment (less 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions)
activated at Fort Benning, Georgia.
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8 JUN 1942
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3rd Battalion activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
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7 NOV 1942
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4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry activated in the Army of the United
States in Australia as Company D, 503d
Parachute Infantry.
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My Comment - To
make this chronology more complete it is noted that the unit which was
to become Company D, 503d Parachute Infantry was originally A Company of
the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, later became part of the 82nd
Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was reassigned to
the 503rdParachute Infantry Regiment just prior to their departure
from Fort Bragg, North Carolina In October 1942.
On their way to
Australia, the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment stopped in Panama to
pick up three companies from the 501st Parachute Battalion. The
companies were Headquarters and Headquarters Company, A Company and B
Company. They were picked up to complete the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd
Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Headquarters and
Headquarters Company of the 501 became Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, A
Company of the 501 became E Company of the 503rd Parachute Infantry
Regiment and B Company of the 501 became F Company of the 503rd
Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Former 2nd Battalion of
the 503rd Parachute Infantry reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd
Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry – and thereafter followed into a
separate lineage; new 2nd Battalion 503rd Parachute Infantry
concurrently activated in Australia.
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29 MAR 1944
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462nd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion attached
to 503d PIR.
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13 SEP. 1944
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Company "C" 161st Airborne Engineers joined the 503d PIR with 8
officers and 109 enlisted men. From this time the 503d became known as
the 503d Parachute Regimental Combat Team.
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My comment - The artillery and the engineer
units have their own lineage, and their relevant portions follow below..
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24 DEC. 1945
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503d Parachute Infantry Regiment inactivated at Camp
Anza, California.
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1st Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment
inactivated at Camp Anza, California
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2d Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment
inactivated at Camp Anza, California.
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3d Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment
inactivated at Camp Anza, California.
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4th Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment
inactivated at Camp Anza, California.
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1 FEB.1951
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503d Parachute Infantry Regiment redesignated as the
503d Airborne Infantry, allotted to the Regular Army and assigned to the
11th Airborne Division.
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1st Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry was
redesignated as Company A, 503d Airborne Infantry, an element of the
11th Airborne Division and allotted to the Regular Army.
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2d Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry was
redesignated as Company B, 503d Airborne Infantry, an element of the
11th Airborne Division and allotted to the Regular Army.
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3d Battalion, 503d
Parachute Infantry was redesignated as Company C, 503d Airborne
Infantry, an element of the 11th Airborne Division and allotted to the
Regular Army
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4th Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry was redesignated as Company D,
503d Airborne Infantry, an element of the 11th Airborne Division and
allotted to the Regular Army.
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2 MAR 1951
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503d Airborne Infantry activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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Company A, 503d Airborne Infantry activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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Company B, 503d Airborne Infantry activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
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Company C, 503d Airborne Infantry activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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Company D, 503d Airborne Infantry activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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1 MAR 1957
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503d Airborne Infantry relieved from assignment to the 11th Airborne
Division, concurrently reorganized, and redesignated as the 503d
Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
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Company A, 503d Airborne Infantry, reorganized and redesignated as
Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 503d
Infantry and remained assigned to the 11th Airborne Division (organic)
elements concurrently constituted and activated).
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Company B, 503d Airborne Infantry, inactivated in Germany and
relieved from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division.
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Company C, 503d Airborne Infantry, inactivated in Germany and relieved
from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division, concurrently redesignated
as Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 3d Airborne Battle Group,
503d Infantry
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Company D, 503d Airborne Infantry inactivated in Germany and relieved
from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division; concurrently redesignated
as Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 4th Airborne Battle Group,
503d Infantry.
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1 SEP 1957
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Company B, 503d Airborne Infantry redesignated
as Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group,
503d Infantry, assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, and activated at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina (organic elements concurrently constituted
and activated).
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1 JUL 1958
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1st Airborne Battle Group,
503d Infantry relieved from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division and
assigned to the 24th Infantry Division.
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7 JAN 1959
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company 1st Airborne Battle Group.
503:1 Infantry relieved from assignment to the 24th Infantry Division
and assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division.
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24 JUN 1960
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Headquarters & Headquarters. Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group,
503d Infantry relieved from assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division and
assigned to the 25th Infantry Division.
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1 JUL 1961
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne
Battle Group, 503d Infantry relieved from assignment to the 25th
Infantry Division.
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25 JUN 1963
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1st
Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry reorganized and redesignated as the
1st Battalion, 503d Infantry.
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 2nd
Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry reorganized and redesignated as
the 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry.
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26 MAR 1966
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1st
Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry relieved from assignment to the
82nd Airborne Division and assigned to the 173d Airborne Brigade
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company,
2d Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry assigned to the 173d
Airborne Brigade.
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26 MAR 1963
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 4th
Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry redesignated as Headquarters &
Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry and assigned to the
173d Airborne Brigade (organic elements concurrently constituted)
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1 APR 1963
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4th Battalion, 503d Infantry activated at Fort
Campbell, Kentucky
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6 FEB.1967
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Headquarters & Headquarters Company 3d Airborne
Battle Group, 503d Infantry redesignated as Headquarters &
Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 503d Infantry (organic elements
concurrently constituted).
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1 APR 1967
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3d Battalion, 503d Infantry activated at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina and assigned to the 713d Airborne Brigade
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3 SEP 1971
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4th Battalion, 503d Infantry inactivated at Fort
Campbell, Kentucky.
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14 JAN 1972
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1st Battalion, 503d Infantry relieved from
assignment to the 173d Airborne Brigade and assigned to the 101st
Airborne Division.
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2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry relieved from assignment
to the 173d Airborne Brigade and assigned to the 101st Airborne
Division.
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3rd Battalion, 503d Infantry relieved from
assignment to the 173d Airborne Brigade and assigned to the 101st
Airborne Division.
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31 JUL 1972
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3d Battalion, 503d Infantry inactivated at Fort
Campbell, Kentucky.
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1 OCT1983
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2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry inactivated at Fort
Campbell, Kentucky and relieved from assignment to the 101st Airborne
Division.
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18 NOV1984
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1st Battalion, 503d Infantry inactivated at Fort
Campbell, Kentucky and relieved from assignment to the 101st Airborne
Division.
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16 DEC 1986
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503d Infantry withdrawn from the Combat Arms
Regimental System and reorganized under the United Sates Army Regimental
System.
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1st Battalion, 503d Infantry assigned to the 2nd Infantry
Division and activated in Korea.
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2d Battalion, 503d Infantry assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division and
activated in Korea.
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29 SEP 1990
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2d Battalion, 503d Infantry inactivated in Korea and relieved from
assignment to the 2d Infantry Division.
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My comment - As far as I know, the 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry is
still assigned to the 2d Infantry Division and is on active duty.
Perhaps some of its members may read this lineage and respond to it.
They are, again as far as I know, the only 503d active unit. Their roots
are deep into Airborne history, a history whose lineage is linked to the
501, 504, 509, 11th, 82nd and the 101st. The column THREE WINDS OF DEATH
deals mostly with the 503d Parachute Regimental Combat Team, but we pay
our respects to and are proud of all of those who came before us and who
came after us..
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16 DEC 2001
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Assigned to the 173d
Airborne Brigade and activated in Italy
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