541-Parachute Infantry Regiment paratroopers jump on Long Island, New York

On April 23rd 1944 hundreds of paratroopers in forty C-47's took off from Camp Mackall, North Carolina with a stop in Washington D.C.,
heading for a drop zone on Long Island, New York. Likely, the jump was stateside preparation/participation for the D-Day, June 6th 1944
invasion of Europe. 8,000 soldiers took part in the maneuvers. According to jump notes taken this day, it rained. (see last item below)

Two months later the jump mentioned in the newspaper article below took place on June 30,1944. The 467th mentioned in the article
may have been the 467th Airborne Field Artillery Bn. supporting the 541st PIR.

The 541st PIR was an airborne training unit stationed in the United States.(Camp Mackall, North Carolina) The 541st trained paratroopers
stateside and sent them as replacements for overseas airborne units. The 541st wasn't in combat during WWII. In June of 1945 the 541st
was stationed in Luzon, Philippines but was disbanded when WW-II ended.

June 30, 1944, Long Island, New York .

(Newspaper clippings shown courtesy of the Schweiket family)

June 30, 1944, Long Island, New York.

Corporal Francis X. Schweikert's stateside jump record.

 



 

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