The Army Staff re-designated the paratroopers in North Africa as the separate 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (PIB). The re-designation became official on November 7, 1942. No one bothered to tell LtCol. Raff until January 1943.
Changing designations was nothing new to Phil He didn’t care what number the staff in Washington gave to his unit. Raff’s men had served together since the early days on the frying pan at Fort Benning. They’d trained and bonded in Georgia, North Carolina, and England.
The 509th is an experienced, bloodied, motivated, kick-ass force. These guys are stone-cold killers with solid unit cohesion and a great esprit de corps, Raff thought when he first heard about the new designation. And they’d be just as great if they were called the 1/435th Spoon Platoon.
Eisenh
