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A listing of books, magazine and newspaper articles on Parachute Rigging

Do you know of any other references that should be on this page?  If so, leave us an e-mail note at: qmfoudation01@gmail.com and we’ll consider it for the next update of this page.

General/Miscellaneous

McNamara, A.T. MG, “Outfitting, Feeding and Fueling the 1962 Soldier”, Army Information Digest, February 1958, Pg. 28-37. Contains a section on current and projected aerial delivery methods.

“The Quartermaster Corps in action 1957-1961”, Office of the Quartermaster General. Pages 99 to 108 detail current Air Supply efforts. Gives details of the 549th QM Co (Air Supply) providing airdrop training to the Nationalist Chinese at Quemoy in August 1958.

Tomczyk, Michael S. LT, “Riggers of the 600th Quartermaster Company”, Soldiers Magazine, January 1972, Pg. 42-42. Short article on packing and repairing of parachutes by the 600th QM Company at Fort Bragg, NC.

Weeks, John, Airborne Equipment; A History of its Development, Hippocrene Books, Inc, NY. Pgs 48-73 contain information on the various aerial delivery containers & platforms used by the US.

Airborne Department Quartermaster School

Dorsett, Harold L., COL, “I Will Be Sure … Always”, The Review (Formerly Quartermaster Professional Review), January-February 1963, Pg. 14-15. Short history of the Parachute Packing, Parachute Maintenance and Air Delivery Course at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School. 

Johnson, Thomas A., Quartermaster Airborne Instruction: A History of the Airborne Courses of Instruction at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, Fort Lee, Virginia from Their Establishment in 1950 to the End of the Korean War, Quartermaster School, 177 pgs., 1962. Comprehensive study of Rigger training at Fort Lee, Virginia from 1951-1953.

Whitaker, Frank CPT, “Shroud Lines Are Life Lines”, Army Information Digest, May 1956, Pg. 22-23. Overview of Rigger training at the Airborne Department of the Quartermaster School, Fort Lee, Virginia.

Aerial Delivery Equipment and Technology

“Aerial Delivery”, Military Review, April 1954, Pg. 64. Paragraph on new rail and chain drive system on the C-124 cargo plane.

“Experimental Honeycomb Paperboard”, Army Information Digest, January 1956, Pg. 46. Paragraph on the development of honeycomb and its shock absorbing qualities in aerial delivery.

“Improved Aerial Delivery System”, Army Information Digest, August 1958. Short article on a new “drop kit” system using a platform skid, paperboard honeycomb and an independent extraction system.

Roffee, B.H., “Supply From The Sky”, Army Information Digest, Date unknown, Pg 31-35. Experiments conducted by the QM Research and Development Command, Natick, Massachusetts on aerial delivery items.

World War II

“Air Supply on the Salween River Front”, The Quartermaster Review, March-April 1945, Pg. 41-44. Aerial Delivery in the Chinese Army Salween Campaign against the Japanese. Discusses support by U. S. Army Y-Force Air Dropping Detachment.

“Air, The Flying Quartermaster”, Training Service Bulletin, 28 December 1942, Vol. 1 No. 14, Pg. 1. A discussion of packing, loading and securing procedures for air delivery of supplies.

“Flying Quartermasters – Bundles for Burma Boys”, Quartermaster Training Service Journal, 24 November 1944 Discusses improvisation in dropping supplies to units in Burma.

Altermatt, Raymond C. MAJ, “Aerial Delivery of Supplies”, The Quartermaster Review, September-October 1944, Pg. 47-49. Describes methods and equipment for airdrop of supplies. Discusses the 8 types of standard containers then in use.

Anders, Steven PhD., “Bundles From The Sky”, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin – Autumn/Winter 1994. General history of Quartermaster role in aerial delivery in the European and Pacific Theaters during World War II.

Bertelli, Christopher M. LT, “Kicking a Load in Burma”, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin, Autumn 1992, Pg. 12-13. Quartermaster airdrop operations in Burma.

Dodge, Abbott E. LTC, “The Bundles-for Burma Boys”, The Quartermaster Review, November-December 1944, Pg. 47-48. Background on a Quartermaster truck battalion in India organized as an ad hoc airdrop supply unit in 1943. Unit packed, and “kicked out” equipment and supplies to units in Burma.

Durke, George H. PVT & Brennan, William J. CPL, “Making Quartermasters Air-Minded”, The Quartermaster Review, November-December 1944, Pg. 53-54. Training at the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia on air-shipping. Discusses awards to Quartermaster soldiers in India for success in airdrops to Burma.

Herwig, H.R.W. COL, “Quartermaster Functions in the Army Air Forces”, The Quartermaster Review, November-December 1944, Pg. 52-53. Information on the establishment of the Air Quartermaster office during the reorganization of the Army Air Forces in March 1942. Discusses composition and functions of the organization.

Sargent, Gary F. LT, “Jump Through Airborne History”, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin”, Autumn 1992, Pg. 6-9 General review of American airborne operations in World War II. Discusses airborne quartermaster companies.

U.S. Army, IX Troop Carrier Command, Supply by Air, Vol. 1, 20 Nov 1944, 75 pages. Discussion of airborne supply (airdrop and airland) operations in the European Theater of Operation from an Army Air Forces prospective. Provides detailed information on air drop equipment, tonnage dropped and accuracy/recovery of dropped supplies.

Warfield, Charles L. LTC, “Dropping Supplies from Fighter Aircraft”, The Quartermaster Review, November-December 1944, Pg. 49. Discusses tests conducted by the Eighth Air Force Fighter Command in dropping modified auxiliary fuel tanks loaded with K rations from fighter aircraft.

Weeks, John, Airborne Equipment; A History of its Development, Hippocrene Books, Inc., New York, NY, 1976, 192 pgs. Overview of parachutes, equipment, weapons and aircraft used by the U.S. England, Russia and Germany from WWII to the 1960s. Chapter 2 is devoted to Containers, Kitbags and Platforms used in aerial delivery.

Korean War Era

“Delivery by Air”, Combat Support in Korea, Part VII, Quartermaster Corps, Facsimile
Reprint, 1987, 1990, CMH Publication 22-1, Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C. Capt. William J. Dawson, Jr. describes his tour of duty as executive officer with the 8081st Army Unit in 1951.

Hospelhorn, Cecil W. CPT, “Quartermaster Aerial Supply in Korea, Supporting U.N. Ground Troops”, The Quartermaster Review, March-April 1951. Captain Hospelhorn, company commander of the 8081st Army Unit, recounts his unit’s efforts to assist Marine and Army units trapped in the Chosin Reservoir area of Korea in 1950. During this operation the 8081st dropped eight sections of an M2 treadway bridge and tons of supplies.

Hughes, Les, “The 8081st Army Unit”, American Society of Military Insignia Collector’s Trading Post, July-September 1986, Pg. 23-27. Describes the unauthorized, theater made, patch of the unit. Provides a short history of the unit’s operations during the Korean War.

Peifer, William H., Supply by Air; The Quartermaster Airborne Development, 1950-53,   Historical Branch, Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC, 1957, 626 pgs. Detailed study of establishment and development of Aerial Delivery within the Quartermaster Corps. Includes chapters on WWII; the Korean War; Organization, Staff and Doctrine; Training; Equipment; Procurement; and Maintenance.

Pittman, MAJ(P) Phill, The Battle of Sukchon-Sunchon, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, May 1984. Command and General Staff College student staff group study of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team’s first combat parachute drop in Korea. Pgs. 26-40 give a extremely detailed account of logistic support of this airdrop.

Vietnam War Era

Veteran Members of the 109th Quartermaster Company (Air Delivery) Collection – The Vietnam Archive – Texas Tech University

“Fact Book”, 1st Logistical Command, U.S. Army Vietnam, 1968. Overview of subordinate units, to include 109th QM Co., 383rd QM Det. And 623rd QM Co., showing authorized strength and capability.

“History, Mission & Function of the 383D QM Det (AS)”, 1969, Pgs. 18. Annual historical review of the 383rd Quartermaster Detachment (Air Supply).

“Pallet and Parachute”, Army Digest, January 1968, pg. 17. Short article detailing 109th QM Co. use of CDS & LAPES air delivery systems at to Marine and Special Forces camps in Vietnam..

Bowers, Ray L., Tactical Airlift, Office of Air Force History, U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC, 1983. Contains sections on 109th QM Co support of the 173rd Airborne Bde and testing of LAPES in Vietnam.

Brush, Peter, “The Joint Effort That Broke The Khe Sanh Siege”, Army Magazine, April 1997, Pgs. 44-48. Overview of 109th QM Co. support to Marines at Khe Sanh.

Kashiwahara, Ken CPT, “Lifeline to Khe Sanh”, The Airman, July 1968, Pg. 5-8. Overview of airdrop support to U.S. Marines at Khe Sanh. Includes information on LAPES, GPES, CDS and instrument dropping techniques.

Meletiche, 1LT Carmelo, Annual Historical Supplement of the 109th Quartermaster Company, (Air Delivery) 1 January 1968 – 1 January 1967, 278th S&S Battalion, 1968

Melvin, CW4 (Ret) Howard, “549th Quartermaster (AS) Co. (ABN) in Viet-Nam”, Military, March 1997, Pgs. 6-7. Overview of CW4 Melvin’s service with the 549th in Vietnam supporting Khe Sanh, An Loc and other locations.

Myrick, 1LT William D., Annual Historical Supplement of the 109th Quartermaster Company, (Air Delivery) 1 January 1966 – 31 December 1966, 278th S&S Bn, 1967

Nalty, Bernard C., Air Power and the Fight for Khe Sanh, Office of Air Force History, U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC, 1973. Contains sections on airdrop support.

McLaughlin, Burl W. MG, “Khe Sanh; Keeping an Outpost Alive”, Air University Review, November-December 1968, Pg. 57-77. Detailed study of tactics, techniques and lessons learned by the Air Force on aerial delivery at Khe Sanh.

Pisor, Robert, The End of the Line; The Siege of Khe Sanh, 

Prados, John & Stubbe, Ray W., Valley of Decision; The Siege of Khe Sanh, pgs. 374-379 contain background on C-130 and C-123 missions at Khe Sanh.

Shore, CPT Myers S., The Battle for Khe Sanh, Historical Branch, G-3 Division, HQ, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC, 1969. 

Tokar, MAJ John A., Provide by Parachute! Airdrop Operations in Vietnam 1954-1972, School of Advanced Military Studies, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS

Trest, Warren A., Khe Sanh (Operation Niagara) 22 January – 31 March, HQ Pacific Air Force. Appendix VI has a Khe Sanh Airlift Summary, pgs 71-91 have information on Tactical Airlift at Khe Sanh.

Grenada (Urgent Fury)

Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: An Illustrated History of the Military Airlift Command, 1941-1991, Military Airlift Command Office of History, HQ Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, IL, May 1991. Pgs 180-183 give an overview of the parachute drop by the Rangers at Point Salines, Grenada.

Brunkow, Robert, Toward the Air Mobility Command; A Chronology of Tanker and Airlift Events, Office of History, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL, 1994. Pgs. 42-43 give a chronology of airdrop for Operation Urgent Fury.

Northern Iraq/Turkey (Provide Comfort)

History of CTF Provide Comfort, Apr 91-Jun 92, History Office, U.S. Air Force Europe. Pgs. 70-73 provide an assessment of initial airdrops and a table indicating numbers of sotires flown by type of nation/type of aircraft.

“Humanitarian Operations in Northern Iraq, 1991”, US Marine Corps Persian Gulf History, from GULFLink at: http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/ Excellent overview of the opening stages of Operation Provide Comfort.

Bosnia (Provide Promise)

Chroman, CPT Jordan S., “Operation Provide Promise -Resupplying the Bosnians”, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin – Summer 1993. 

Williams,CPT Brian L.; Studer,CW3 Ken K.; Studer,CW2 Nancy E., “Operation Provide Promise: The Airdrop Phase”, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin – Autumn 1993

Davis, CPT Stephen R.; Denniston, CPT Mary E.; Ehlers, CPT Edward F.; Hinson , CPT John B.; Ogden, CPT Maria, “Emerging Technology in Airdrop Operations”, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin-Autumn 1997

Ide, SSG Douglas, “Rigger-ous Mission”, Soldiers, April 1994, Pgs. 13-16. Overview of support by the 5th QM Det and other units in rigging supplies for drop over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Gives background on the development of the TRIAD Distribution System developed for this operation.

Complied by Major K Born, U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum Volunteer
Last Update:  Monday, January 08, 2007

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