Sergeant Geronimo was a canine member of member of the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment. He was the parachuting war dog of WWII and he was the mascot to his fellow soldiers. He was named for the famous "jump shout" of the paratroopers, he did his job as well as any proud soldier of the 507th.
Geronimo was believed to be part coyote and part German Shepard, and he had been picked up as a stray by Sergeant Kenneth Williams who was a soldier with the 507th. The men trained him to jump from airplains and he had his own parachute. It has been known that Geronimo loved jumping so much that he often had to be restrained from leaping out of the airplains to soon. Such a brave dog he was!
He was trained and used in demolition work during the war. Starting early in 1943 when the 507th began training at the Alliance Base, Geronimo made several appearances as a paratrooper. He made jumps from Omaha, Nebraska and even over Denver, Colorado. Everywhere Geronimo went he pleased thousands of crowds everywhere by doing his exhibition jumps. He was even featured in many magazine and newspaper articles including "Life" magazine. During his career the Army saw how popular the dog was and he helped raise millions of dollars in war bonds.
Geronimo was considered a hero by his fellow soldiers and he really proved is heroicness when Kenneth Williams was badly injured on maneuvers to destroy a bridge. Geronimo alerted his fellow paratroopers who came to the aid of Kenneth Williams. After nearly a year, Kenneth Williams recovered from his injuries and both he and Geronimo were given honorable discharges. They retired in the Denver area together.
Geronimo lived with Kenneth Williams until one day in 1947 Geronimo got out of his yard and was tragically killed by a hit and run driver. He is buried at the Denver Pet Cemetery in Commerce City, Colorado. Over the years since then, two markers have been placed for this brave dog by subsequent members of the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment.
Geronimo was believed to be part coyote and part German Shepard, and he had been picked up as a stray by Sergeant Kenneth Williams who was a soldier with the 507th. The men trained him to jump from airplains and he had his own parachute. It has been known that Geronimo loved jumping so much that he often had to be restrained from leaping out of the airplains to soon. Such a brave dog he was!
He was trained and used in demolition work during the war. Starting early in 1943 when the 507th began training at the Alliance Base, Geronimo made several appearances as a paratrooper. He made jumps from Omaha, Nebraska and even over Denver, Colorado. Everywhere Geronimo went he pleased thousands of crowds everywhere by doing his exhibition jumps. He was even featured in many magazine and newspaper articles including "Life" magazine. During his career the Army saw how popular the dog was and he helped raise millions of dollars in war bonds.
Geronimo was considered a hero by his fellow soldiers and he really proved is heroicness when Kenneth Williams was badly injured on maneuvers to destroy a bridge. Geronimo alerted his fellow paratroopers who came to the aid of Kenneth Williams. After nearly a year, Kenneth Williams recovered from his injuries and both he and Geronimo were given honorable discharges. They retired in the Denver area together.
Geronimo lived with Kenneth Williams until one day in 1947 Geronimo got out of his yard and was tragically killed by a hit and run driver. He is buried at the Denver Pet Cemetery in Commerce City, Colorado. Over the years since then, two markers have been placed for this brave dog by subsequent members of the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment.
Sergeant Geronimo was a canine member of member of the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment. He was the parachuting war dog of WWII and he was the mascot to his fellow soldiers. He was named for the famous "jump shout" of the paratroopers, he did his job as well as any proud soldier of the 507th.
Geronimo was believed to be part coyote and part German Shepard, and he had been picked up as a stray by Sergeant Kenneth Williams who was a soldier with the 507th. The men trained him to jump from airplains and he had his own parachute. It has been known that Geronimo loved jumping so much that he often had to be restrained from leaping out of the airplains to soon. Such a brave dog he was!
He was trained and used in demolition work during the war. Starting early in 1943 when the 507th began training at the Alliance Base, Geronimo made several appearances as a paratrooper. He made jumps from Omaha, Nebraska and even over Denver, Colorado. Everywhere Geronimo went he pleased thousands of crowds everywhere by doing his exhibition jumps. He was even featured in many magazine and newspaper articles including "Life" magazine. During his career the Army saw how popular the dog was and he helped raise millions of dollars in war bonds.
Geronimo was considered a hero by his fellow soldiers and he really proved is heroicness when Kenneth Williams was badly injured on maneuvers to destroy a bridge. Geronimo alerted his fellow paratroopers who came to the aid of Kenneth Williams. After nearly a year, Kenneth Williams recovered from his injuries and both he and Geronimo were given honorable discharges. They retired in the Denver area together.
Geronimo lived with Kenneth Williams until one day in 1947 Geronimo got out of his yard and was tragically killed by a hit and run driver. He is buried at the Denver Pet Cemetery in Commerce City, Colorado. Over the years since then, two markers have been placed for this brave dog by subsequent members of the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment.
Geronimo was believed to be part coyote and part German Shepard, and he had been picked up as a stray by Sergeant Kenneth Williams who was a soldier with the 507th. The men trained him to jump from airplains and he had his own parachute. It has been known that Geronimo loved jumping so much that he often had to be restrained from leaping out of the airplains to soon. Such a brave dog he was!
He was trained and used in demolition work during the war. Starting early in 1943 when the 507th began training at the Alliance Base, Geronimo made several appearances as a paratrooper. He made jumps from Omaha, Nebraska and even over Denver, Colorado. Everywhere Geronimo went he pleased thousands of crowds everywhere by doing his exhibition jumps. He was even featured in many magazine and newspaper articles including "Life" magazine. During his career the Army saw how popular the dog was and he helped raise millions of dollars in war bonds.
Geronimo was considered a hero by his fellow soldiers and he really proved is heroicness when Kenneth Williams was badly injured on maneuvers to destroy a bridge. Geronimo alerted his fellow paratroopers who came to the aid of Kenneth Williams. After nearly a year, Kenneth Williams recovered from his injuries and both he and Geronimo were given honorable discharges. They retired in the Denver area together.
Geronimo lived with Kenneth Williams until one day in 1947 Geronimo got out of his yard and was tragically killed by a hit and run driver. He is buried at the Denver Pet Cemetery in Commerce City, Colorado. Over the years since then, two markers have been placed for this brave dog by subsequent members of the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment.
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