HOME

ABOUT US

MEMBERSHIP

LINKS

CONTACT US
 
 

ABOUT US

 

We are made up of two organizations:

The 505 Association - made up of 505 RCT veterans who served in WWII.

Friends & Family of the 505 RCT Association - anyone interested in preserving the legacy of the first group.

This page (below) describes the 505 Association. For more information regarding membership of either group or our reunions, please click here.

The 505 Association
Unit Coat of Arms and Decorations Roll of Honor
Table of Organization 505 PIR Casualties / Days of Combat
Pathfinders  

 

505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Activation July 6th 1942. 25th anniversary of Activation reunion May 1967; Ft. Bragg, NC. At this point in time, there was not much interest in starting an Association, so everything lay dormant for many years. In late 1985 and early 1986 word started around for a 505 RCT Reunion at Ft. Bragg for October 1986. This was a great reunion and they came up with the idea of starting a 505 RCT Association. So at the General Membership Meeting we decided to go for it.

Donald W. McKeage of "F" Co. was elected our 1st President. At this point our directors were elected for two years and Reunions would be every two years. Under McKeage's leadership we were off to the races. By-Laws and Constitution are needed for Association.

Official Name: WWII Veterans of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team, (505 RCT).

Dues were set at $5.00 annual and after the first meeting of the board, a life membership of $50.00 was started and General James Gavin was our First Life Member.

1987, McKeage is busy making our new Association fly. Request IRS for Non Profit Organization Status. Request Postal Service for Non Profit Organization Status. By-Laws and Constitution were being finalized: With copies off to the government units. Our Postal Permit was approved on August 27, 1987. Our IRS approval for Non Profit status was approved March 4, 1988; Code 501-c-19. Under the provisions of section 170 of the Code, donors may deduct contributions to this organization.

In the meantime plans were being made to hold our 2nd reunion at Columbus, Ga. Home of the AIrborne School at Ft. Benning in early October 1988. At this reunion Jack Tallerday was elected President. A reunion was planned for 1990, to be held back at Ft. Bragg. Everything was going our way, but when August 1990 came and the 82nd Airborne Division was ordered to leave for Desert Storm to do battle with Iraq, our 1990 reunion was cancelled.

Jack Tallerday stayed on as our President. Our next reunion was finally set up to be held at Las Vegas, NV in October 1991. Robert M. Murphy of "A" Co. was elected our 3rd President. He stayed on for 1992. Everything settled down for a number of years.

1993 Elmo Jones of "B" Co. elected President at New Orleans, LA

1994 J. J. Ryan of Hdqs 3rd elected President at San Antonio, TX.

1995 Nick Psaki of "E" Co elected President at Boise, ID

1996 Robert Fielder of Regt. Hdqs elected President at Myrtle Beach, SC

1997 Robert Fielder re-elected President at Orlando, FL

1998 Ed Thomas Hdqs 3rd elected President at Boise, ID

1999 Ed Sayre "A" Co. elected President at Ft. Bragg, NC

2000 Ed Sayre re-elected Las Vegas, NV

2001 Ed Sayre re-elected after Ft. Bragg reunion cancelled by 82nd Airborne Division because of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001 (9-11). We missed another reunion, which we can ill-afford to do with our age group, but this is a National Emergency and we must carry on.

2002 Ed Thomas of Hdqs 3rd elected President at Myrtle Beach, SC

2003 Reunion planned for Colorado Springs, CO.

2004 If all goes well in this world of ours we plan to meet back at Ft. Bragg, NC

Our Association has made it through 16 years and if all goes as planned we hope to add another 5+ to that total.


The above information was compiled by our 1st President and for the past 15 years, our Vice President of Communications; meaning the Editor of "The Panther" Airborne DONALD W. MCKEAGE

 
Find us on Facebook
 

HOME     |     ABOUT US     |     MEMBERSHIP     |     HISTORY     |     CONTACT US

Copyright © 2012 505rct.org, All rights reserved.
Webmaster