The regiment was created on 12 November 1942 at Camp
Mackall, NC, as the Glider Infantry Regiment. Since
February 1943 it formed a part of the 11th Airborne Divi-
sion fighting in the Pacific. As such it went into combat
in May 1944 against the Japanese on New Guinea, and
then fought on Luzon. While fighting in the Philippines,
the regiment was reformed into a parachute unit, in prepa-
ration for the final landing in Japanese home islands. Fortu-
nately, the Empire surrendered before that became neces-
sary, and the freshly-minted PIR was seconded to occupy
what they once were to storm. In August 1950 the unit was
detached from the Division and reformed into independent
187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team which took part
in the Korean War, making two major combat jumps. Late 1950s
and early 1960s were a period of numerous reorganizations,
attaching and detaching. Finally, as the 3rd Battalion 187th
Airborne (3/187 AB) it became a part of the famous Screaming
Eagles, the 101st Airborne Division, and deployed to Repu-
blic of Vietnam. There, as part of the 3rd
Brigade the battalion took part in nume-
rous operations, including the infamous
A Shau Valley in May 1969, where the
Rakkasans fought their most famous
action, battle for Dong Ap Bia Mo-
untain, better known as the Ham-
burger Hill (or Hill 937 in military
parlance). After Vietnam the battalion stayed with
the 101 AB, fought in the Gulf War of 1991, then in Operation
Enduring Freedom, and now with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team
is fighting in Afghanistan.
HISTORY
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