Matthew Bunker Ridgway was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, on 3 March 1895. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1917 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. Promoted to first lieutenant and then temporary captain, Ridgway was assigned as a company commander of the 3d Infantry. From 1918 to 1924, he taught Spanish at West Point. In …
By Matthew J. Seelinger In the years prior to World War II, the U.S. Army began to develop the concept of deploying troops from the air. Starting with the formation of the Parachute Test Platoon on 26 June 1940, the Army experimented with and developed airborne doctrine, deploying soldiers by parachute and by glider behind …
Operation VARSITY: The Last Airborne Deployment of World War II Read More »
The Army Historical Foundation is the designated official fundraising organization for the National Museum of the United States Army.
We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We seek to educate future Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations of American Soldiers have made to safeguard the freedoms of this Nation. Our funding helps to acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, research, and publication of historical materials on the American Soldier, and provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals.
