[MilCom] Army to "drop" into Wright Patterson AFB

[greg smith]

*y the Dayton Daily News

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE | The Army is set to drop in on
Wright-Patterson at 9:30 a.m. Friday with the biggest parachute base jump in
memory.
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   - Parachute Infantry Battalion are to jump onto the flightline from
   World War II-era C-47 airplanes in honor of the unit's annual reunion, base
   officials said Tuesday.

The public will not be allowed onto the base to watch the jump but should be
able to see the soldiers descending from their planned 1,000-foot jump
altitude, said 2nd Lt. Holly Layer, base spokeswoman.

The 509th PIB, as it's known, has been meeting since 1973 at a different
location each year. The only other reunion to feature a jump was in 1996 in
Shreveport, La., according to the base.

The unit, formed in 1942, fought in North Africa, Italy, France and Belgium.
Heavy losses caused the unit to be disbanded until 1963. Now the First
Battalion 509th Infantry (Airborne) is stationed at Fort Polk, La., and
trains other infantry units.
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