08/22/2026
85 years ago today, the 503d Parachute Infantry Battalion was activated.
And etched into this brass mug is that date: August 22, 1941.
In the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum’s collection, this is the first 503d Parachute Infantry Battalion Prop Blast Mug, bearing the names of battalion officers from its early years. Several of those men would go on to become pioneers and leaders in the development of the U.S. Army Airborne, including future commanders of the 82d Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps.
The Prop Blast Ceremony was one of the Airborne’s earliest traditions. First developed by Captains William Yarborough and William Ryder with the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning, it welcomed newly qualified officers after their first jump.
The original “Miley Mug,” created by 1st Lt. Carl Buechner, was made from a 75mm artillery shell, with handles fashioned from parachute ripcords.
And what went inside it?
Vodka. Lemon juice. Sugar. Champagne.
The champagne symbolized the sparkle, youth, and energy of the officers in the parachute troops.
Even the recipe had a secret: it was encoded using an M-94 signal encrypting device.
The key word?
GERONIMO.
A brass mug, an early Airborne tradition, and the names of men who would become part of Airborne history, all preserved in one artifact.
