Description
US WW2 17th Airborne Division Patch
During World War II, the 17th Airborne Division, known as “The Golden Talons,” served as a vital airborne infantry unit under the leadership of Major General William M. Miley. Established in April 1943, the division played a crucial role in various training exercises, including the Knollwood Maneuver, which bolstered the U.S. Army’s commitment to maintaining airborne divisions. Arriving in Britain in August 1944, the 17th missed the initial large-scale airborne operations, Operation Husky and Operation Neptune.
Under the command of Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway’s XVIII Airborne Corps, part of Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton’s First Allied Airborne Army, the division didn’t participate in Operation Market Garden due to its perceived late arrival and insufficient training time. Instead, it was deployed to France and Belgium, where it fought valiantly during the Battle of the Bulge, earning its first Medal of Honor. Subsequently, the division moved to Luxembourg to prepare for a Rhine River assault.
In March 1945, the 17th Airborne Division engaged in its sole airborne operation, Operation Varsity, dropping alongside the British 6th Airborne Division. This operation saw the division earn three more Medals of Honor. Advancing through Northern Germany until the war’s conclusion, the division briefly undertook occupation duties in Germany before returning to the United States.
Although inactivated in September 1945, it saw a brief revival as a training division from 1948 to 1949.
