John "Ace" Short
Original Member and Perhaps the Last Survivor
The First Parachute Test Company 1940
501st Parachute Battalion 1940 - 1942
Fellow members, we hereby advise you that one of our own has passed from this life. John Asa Short was recruited from the Idaho Smokejumper Or-ganization in 1941 to become a part of the 501st Parachute Test Battalion that was charged with developing the equipment and procedures for the United States’ nascent Army Paratroop Units that would first be used during WWII in Europe fighting the Nazi war machine. Think Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and other epic adventures. Some of us in the chapter have had the pleasure of John’s company while being regaled with the trials and tribulations that invaria-bly occur during developmental programs such as the US Army Paratroopers. John had a lot of stories of those days and we will miss his comradery while recognizing that all airborne units owe their existence to men like John Short. John passed away in January 2020 due to colon cancer and his ashes spread in the Pacific by The Neptune Society, according to his son Kevin Short. We in chapter 28 will miss him. May he, our Airborne brother, rest in peace.
Fellow members, we hereby advise you that one of our own has passed from this life. John Asa Short was recruited from the Idaho Smokejumper Or-ganization in 1941 to become a part of the 501st Parachute Test Battalion that was charged with developing the equipment and procedures for the United States’ nascent Army Paratroop Units that would first be used during WWII in Europe fighting the Nazi war machine. Think Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and other epic adventures. Some of us in the chapter have had the pleasure of John’s company while being regaled with the trials and tribulations that invaria-bly occur during developmental programs such as the US Army Paratroopers. John had a lot of stories of those days and we will miss his comradery while recognizing that all airborne units owe their existence to men like John Short. John passed away in January 2020 due to colon cancer and his ashes spread in the Pacific by The Neptune Society, according to his son Kevin Short. We in chapter 28 will miss him. May he, our Airborne brother, rest in peace.
Fellow members, we hereby advise you that one of our own has passed from this life. John Asa Short was recruited from the Idaho Smokejumper Or-ganization in 1941 to become a part of the 501st Parachute Test Battalion that was charged with developing the equipment and procedures for the United States’ nascent Army Paratroop Units that would first be used during WWII in Europe fighting the Nazi war machine. Think Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and other epic adventures. Some of us in the chapter have had the pleasure of John’s company while being regaled with the trials and tribulations that invaria-bly occur during developmental programs such as the US Army Paratroopers. John had a lot of stories of those days and we will miss his comradery while recognizing that all airborne units owe their existence to men like John Short. John passed away in January 2020 due to colon cancer and his ashes spread in the Pacific by The Neptune Society, according to his son Kevin Short. We in chapter 28 will miss him. May he, our Airborne brother, rest in peace.
Fellow members, we hereby advise you that one of our own has passed from this life. John Asa Short was recruited from the Idaho Smokejumper Or-ganization in 1941 to become a part of the 501st Parachute Test Battalion that was charged with developing the equipment and procedures for the United States’ nascent Army Paratroop Units that would first be used during WWII in Europe fighting the Nazi war machine. Think Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and other epic adventures. Some of us in the chapter have had the pleasure of John’s company while being regaled with the trials and tribulations that invaria-bly occur during developmental programs such as the US Army Paratroopers. John had a lot of stories of those days and we will miss his comradery while recognizing that all airborne units owe their existence to men like John Short. John passed away in January 2020 due to colon cancer and his ashes spread in the Pacific by The Neptune Society, according to his son Kevin Short. We in chapter 28 will miss him. May he, our Airborne brother, rest in peace.
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John in original paratrooper gear.
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Members of the original 501st Parachute Battalion
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The first American paratrooper unit shoulder patch
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An Original Roster
Click to enlarge
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One of the last surviving members of an exclusive unit
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American Paratrooper Wings
The design and patent |
The Original Airborne Creed
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The First PLFs
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Colonel Yarborough - First Paratrooper CO KIA in Europe WWII
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Soldiers of the Sky: Hollywood Documovie About the First Paratroopers
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