freelance writer

published in a number of

national magazines and

newspapers. He has also

been honored with

several poetic

achievement awards.

John is a graduate of

Park College and holds a

Masters Degree from the

University of Oklahoma.

He has also completed

writing courses with

Long Ridge Writers

Group in West Redding,

Connecticut. John is a

retired Army officer who

has been awarded more

than thirty US and

foreign decorations.

They include The Silver

Star, three Legions of

Merit, three Bronze Stars

and the Distinguished

Flying Cross.

 

 

John E. Mann

Decorated Army veteran and member of the 555 th Parachute Infantry Battalion,

or "Triple Nickles," the nation's first all-black parachute infantry test platoon,

company and battalion.

Lieutenant Colonel John E. Mann, a distinguished 33-year veteran of the U.S. Army, has been awarded more

than thirty U.S. and foreign decorations. They include the Silver Star, three Legions of Merit, three Bronze

Stars and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Mann served as a Special Forces advisor in Vietnam during 1963-64

and later as a battalion commander in 1969. He was a member of the historic

555 th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the first all black paratroop unit, known

as the "Triple Nickles," and made 168 jumps as a paratrooper over a period of

Mann was born March 24, 1926 in Camden, South Carolina to Otis and Helen

Mann. The couple had no other children. Mann graduated from Mather

Academy in 1944, was drafted into the Army shortly afterwards at age 18 in

October 1944. To further his education, Mann took college courses in the

evenings and in 1966 he received a BA in History from Park College in

Parkville, Missouri. In 1976 he was awarded a Masters degree from the

University of Oklahoma. Mann also graduated from a number of military

schools while in the service, including the Company Grade Officers Course,

Motor Officers Course, Paratroop and Glider courses (all at Fort Benning,

Georgia) and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth,

Upon graduating from high school, Mann reported to Fort Banks,

Massachusetts for his induction into the U.S. Army. He was then transferred

to Fort McClellan, Alabama, a segregated training facility, staffed by white

After basic training, Mann was selected as cadre (drill sergeant) where he

trained troops for combat. Shortly after the war ended in Europe, he was

transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia, the home of the Airborne School.

Although he had seen a film of airborne training previously, and was

impressed with the paratroopers' appearance, the manner in which they carried

themselves, plus the duty appeared to be exciting. It was here that he had his

first opportunity to see his first black paratrooper. He volunteered for

paratroop training but his application was not forwarded, because he was

considered, "essential personnel." Since his term of service was about to end, he was discharged and then re-

enlisted for airborne duty in early 1947 with the 555 th Parachute Infantry Battalion, known as the Triple

Nickles. It was the first and only all black battalion that served during World War II. Although Mann was not

part of the inaugural units, he had the distinguished honor of serving with the organization prior to its being

integrated into the 82 nd Airborne Division and becoming the 3 rd Battalion, 505 th Airborne Infantry

Regiment. Shortly after the Korean War began, Mann was sent as a part of a cadre to the 11 th Airborne

Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky to help replace units from the division that had been shipped to Korea.

He became a company First Sergeant at 24 years of age and later received a direct commission as a Second

Mann served as a First Lieutenant in the closing months of the Korean War and was given the command of a

company in the 3 rd Infantry Division. Upon his departure, he was awarded his first Bronze Star. Later, he was

assigned again to the 11 th Airborne Division and while serving on a peace-keeping mission during the Cold

War in Germany, was sent to Lebanon in 1958. His company secured a hill overlooking the Beirut Airport and

guarded the American Embassy residence. Later, the company moved to the olive grove in the vicinity of the

Airport and conducted patrols. He was promoted to Captain while in Lebanon. After completing special forces

and counter-insurgency training, Mann was assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Abn) on Okinawa, and sent

as a detachment commander to Vietnam to train Hamlet Militia and to establish a camp in Bien Dinh Province.

He conducted one of the first heliborne operations in country by securing the new camp-site while the

remainder of his "Strike-Force" came by vehicle over land. Later he was instrumental in preventing an uprising

when one of the three Montagnard Companies left the camp without approval of the camp commander. Mann

went after the force and was able to return the

troops back to the camp the following day. Mann

returned to Vietnam in 1968 and served on the

Division Staff in the 25 th Infantry division and

later as battalion commander. He saw

considerable combat and earned numerous

After his service in Vietnam, Mann returned to a

job in the Pentagon as an executive officer in the

Warsaw Pact division (DIA) until 1973. He was

next sent to The Netherlands to serve as

commander of the American Army troops

assigned to Allied Forces Central Europe

headquarters. (NATO) Unfortunately, his wife,

Grace died of cancer while they were there.

Mann returned to the U.S. in 1977 and finished

his last year of service at Fort Lesley J. McNair

in Washington, DC before retiring as a lieutenant

In 1978, Mann met with former members of the

Triple Nickles at Howard University to plan their

first reunion that would take place at Fort Bragg,

North Carolina in 1979. Since then, they have

had a reunion practically every year. As a

civilian, Mann was appointed County Personnel

Officer for Prince George's County Maryland, from 1979-

1981, before taking a position as business manager of Glenelg

Country School in Howard County Maryland. Mann married his

second wife, Jean, in 1987 and retired from Glenelg Country

After attending a seminar at his local library in the early 1990s,

Mann joined Sisters in Crime, a fiction, mystery writing group.

Since 2003, Mann has published four books based on the

fictional character, Joe Kepper, a former paratrooper, turned

police detective: The Search for Rosita (2003), Peril in

Parksdale (2004), Angelo's Guest (2007), and Early Joe Kepper

Mann continues to maintain and promote the legacy of The

Triple Nickles paratroopers through annual reunions, and

correspondence with formal members. He also talks to groups

upon request. He has visited Graterford Prison in Pennsylvania,

which has a chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America who were

interested in America's first black paratroopers (the prisoners

presented him with a plaque) and more recently he spoke to