Honoring the History of the 101st Airborne Division

Card Suits Assigned randomly across the Army Football Team, helmets display the markings used by 101st paratroopers and glider troops to identify their unit affiliations for the jump into Normandy and throughout the European Theater of Operations. The original purpose was that when a Soldier jumped or glided into Normandy and got separated from a larger portion of the unit, the easily identifiable symbol would clearly mark a Soldier as being part of a specific regiment and a small dash at the 12, 3, 6 or 9 o'clock position specified the battalion. Learn more about the Airborne Assault on D-Day

Invasion Star In August 1942, regulations were issued for all Allied forces that specified a white star as the national marking on vehicles. The Invasion Star was used on American aircraft and vehicles to aid in battlefield identification. This version of the star has seven gaps in the outer ring to represent the junction of seven roads at Bastogne. Learn more about star markings at the National WWII Museum

Typed "A R MY !" On the back of the jersey, the underlined word ARMY! is capitalized. This typography evokes the typewritten version of Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe's famous reply to demands for his surrender. When the Nazi commander demanded his surrender, McAuliffe replied only with the word “Nuts!” which Col. Joseph Harper, conveying his commander's response, informed his confused Nazi counterpart meant “Go to Hell!”

The Detailing "Bastogne Road Sign" on the top left of the torso has the style of the lettering the road sign held by Brig. Gen. McAuliffe in a famous photograph taken after the siege was broken. The coppered appearance of the Army West Point Athena Shield hearkens back to the weathered appearance, after half a year of combat from D-Day until the Ardennes Counter-Offensive, of a brass “cricket,” an inexpensive children's toy that paratroopers carried during the initial Normandy jump to use as a recognition signal in the dark.

Paratrooper Wings Paratrooper wings, also known as the Parachutist Badge or Jump Wings, are a military badge awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The badge is given in three grades: Basic, Senior and Master. On a uniform, the badge is an oxidized silver badge with a pair of stylized wings and an open parachute. The badge can also have indicators of the degree of qualification. A star above the canopy indicates a Senior Parachutist, and a star surrounded by a laurel wreath indicates a Master Parachutist.

"Screaming Eagles" These words are displayed prominently on the sides of the helmet. The 101st Airborne Division's moniker comes from their patch, which depicts “Old Abe,” a bald eagle first used as a mascot by the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War.

101st Airborne Patch The 101st Airborne Division's moniker comes from their patch, which depicts “Old Abe,” a bald eagle first used as a mascot by the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War.

Uniform Inspiration The color of this year's uniform is black with grains of white sprinkled over the shoulders and torso. The color of this year's uniform reflects the canopy of fog and snow giving way to the shadows beneath the snow-covered pine forests in the Ardennes. This environment formed the backdrop for the 101st Airborne's stubborn defense, made more difficult by the lack of air support.