US AIRBORNE

The division's emblem is a golden-orange, winged unicorn placed on a navy blue shield.

The unicorn is traditionally associated with courage and strength.

The division is also known as the "Black Cat Division" because it was established on a Friday the 13th...

Eldridge Chapman

The 13th Airborne Division was created at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, on August 13, 1943, a Friday the 13th, under the command of Major General George W. Griner.

He was soon replaced by Major General Eldridge Chapman. Chapman was one of the pioneers of the American airborne forces. He was in charge of the jump school at Camp Mackall.

In early 1945, the 13th Airborne Division boarded a ship bound for Europe, arriving there in February. They were stationed in a small town south of Paris. Upon its arrival in France, the units making up the 13th included the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) commanded by Colonel Harvey J. Jablonsky; the 88th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) led by Colonel Samuel Roth; and the 326th GIR commanded by Colonel William Poindexter. To reinforce the division, it was decided to permanently assign the 517th PIR, commanded by Colonel Rupert Graves.

The 517th was a veteran regiment from the campaigns in Italy, southern France, Belgium, and Germany. As the fighting advanced, officers grew disheartened about whether the 13th Division would ever see action. An operation called "ARENA" was planned, involving six airborne divisions to be dropped 160 km east of the Rhine. It would have been the largest airborne operation, but General Eisenhower was unconvinced of its necessity and canceled it.

Operation "VARSITY" became the first airborne operation over Germany itself. General Ridgway, commanding the XVIII Airborne Corps, decided to use the 17th Airborne Division instead of the 13th due to its combat experience in the Belgian Ardennes.

The 13th Airborne was kept as a reserve unit.

After Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945, the 13th and 101st Airborne Divisions were informed they were designated to be sent to the Pacific. However, the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945 ended the war and prevented the 13th Airborne from proving itself in combat.

That same month, the 13th was sent back to the United States, where it was disbanded.

As a result, it never saw combat.