1994 29¢ Airborne Units Spearhead Attacks
Issue Date: June 6, 1994
City: Washington, DC
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed and engraved
A war that touched virtually every nation and was fought on nearly every continent and ocean, World War II required new military, air, and naval strategies. Trained for assault by air, airborne troops, also called paratroops, paratroopers, and sky soldiers, added a new dimension to the war.
Transported to combat areas by plane, these airborne units would parachute behind enemy lines where their primary tasks were to blow up bridges, destroy communications, and cut off supplies and reinforcements. Often taking the enemy by surprise, they would engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
Although the Germans first used sky soldiers when they captured the Netherlands in 1940, it was the Allies who made the most effective use of paratroops. Forming a complete army of sky soldiers, they coordinated parachute attacks with other air, land, and naval operations. From the middle of the war until its end, United States Army paratroopers successfully spearheaded attacks in Sicily, Normandy, and the Netherlands. In the Philippines, airborne troops also recaptured Corregidor from Japanese forces. Since World War II, airborne forces have taken part in all major military operations.