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The 508th Parachute Infantry
Regiment (508th PIR) was activated October 20, 1942 at Camp Blanding,
Starke, Florida. Camp Blanding was the Florida State National Guard
training reservation.
After the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor, Camp Blanding became a multi-purpose training center for
Army units. Nine divisions and several separate regiments and battalions
trained at Camp Blanding.
However, the 508th
PIR was the only airborne unit activated
and trained at Camp Blanding during WW II.
Hq1 provided the battalion
headquarters support personnel, a company headquarters, and a communications,
machinegun, and mortar platoon.
The battalion headquarters
support personnel staffed an operations section (S3), intelligence section
(S2), and administrative and supply sections.
The communications platoon
operated the battalion headquarters message center, and provided radio
and wire connectivity from the battalion command post (CP) to the three rifle
companies.
The machinegun platoon
consisted of a platoon headquarters and two sections of four squads each.
A squad leader commanded each squad that included a gunner, assistant gunner
and ammunition bearers that operated a .30 caliber light machinegun (LMG).
The LMG sections
usually operated with the battalion rifle companies. The mortar platoon
provided the battalion's overhead fire capability. It included a fire direction
and communications center, and two mortar sections of two squads each. Each
squad was commanded by a squad leader.
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