The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, also known as the “Triple Nickles,” was the only all-Black airborne infantry unit in U.S. Army history.
The formation of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1943 was a landmark moment in U.S. military history—and one that occurred against a backdrop of racial segregation, both in the Army and in American society. Activated on 19 December 1943, its roots trace back to a single company formed at Fort Benning. By 25 November 1944, it was reorganized into a full battalion at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, with Black officers and enlisted men—many drawn from the famed Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division. Though World War II ended before they saw typical combat, they were instead tasked with Operation Firefly, parachuting into forest fires across the Pacific Northwest ignited by Japanese Fu-Go balloon bombs. Operating from Pendleton, Oregon, they conducted 28 fire jumps in 1945—earning the nickname “Smoke Jumpers”—and suffered a single fatality, Medic PFC Malvin L. Brown, on 6 August 1945.
Following the war, the battalion returned to Fort Bragg and was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. It was inactivated 15 December 1947, with personnel forming the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment—marking the first step toward integration in the Army, largely overseen by General James M. Gavin.
The 555th was formally disbanded on 22 August 1950, many former members went on to serve with distinction in Korea.
Among its notable personnel were:
Sgt. Clarence H. Beavers, one of the first volunteers and an Operation Firefly smoke jumper; he passed away in 2017 at age 96.
Sgt. Joe Harris, believed to be the last surviving member of the 555th, who died in March 2025 at 108; he completed 72 jumps and later served in the U.S. Border Patrol, becoming a community icon.
Lt. Harry E. Sutton, who later fell heroically in Korea and was awarded the Silver Star during the Hungnam evacuation.
Bradley Biggs, the battalion's commanding officer, whose leadership helped earn respect for Black paratroopers and facilitated their integration into the 82nd.
The legacy of the Triple Nickles is profound: their pioneering service under segregation, their valor in firefighting missions, and their exemplary integration into elite airborne forces laid crucial groundwork for the desegregation of the U.S. Army.