History - Activation
    The 502nd Infantry Regiment originated in July 1941, as
    the 502nd Parachute Battalion, an experimental unit
    formed to test the doctrine and tactics of parachute
    assault. The 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment was
    activated on 1 July 1941, at Fort Benning, Georgia.   
    The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) or “Five-
    Oh-Deuce”, as they became known, was activated as a
    regiment on 2 March 1942 under the command of Lt.
    Col. George P. Howell.  Unlike other early Parachute
    Battalions, the 502nd retained the same unit
    designation and personnel when increased in size from
    a battalion to a regiment.  Shortly after the formation of
    the 502nd, the recently promoted Col. Howell
    relinquished command of the 502nd to assume
    command of the Parachute school at Fort Bragg.  Lt.
    Col. George Van Horn Moseley, 502nd Executive
    Officer (EXO), assumed command of the regiment.

    Intense training began as soon as the 502nd was
    activated as a battalion.  By the time the 502nd joined
    the 101st Airborne Division on 15 August 1942, the
    troopers had undergone extensive training.  The 502nd
    was the original TO&E Parachute Infantry Regiment in
    the 101st Airborne Division. The 377th Parachute Field
    Artillery (PFA) Battalion, the only PFA battalion in the
    101st, provided artillery support to the 502nd.  After
joining the 101st, the 502nd moved from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to join the rest
of the division.  While at Fort Bragg the 502nd conducted numerous practice jumps from Maxton & Pope
Airfields and participated in war games near Evansville, Indiana.
A Company, 1st Battalion,
502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment
(Reenacted 1941-1945)
training at Fort Benning, Georgia on 16 August 1942