Lt. Clifford Allen, of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, better known as the “Triple Nickles.” Based in Pendleton, it was an all-black airborne unit of the United States Army during World War II. Opposite page: Left: The Triple Nickles equip themselves and prepare to parachute over a forest fire in 1945. Right: Dedication of a new marker in Pendleton, which commemorates the legacy of the nation’s first black paratroopers. 22
VETERANS NEWS MAGAZINE
