ODDLY, my Uncle Jimmy was a USA paratrooper, rather than a servicemember with the USAAAC or the USAF & he was VERY proud to have made all of the WWII jumps that the 82d made.
(After his “Promotion to Glory” from infirmities of old age in 2010, my 1st cousin found a memo from a “flag” that credited him with > 80 jumps in WWII, Korea & the Relief Expedition to the Congo.)
Somehow or other, he was assigned on Army TDY to the Airlift & that’s how he got involved with the CANDY-bombing.
Like most combat soldiers he, when questioned, said something like: I didn’t do anything at all special. I was just a regular GI.
Yours, TMN78247