320th Barrage Balloon Battalion
In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day - June 6, 1944 - we will feature a story about the largest amphibious invasion in military history. These stories will be shared on the sixth of every month leading to June 6, 2024. As we honor the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month, we share the story of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion.
They are known as the first Black unit in the segregated Army to come ashore on D-Day.
“The 320th was the only unit to storm the beach that day that was composed entirely of African American soldiers,” a description of the unit on the National WWII Museum website states. “They provided critical protection to the ships and soldiers below them from attacks by enemy aircraft.”
The battalion was formed in 1942, with their first assignment being at Utah and Omaha beaches in Normandy, France for the D-Day invasion. The mission of the assault force, over 600 members strong, was to raise hydrogen-filled barrage balloons to protect assaulting infantry and armor from being strafed by enemy aircraft. The unit used smaller barrage balloons weighing less than 40 pounds that could easily be moved by a few men and transported across the channel on landing craft. A handful of battalion medics were the first to land on Omaha Beach at approximately 9 a.m.
"They flew at an altitude of around 200 feet to defend soldiers landing on the beaches against strafing attacks by German aircraft," a commendation by Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower cited.
The battalion served for over four months in France. In late July 1944, Battery A of the 320th moved from Omaha Beach to the port city of Cherbourg. The remaining three batteries stayed on Omaha and Utah beaches until early October, when deteriorating weather prevented ships from landing.
By the end of October 1944, the 320th Battalion was on its way back to Camp Stewart in Georgia to train for service in the Pacific Theater. Fortunately for the group, the war ended before they reached the Pacific.
Aside from being the first Black unit to arrive on D-Day, the 320th was also the only American barrage balloon unit in France.
The unit's last surviving member, Henry Parham, passed away in July 2021 at the age of 99.
The War Memorial is home to a direct connection with the beaches of Normandy through our very own sculpture, Les Braves II: At Water’s Edge. The original Les Braves sculpture is located on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, and was sculpted by Anilore Banon to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the operation that paved the way for the liberation of France during WWII. Visit our Les Braves II page to learn more about the sculpture and how you can support The War Memorial.
A D-Day commemoration ceremony at The War Memorial is set for Thursday, June 6. Visit warmemorial.org for more information as it becomes available.