Before its dissolution after only thirty-three months, the outfit of 2,500 men endured heavy fighting from Italy through the invasion of Southern France (Operation Dragoon), then the bitter winter in the Ardennes (in the Battle of the Bulge) and the final thrust into Germany.

By late June or early July, while Major Melvin Zais' 3rd Battalion was still waiting for its first recruit, with the flow of volunteers to Toccoa was suddenly turned off.

The RCT docked at Naples on 31 May 1944, the troopers filed down gangplanks into waiting railroad cars and were carried to a staging area in the Neapolitan suburb of Bagnoli.

En route, Colonel Graves was handed an order directing the RCT to take part in the attack from Valmontone to Rome the next day.

On 14 June the outfit struck tents, stowed away extra gear and moved to a beach to wait for LSTs to carry it to Anzio.

The following day the convoy stopped off the coast of Anzio and the regimental and battalion commanders and staff went ashore where they were briefed on the enemy situation and informed that the destination was Civitavecchia.

The 517th had been sent to Italy in response to a Seventh Army request for airborne troops for Operation Anvil, the invasion of Southern France.

On 2 July the Combined Chiefs of Staff issued a directive to the Commander-in-chief Mediterranean to go ahead with Anvil (renamed Dragoon) on 15 August.

As a by-product of this directive the 517th RCT was released from IV Corps and moved to join the 1st Airborne Task Force in the Rome area.

North of La Ciotat the aircrews dropped 300 parachute dummies and a large quantity of "rifle simulators" which went off in firecracker-like explosions as they hit the ground.

Enemy convoys were attacked, communication lines severed and German reinforcements were denied access to the beach landing areas.

Towns and villages were occupied as troopers fought toward their objectives, capturing Le Muy, Les Arcs, La Motte and Draguignan.

Within 18 hours 9,099 troops, 213 artillery pieces and anti-tank guns and 221 vehicles had been flown over 200 miles (320 km) across the Mediterranean and landed by parachute and glider in enemy-held territory.

On 6 December the RCT moved from La Colle to entrain at Antibes for movement to Soissons and assignment to XVIII Airborne Corps.

Orders were received through XVIII Airborne Corps which directed the 1st Battalion to the 3rd Armored Division sector near Soy, Belgium.

Company B led the attack until forced to hold a line due to heavy tank and automatic weapons fire.

The morning after arrival in Belgium, Company G was detailed as a security force for the XVIII Airborne Corps Command Post.

When the RCT was attached to the 30th Division, the 460th tied in with divisional artillery and fired 400 rounds in missions south and east of Malmedy.

The fall of Manhay to the II SS Panzer Corps on Christmas Day sent shock waves throughout the Allied Command.

A new attack was launched at 0800 on 13 January, to seize a line running from Spineux, north of Grand Halleux, to Poteaux, eight miles (13 km) south of Malmedy.

The 1st and 2nd Battalions moved to the south capturing Butay, Lusnie, Henumont, Coulee, Logbierme and established blocks at Petit Thier and Poteaux.

On 20 January, Task Force Seitz attacked south from an assembly area near Am Kreuz to capture Auf der Hardt woods and formed defensive positions on the southern edge.

On 22 January, the task force led CCA through In Der Eidt Woods and closed in attack positions a mile north-west of Hunnange.

All objectives of the attack plan were met, and on 3 February, the RCT received orders attaching it to the 78th Infantry Division at Simmerath.

The 517th RCT was to move north to the Kleinhau-Bergstein area, relieve elements of the 8th Infantry Division and attack south from Bergstein during darkness on 5 February to seize the Schmidt-Nideggen Ridge where the Germans had prepared strong defenses.

In mid-morning the 596th Engineers began working in relays to clear a lane through the largest minefield encountered by the Allies in World War II while under direct enemy observation and fire.

Private First Class Melvin E. Biddle of B Company, 1st Battalion, 517th PIR was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Soy-Hotton engagement.

During World War II, the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment was part of the First Airborne Task Force, that had the mission of jumping behind enemy lines in south eastern France for Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944.

The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team is the only unit of the US Army to have used this type of modified helmet during World War II.

The alumni group of the 517th, the 517 PRCT Association, still holds an annual reunion, prints a quarterly newsletter, and has an almost daily email newslist.