SO #127, Hq., 29th Infantry,July 1,1940, Contd.
5. Pursuant to authority granted by letter Headquarters The Infantry School, file N° 580, subject: Test Platoon for duty with Infantry Board, dated July 1, 1940, the following named officer end enlisted men of the 29th Infantry are detailed on special duty with the Infantry Board, Fort Benning, Georgia, and will report to the president thereof for duty:
First Lieutenant William T. Ryder, 29th Infantry
Sergeant John M. Haley, 6375843, Company A,
Sergeant Benedict F. Jacquay, 6657783, Company C,
Sergeant Grady A. Roberts, 6382894, Company D,
Sergeant Robert B. Wade, 6372146, Company F,
Sergeant Norman J. McCullough, 6379058, Company M,
Sergeant Lemuel T. Pitts, 6395609, Company B,
Private Farrish F. Cornelius, 6399726, Headquarters Co,
Private 1cl Specl 6th Cl, Obie C. Wilson, 6966171, Hqs Co,
Private 1cl Specl 6th Cl, Donald L. Colee, 6393903, Serv Co
Private William N. King, 6391164, Hq & Hq Det, 1st Bn,
Private 1cl Addison L. Houston, 6384962, Company A,
Private 1cl Mitchel Guilbeau, 6399296, Company A,
Private 1cl Joseph L. Peters, 6399384, Company A,
Private Thad P. Selman, 6971792, Company B,
Private Hugh A. Tracy, 7003685, Company B,
Private Jules Corbin, 6386052, Company A,
Private Joseph P. Doucet, 6387916, Company C,
Private 1cl Louie E. Davis, 6966798, Company C,
Private 1cl Johnnie A. Ellis, 6967763, Company C,
Private Specl 6th Cl, Robert H. Poudert, 6972398, Co D,
Private Sydney C. Kerksis, 6388134, Company D,
Private 1cl 4th Cl Tyerus F. Adams, xxxxxxx, Company D,
Private 1cl Tullis Nolin, 6927494, Hq & Hq Det, 2nd Bn,
Private 1cl Benjamin C. Reese, 6969901, Company E,
Private 1cl Raymond G. Smith, 6387925, Company E,
Private 1cl Willie F. Brown, 6398865, Company E,
Private 1cl Thurman L. Weaks, 6966916, Company F,
Private 1cl Specl 6th Cl, John M. Kitchens, 6394975, Co F,
Private 1cl Louie O. Skipper, 6963804, Company F,
Private 1cl Specl 6th Cl Alsie L. Rutland, 6963778, Co G,
Private Frank Kasell Jr, 6971611, Company G,
Private Robert E. Shepherd, 6970055, Company G,
Private 1cl Specl 4th Cl, John F. Pursley Jr, 6396514, Co H,
Private 1cl Lest C. McLaney, 6966537, Company H,
Private Specl 6th Cl, Aubrey Eberhardt, 6920642, Co H,
Private Ernest L. Dilburn, 6392470, Hq & Hq Det., 3rd Bn,
Private Leo C. Brown, 6384060, Company I,
Private Specl 6th Cl, Albert P. Robinson, 6972295, Co I,
Private 1cl Floy Brukhalter, 6966963, Company I,
Private 1cl Edward Martin, 6963787, Company K,
Private John O. Modiset, 6395976, Company K,
Private Code E. Barnett Jr, 6928902, Company K
Private John E. Borom, 6393663, Company L,
Private 1cl Specl 6th Cl George W. Ivy, 6399227, Co L,
Private 1cl Specl 4th Cl John A. Ward, 6379123, Company L,
Private Sepcl 6th Cl Steve Voils Jr, 6967738, Company M,
Private Specl 6th Cl Richard J. Kelly, 6928566, Company L,
Private Bura M. Tisdale, 6394981, Company M,
added manually Private Charles M. Wilson (?) (050 ?)
6. The following named enlisted men of the 29th Infantry, from companies as indicated opposite their names, are relieved from special duty with Recruit School, 29th Infantry, and will report to their respective company commanders for duty:
Sergeant Clarence J. Mathes, 6346954, C Co,
Sergeant Benedict F. Jacquay, 6657783, C Co,
Sergeant Max R. Grigg, 6385278, E Co,
Sergeant Reddie Smith, 6386301, F Co,
Sergeant Julian F. Dey, R-2131654, L Co,
Corporal James H. Davis, 6921421, C Co,
Corporal Richard M. Veale, 6308768, D Co,
Corporal Harold L. Pilcher, 6363024, E Co,
Corporal Woodrow W. Simms, 6927511, E Co,
Corporal Andy J. Brown, 6373211, E Co,
Corporal Elmo Edwards, 6373692, F Co,
Corporal Adam P. LeCompte, 6396044, F Co,
Corporal Elmer E. Cox, 6361753, F Co,
Corporal Paul H. Lee, 6382812, G Co,
Corporal Jay H. Mann Jr, 6397181, G Co,
Corporal Robert H. Sutton, 6386503, H Co,
Corporal Bennie F. Bowdoin, 6927648, I Co,
Private 1cl Specl 6th Cl Madison I. Wallace, 6372531, G Co,
Private 1cl Horace W. Gladney, 6967893, I Co,
Corporal Clyde W. Pierce, 6922484, G Co,
7. At their own request, and with the approval of their respective organization commanders, the following named enlisted men of the 29th Infantry are reduced to the grade of Pvt, without prejudice:
Corporal Farrish F. Cornelius, 6399726, KQ Co, (TP)
Corporal William N. King, 6391164 HHQ Det, 1st Bn, (TP)
Corporal Joseph E. Doucet, 6387916, C Co, (TP)
Corporal Ernest L. Dilburn, 6392470, HHQ Det, 3rd Bn, (TP)
Corporal Leo C. Brown, 6384060, I Co, (TP)
Corporal John E. Borom, 6393663, L Co, (TP)
By order of Colonel Griswold:
William H. Craig
1st Lt 29th Infantry
Note that the above-mentioned Col Griswold who will be the communication officer between the HQ Army Ground Forces, the HQ Infantry Board, and the HQ Test Platoon will take an active part in the development of Paratrooper’s Equipment (e.a. WACO CJ-4A: ‘Griswold Noose\’, and Rifles and Sub-MG: ‘Griswold Bag’)
Test Platoon
1/Lt William T. Ryder volunteered and was made the test platoon’s platoon leader, Lt James A. Bassett was designated assistant platoon leader, and forty-eight enlisted men were selected from a pool of 200 volunteers. The platoon moved into tents on the Frying Pan, near the Lawson Airfield, and an abandoned hangar was obtained for training and parachute packing. Col William C. Lee, a staff officer for the Chief of Infantry, recommended that the test platoon be moved to the Safe Parachute Company at Hightstown, New Jersey, and train using parachute drop towers from the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Eighteen days after forming, the platoon was moved to New Jersey and trained for one week on the 250-foot free towers, which proved to be particularly effective because these towers added realism otherwise impossible to duplicate outside of an airplane drop and proved to the troopers that their parachutes would function safely.
Impressed by the results and the efficiency of these towers, the Army purchased two and erected them on what is now Eubanks Field at Fort Benning. Two more were later added, and today three of the original four towers are still in use. Parachute landing training was often conducted by the volunteers jumping from PT platforms and from the back of moving trucks to allow the trainees to experience the shock of landing.
Less than forty-five days after it was formed, members of the test platoon made their first jump from a Douglas B-18 Bolo bomber over Lawson Field on August 16, 1940. Lt Ryder and Pvt William N. (Red) King became the first officer and enlisted man to make an official jump as paratroopers in the US Army. On August 29, the platoon made the first platoon mass jump held in the US. Members of the original test platoon formed the battalion cadre of the 501st Parachute Battalion, the first parachute combat unit. The second, the 502nd Parachute Infantry Battalion, was activated on July 1, 1941. As more airborne units were activated, a centralized training facility was organized at Fort Benning on May 15, 1942.
During the first year, many experimental jumps were conducted with the test platoon including mass jumps. Paratroopers’ equipment was also improved: Jump Boots, Jump Suits, Helmets, Parachutes, and Paratrooper Weapons Carrying Folders. Officers like Miley, Cole, Sink, Michaelis, Ewell, Cassidy, Winter, and Strayer, just a few names, all worked on developing the US airborne doctrine that would be put to significant use over the next 5 years.
