Symbolism: The blue field of the Shield
is for the Infantry, the 506th's arm of service. The thunderbolt
indicates the regiment's particular threat and technique of attack:
striking with speed, power, and surprise from the sky. Six parachutes
represent the fact that the 506th was the sixth parachute regiment
constituted in the U.S. Army. The green silhouette represents
Currahee Mountain--the site of the regiment's activation (Camp
Toccoa, GA)--and symbolizes the organization's strength, independence,
and ability to stand alone for which paratroops are renowned.
In fact Currahee is the American aboriginal Cherokee Indian
equivalent for "Stands Alone."
In the Crest, the winged sword-breaker represents AIRBORNE troops.
The conjoined caltraps stand for the enemy line of defense behind
which paratroopers are dropped. They are two in number in reference
to the unit's two air assault landings. The fleur-de-lis is for
the Normandy invasion, and the bugle horn from the arms of Eindhoven,
Holland, refers to the organization's capture of that objective.
The spikes of the caltraps stand for the unit's World War II decorations.
The demi-roundel represents a section of the hub of a wheel. It
stands for Bastogne, Belgium, strategic crossroads of highways
and railways. The hub, surmounted by the winged sword-breaker,
commemorates the organization's heroic defense of Bastogne in
the Battle of the Bulge.
Currahee Mountain further represents the foundation of the 506th's training. It was on this tough, rugged little mountain that the men of the 506th were sufficiently hardened to enable them to break the world forced march record of 115 miles held by the Japanese Army. The 506th gained nationwide attention for this feat. "Currahee" was the cry of the 506th paratroopers as they cleared the door on their first jump, and it continued to be their cry when in combat.
