551st Parachute Infantry Association

2 months ago

Following Chris's great post regarding the tragic night jump at Lake Kinney-Cameron, I was led to scroll through the Morning Report Roll for February from the National Archives, from that timeframe, and ran across a couple reports shared in this post. The first was a list of GOYAs that were attached to the 551st PIB on 11 February. Included in that list was PVT Ralph Nichols. The second report was from eight days later, in which Ralph was placed on Detached Service (DS), on today's date, February 19, 1944, to escort PVT Ramsey to Cookeville, TN. Ramsey had drowned during the night jump at Lake Kinney-Cameron. I'm friends with Ralph Nichols' grandson on Facebook, Paul Troy, and thought he might be interested in seeing those reports, so I sent them in a private message. Afterward I made sure he was ok with me sharing the following...

Paul replied that he recalled his grandfather speaking of Ramsey a few times and escorting his body home. Following Ralph's funeral the family learned from the chaplain that he had attempted to try and save him, but couldn't get him out due to his parachute. Ralph also shared with the chaplain that it had been a nightmare of his throughout the rest of his life. Ralph had never shared that part with his family. Paul's understanding is that his grandfather landed just outside the lake, right behind PVT Ramsey.

Five days after Ralph checked in with the 551st on the 11th he participated in that night jump on the 16th, then three days after that he was escorting a buddy home and offering condolences to his family, to be forever haunted by that fateful/tragic day.

Paul added that his grandfather didn't talk about his War experiences too much, until he came along. His grandfather started to share stories with him here and there beginning when he was about 16. One of those stories was about being attacked by the Germans on a boat. I then shared with him the C Company Morning report from 11 May 1944, when C company and the SS Abraham Lincoln was attacked off the coast of Algiers.

In 2015, while I was aboard the USS Iwo Jima and about to transit the Suez, I was contacted, via email, by a WWII researcher that had recorded a phone conversation/interview with Mr. Nichols and wanted to know if I could transcribe it. Of course I did, and one part that I recall vividly is when Ralph started talking about how cold it was during the Bulge. He then mentioned that a friend saved his life by tripping over him. It was pitch dark and Ralph didn't intend to fall asleep when he was awakened by his buddy falling over him. Ralph couldn't get up right away because his jacket was frozen to the ground. If not for his buddy he likely never would have woken up. Ralph was then evacuated right away. Paul added that his grandfather was a character, who loved his country and family

- eb ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association is at Camp Mackall Military Reservation.

2 months ago

On 16 February 1944, the Paratroopers of the 551st Parachute Infantry were preparing to conduct a nighttime parachute jump at Camp Mackall, NC. It would be the first time Pathfinders were utilized by the 551st, and also the first time that the flight crew would control when the Paratroopers would jump using the Red Light / Green Light system. Coordination for the jump had been made with the 442d Troop Carrier Group at Fort Bragg’s Pope Field.

After starting takeoff from Pope at 1900hrs, the 31 C-47s carrying the 551st headed into the night to begin their approach to the jump area. This was also the first nighttime jump attempted by the flight crews of the 442nd. In less-than-ideal conditions, with poor visibility due to mixed rain and mist, the aircraft began to arrive at what they thought were the drop zones - wildly off course and with no ability to get a position fix from the air.

The jump was made with each trooper carrying a full combat load, so those that were dropped over the lake almost immediately sank once they hit the water. The lucky ones landed close to shore and made their way out of the cold water as quickly as possible, helping their buddies as they could. Of the almost 40 GOYAs that hit the water at Kinney-Cameron Lake that night, 8 were lost.

We remember the 8 Paratroopers of the 551st Parachute Infantry who tragically drowned after being mis-dropped into Kinney-Cameron Lake during this nighttime training jump with a Memorial dedicated by the 551st Association in 1992.

PFC Shelly C. Ferguson Jr. [C Co]
T/5 John F. Hoffman [HQs Service Co]
PFC Kenneth D. McGrotty [HQs Service Co]
PFC Ishmael H. Petty [C Co]
SGT Benjamin Preziotti [B Co]
PFC Zollie Ramsey [C Co]
PFC Norval L. Reed [C Co]
PVT John L. Wadford [C Co]
*Last name misspelled as “Wafford” on monument

Association Historian CSM(R) Chris Lewis & his wife Mikey went to the site on Monday & did some cleaning up and maintenance on the monument, placing a wreath on behalf of the 551st Parachute Infantry Association, while taking photos of the site and pausing to reflect on this terrible tragedy some 82 years later.

We remember.....

🌴

Friends of 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion
Sur les traces du 551st PIB
National Infantry Museum
Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation
82nd Airborne Division
82nd Airborne Division War Historical Society
National Infantry Association
WWII Airborne Demonstration Team ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

2 months ago

December '43 morning reports now located, including reports marking the day the last surviving member of the 551st joined the GOYAs. In December of 1943 Mr. Scango, now 103, checked into the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion...along with John Bellefontaine, Richard Field, Marshall Clay, Charles Brown, Charlie Burnham, Charles Giacomino, Roy Rose, Kimber Couch and others.

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 months ago

The Association is excited to know that the lineage of the 551st is breathing new life, through newly formed Multi Functional Reconnaissance Companies in the 101st Airborne Division, as well as the 173rd Airborne Brigade overseas in Germany/Italy. In fact D company 551st has already stood up, which took place on 8 January 2026 at Grafenwoehr, Germany. A, B, and C companies of the 551st Infantry Regiment are being reactivated in direct support of the 3 Mobile Brigade Combat Teams in the 101st with activation dates between 16 June 2026 - 16 July 2026. There is a possibility that activation ceremonies for those 551st companies could take place during the annual "Week of the Eagles" 18-22 May 2026 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

If interested in witnessing first hand the GOYA birds of the 551st unfurl their wings once again, the last of the separate parachute infantry battalions that participated in the European Theater during WWII to be reactivated, after being the first to be deactivated on 10 February, 1945, let us know. Keep those dates clear just in case for this historic event in May, and inform the Association of your plans for coordination. More to follow as more details come available to us.

If planning to attend and coordinate with the group please sign up for 551 association membership, so we can keep everyone on the membership informed via email about the re-activation, ceremonies, and any group involvement...GOYA!! ... See More from 551See Less from 551