World War II Activated in June 1943 under
I Troop Carrier Command and equipped with
Douglas C-47 Skytrains. Trained in various parts of the eastern United States until the end of 1943. Deployed to England and assigned to
IX Troop Carrier Command. Prepared for the
invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Began
operations by dropping
paratroops of the
101st Airborne Division in
Normandy on
D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing
gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a
Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom. After moving to France in September, the unit dropped paratroops of the
82nd Airborne Division near
Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the
airborne attack on the Netherlands. In December, it participated in the
Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near
Bastogne. When the
Allies made the air assault across the
Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the
17th Airborne Division and released them near
Wesel. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It converted from C-47s to
Curtiss C-46 Commandos and the new aircraft to transport displaced persons from Germany to France and
Belgium after
V-E Day. Returned to the U.S. during the period July–September 1945, and trained with C-46 aircraft until inactivated.
Reserve operations The squadron was activated in the reserves in 1949. It was
mobilized in 1951, but immediately inactivated and its personnel used as fillers for other units.
Airmanship training The squadron has taught soaring to cadets at the
United States Air Force Academy since October 1983.
Campaigns and decorations • Campaigns: Rome-Arno, Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. • Decorations:
Distinguished Unit Citation. France, [6-7] Jun 1944.
French Croix de Guerre with Palm. [6-7] Jun 1944; 15 Aug 1944. French Fourragere. ==Lineage==