Welcome to the home of the Scions of the 17th Airborne Division
The official website of the veterans and descendants of the 17th Airborne Division.
The missions of the Scions of the 17th Airborne Division are to honor the men who served in the 17th A/B,
and to educate others about the history of the division during World War II.
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History of the Scions Organization
The Scions were founded in 2011 by an official mandate of the 17th Airborne troopers themselves, as a challenge made by the Directors
of the 17th Airborne Division Association. We incorporated as "The Scions of the 17th Airborne, Inc." to continue the Association's legacy in 2012.
Individual and Family membership is open to family members and descendants of veterans of the 17th Airborne Division.
Associate Membership is available to those with no direct ties but who are interested in the history of the 17th Airborne Division.
All veterans of the 17th Airborne Division are "Distinguished Honorary Members" of the Scions organization. We exist to honor them.
We strive to accomplish our missions by holding regional gatherings where troopers and their families can gather and share their recollections.
We communicate with our membership using our "Thunder From Heaven" newsletter, through this website, and on our Facebook page,
17th Airborne Division Scions (Descendants). We also collect documents related to the history of the 17th and make them available to our membership.
History of the 17th Airborne Division
The 17th Airborne Division was one of five airborne divisions in the United States Army during World War II. Commanded by Major General William M. Miley, it was officially activated
as an airborne division in April 1943, but was not immediately shipped out to a combat theater, remaining in the United States to complete its training. During this training process, the
division took part in several training exercises such as the Knollwood Maneuvers, in which it played a vital part in ensuring that the airborne division remained as a military formation
in the United States Army after the poor performance of American airborne forces in Sicily. As such it did not take part in the first two large-scale airborne operations conducted by the
Allies: Operation Husky and Operation Neptune. The division transferred to Britain after the end of Operation Overlord.
When the division arrived in Britain, it came under the command of XVIII Airborne Corps, part of the First Allied Airborne Army. The division was not chosen to participate in Operation
Market Garden (the airborne landings in the Netherlands) as Allied planners believed it had arrived too late and could not be "trained up" in time. However, after the end of Operation
Market Garden, the division was shipped to France and then Belgium to fight in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. A 17th trooper earned the Medal of Honor during the fighting
in the Ardennes (the first of four that members of the division would earn), and the division was then withdrawn to France to prepare for an assault over the River Rhine.
In March 1945, the division participated in its first, and only, airborne operation, dropping alongside the British 6th Airborne Division as a part of Operation Varsity, where its troopers
earned three more Medals of Honor. The division then advanced through Northern Germany until the end of World War II, when it briefly undertook occupation duties in Germany before
shipping back to the United States. There, it was officially inactivated in September 1945, although it was briefly reactivated as a training division between 1948 and 1949.
UPCOMING EVENTS
2026 Trip to Arlington National Cemetery
November 8 & 9, 2026
Arlington, VA & Washington D.C.
Join the Scions for one of our most meaningful traditions of the year.
Together, we visit the National WWII Memorial, conduct a memorial service at the 17th Airborne Division Memorial, and ensure every known 17th Airborne Trooper resting at Arlington receives a personal floral tribute at their final resting place.
All are welcome to participate.
Registration and full details coming soon.
Can't join us? Consider making a donation to the Scions Memorial Fund
17th Airborne ETO Battlefield Trip
Spring 2027 | Destinations: Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany
Join the Scions as we retrace the historic path of the 17th Airborne Division across the European Theater. Highlights include the Ardennes battlefields at Dead Man’s Ridge and Bastogne, the Our River crossings in Luxembourg, the Operation Varsity drop zones in Wesel and Hamminkeln, and visits to American Military Cemeteries to pay personal respects at the resting places of our 17th Troopers.
Now in Planning Stage - Gathering Interest
Exact dates, costs, and route details are being developed around interest. If you are considering traveling with us, please let us know by emailing info@17thscions.org with your group size and any specific sites connected to your Trooper.
RECENT EVENTS
The video clips below highlight some of our gatherings, trips and projects