101st Airborne Division Association

101st Airborne Division Association
Name	101st Airborne Division Association
Caption	Screaming Eagle shoulder sleeve insignia
Founded	1919
Type	Veterans' organization
Location	Fort Campbell, Kentucky

101st Airborne Division Association is a veterans' organization founded to unite veterans who served with the 101st Airborne Division and related units during conflicts such as World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan. The association connects veterans, families, and supporters across the United States and abroad through chapters, reunions, and publications tied to installations, campaigns, and military heritage. It preserves the history of airborne and air assault operations linked to notable campaigns, operations, and units through outreach, museum support, and advocacy.

History

The association traces roots to post-World War I and interwar veteran groups that supported veterans of World War II, including veterans from the Normandy landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Operation Market Garden airborne operations. After the division's activation at Camp Claiborne and training at Camp Toccoa and Camp Mackall, veterans from the 502nd Infantry Regiment, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Signal Battalion, and 327th Glider Infantry Regiment organized reunion groups paralleling national organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. During the Cold War era, the association expanded as members returned from service in theaters including Vietnam War campaigns like Operation Junction City and Hamburger Hill, and later conflicts including Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The association has navigated relationships with federal policies such as the GI Bill and veterans' healthcare administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, while engaging with commemorations at sites like Arromanches-les-Bains and memorial events at Ardennes and Bastogne.

Organization and Membership

The association is organized into national headquarters and regional chapters often aligned with states and metropolitan areas, drawing membership from veterans of units such as the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and aviation elements including the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. Membership categories include wartime veterans, peacetime veterans, associate members, and family members similar to structures used by the Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America. Leadership typically includes a national president, board of governors, and chapter officers; many leaders have previously served at installations like Fort Campbell and in commands under generals associated with the division such as William Westmoreland, David Petraeus, and Stanley McChrystal. The association liaises with units at Fort Bragg and institutions such as the U.S. Army Center of Military History and the National Archives for lineage and honors.

Activities and Programs

The association sponsors reunions, memorial ceremonies, scholarship programs, and veteran support initiatives connected to campaigns like Operation Neptune and Operation Anaconda. It organizes battlefield tours to sites including Omaha Beach, Bastogne, Market Garden locations, and memorials such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the National World War II Memorial. Outreach programs partner with organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, Fisher House Foundation, and educational institutions such as West Point and United States Military Academy Preparatory School for youth programs, scholarships, and mentorship. The association participates in advocacy on legislative matters before bodies including the United States Congress and collaborates with museums such as the National Museum of the United States Army and preservation groups involved with sites like Colleville-sur-Mer.

Publications and Communications

The association publishes newsletters, membership directories, and a quarterly magazine reporting on reunions, obituaries, and unit histories, alongside digital communications through social media platforms and websites hosted by veterans' networks such as the National Veterans Foundation. Publications feature articles on battles like Carentan, Nijmegen, and Foy, profiles of veterans who served in operations such as Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and retrospectives referencing military historians associated with the division like Stephen E. Ambrose and Rick Atkinson. The association maintains archives of oral histories, photographs, and unit rosters preserved in repositories such as the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and collaborates with academic presses and journals that publish military history scholarship.

Museums and Memorials

The association supports and partners with museums and memorials connected to the division, including the Screaming Eagle Museum at Fort Campbell, local historical societies in Toccoa, Georgia and Nashville, Tennessee, and international sites like the Airborne Museum Hartenstein and the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeek. It contributes to battlefield conservation at locations including Elsenborn Ridge and La Fière, and assists in ceremonies at gravesites in cemeteries such as Sainte-Mère-Église and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The association works with preservation organizations like the American Battlefield Trust and municipal partners in towns such as Bastogne, Arnhem, and Carentan to maintain monuments and educational exhibits.

Notable Members and Leadership

Prominent association members and leaders have included decorated veterans and public figures who served with division units, such as Medal of Honor recipients from the division and commanders who later held senior positions in commands like XVIII Airborne Corps and I Corps. Notable veterans associated with the division's legacy include figures featured in biographies and media about campaigns in Normandy and Vietnam, and veterans depicted in works by authors and filmmakers connected to the division's history, including documentaries screened at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and festivals like the Telluride Film Festival. Past presidents and board members have often been combative veterans who served in major operations including Market Garden, Ardennes Offensive, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, and who have engaged with honors programs administered by organizations such as the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Category:Veterans' organizations of the United States Category:United States Army units and formations of World War II