Easy Company was an elite World War II unit of white paratroopers, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. There were no Black soldiers due to the U.S. Army’s segregation policies at the time.
Who Was Easy Company?
- Unit Name: E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
- Nickname: Easy Company, from the phonetic alphabet used during WWII
- Motto: Currahee (“We Stand Alone”), derived from a Cherokee word
- Role: Elite paratroopers trained for airborne assaults behind enemy lines
- Training: Began in 1942 at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, under harsh conditions including runs up Currahee Mountain
- Combat History:
- D-Day (Normandy, France): Jumped behind enemy lines on June 6, 1944
- Operation Market Garden: Fought in the Netherlands
- Battle of the Bulge: Defended Bastogne under siege
- Final Push: Advanced into Germany and Austria by war’s end
Their story was popularized by Stephen Ambrose’s book Band of Brothers and the HBO miniseries of the same name.
Why Were There No Black Soldiers?
- Segregation in the U.S. Military: During WWII, the U.S. Army was racially segregated. Black soldiers served in separate units, often in support roles rather than combat.
- Paratrooper Units Were All-White: The newly formed airborne divisions, including the 506th PIR, were considered elite and were exclusively white by policy.
- Systemic Racism: Black Americans were denied equal opportunity to serve in combat roles due to widespread racial discrimination and beliefs about “fitness” for elite service.
It wasn’t until 1948, with President Truman’s Executive Order 9981, that the U.S. military officially began desegregation.
DOD – Department of Defense
Summary
- Easy Company was an elite World War II unit of white paratroopers, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
- There were no Black soldiers due to the U.
- Segregation in the U.
- The newly formed airborne divisions, including the 506th PIR, were considered elite and were exclusively white by policy.
- Black Americans were denied equal opportunity to serve in combat roles due to widespread racial discrimination and beliefs about “fitness” for elite service.
