Montana’s Connection To The Incredible Story of the 555th Airborne

Montana has a long and varied history. There are so many stories to tell. Every once in a while a story or event comes along that makes me step back and reflect on some of the amazing things that have happened here. There were a lot of stories that I didn't learn in history books back in the day when I was in school. The story of the 555th Airborne Parachute Infantry Division is one incredible story that has Montana connections.

The 555th Airborne Parachute Infantry Division Helped Protect Montana

The 555th Airborne Parachute Infantry Division was nicknamed the "Triple Nickles". They were the first Black parachute infantry battalion. According to the National Museum of the United States Army, their story took place during WWII. They didn't just fight our enemies, they also fought wildfires in the Northwest that were started by the Japanese. You may have heard the story about the balloons from Japan that made their way all the way to Montana back then. If not, you can read that below.

Read More: This Isn't the First Time Montana Has Been Threatened By Balloons

The Japanese Tried to Start Fires in the Northwest in WWII

The 555th, were based in two locations. One out of Pendleton, Oregon that were tasked with fighting the fires that would have been started by the Japanese balloons in Montana, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. This is documented by their history at Triplenickel.com. One other group were stationed in Chico, California, they were tasked with fighting the wild fires that started in California.

Initially the government wasn't very open about the mission of the 555th. That changed a bit when in January of 1945 when "both Time and Newsweek magazines had told of two wood-choppers in Kalispell, Montana who had found a balloon with Japanese markings on it." Eventually the government let the locals in Oregon and California know what was happening.

The 555th Was Busy in the Summer of 1945

The 555th answered 36 fire calls with more than 1,200 jumps in the summer of 1945. There was one fatality during this time, Malvin L. Brown, a medic died on Aug. 6th 1945, when he fell "during a let-down from a tree". There is a lot to their stories and the group wasn't together for long.

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The work that these brave men accomplished in the military and the advancements they made in Smoke Jumping is still felt today. It is an amazing story that needs to be told. On Saturday April 13th 2024, there was a ceremonial parachute jump in Pendleton, Oregon to honor this special group of men, that featured a couple jumpers from Montana.