Parachutist Certificate
Fort Benning, GA
January 3, 1943

After their fifth training jump in December 1942, at Fort Benning, GA each 506th PIR Currahee
was pinned with the silver wings of the Parachutist Badge, and then sent home on furlough. Accord-
ing to Otto Painter, the paratroopers were not given their Parachutist Certificates till January 1943,
when they returned from furlough. (Otto's Army Serial Number has been blacked out for reasons
of privacy.)

Otto is listed on the roster of the December 1942 Fort Benning Parachute Class#49.

Otto Painter had joined the US Army in 1939 and was one of the first paratrooper
trainees at Camp Toccoa, GA in 1942. He was in his 30's, older than most of the other
troopers, and had been working on developing 3-D photography before the war.

When it was discovered that he was experienced with a camera, Otto was temporarily
reassigned (during the month of October 1942, in the middle of his Stage "A" training)
to Camp Crowder, MO, as part of the 166th Signal Photo Company, and sent on
photographic assignments, first to Iran, and then to North Africa. In November 1942,
Otto returned to the 506th PIR, where he served until he was seriously wounded at
Bastogne and sent back to the States