U.S. ARMY 501st Airborne Apaches Geronimo Patch

The 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, previously the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (501st PIR) and later 501st Infantry Regiment, is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army, with a long history, having served in World War II and the Vietnam War, both as part of the 101st Airborne Division, as well as the War in Afghanistan. It is the first airborne unit by designation in the United States Armed Forces.

The unit's motto is "Geronimo," a phrase that has become synonymous with paratroopers and parachutists in general.

The motto dates from 1940 and the lead up to World War II. The night before their first attempt to prove the feasibility of a mass jump, some U.S. paratroopers at Fort Benning watched the film Geronimo (1939). While drinking with fellow paratroopers after the show, Private Aubrey Eberhardt announced he would shout the name "Geronimo" when he jumped to prove he was not scared. He followed through with his promise and the practice soon caught on within the unit, becoming its unofficial motto. When the 501st was created the name was confirmed as the unit's official motto with the permission of the real Geronimo's family.

70x80mm Woven Patch