Connecting paratroopers of the 82d Airborne Division in the Capital Region, honoring a bond forged between American soldiers and the Dutch people that has endured for more than eighty years.
The Tulip Chapter of the 82d Airborne Division Association brings together veterans and supporters of the 82d who live and work in New York's Capital Region. Founded in March 2026, we are active and growing.
Our name honors the enduring friendship between the All Americans and the people of the Netherlands, who have gifted tulips to American veterans every year since the liberation of their country in World War II. That tradition of gratitude is the heart of who we are.
If you earned your wings in any branch of the uniformed services, or if someone in your family served with the 82d, there is a place for you here.
Coffee socials are underway every two weeks across the Capital Region. Join us at the next one and be part of what this chapter becomes.
Get in TouchParatroopers of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment crossed 400 meters of open river under direct fire. The bridge was taken. Nijmegen was liberated. The Dutch have never forgotten.
"Show me a man who will jump out of an airplane and I'll show you a man who'll fight."
LTG James M. Gavin · CG, 82d Airborne Division
In September 1944, paratroopers of the 82d Airborne Division crossed the Waal River at Nijmegen under fire, seizing the critical bridge that opened the route north. The Dutch people of Nijmegen witnessed something they would not forget.
After liberation, the Netherlands expressed its gratitude through an enduring tradition: the gifting of tulips to American veterans. That gesture has continued for more than eighty years. The tulip is not a decoration. It is a promise kept.
The Dutch people have never stopped saying thank you.
A community for paratroopers to stay connected, support one another, and maintain the bonds built in service to the nation.
Serving the Capital Region through veteran advocacy, community engagement, and keeping the Airborne spirit alive where we live.
Carrying forward the historic friendship between the 82d Airborne and the Dutch people, symbolized by the tulip offered in gratitude every year since 1948.
The Tulip Chapter is rooted in Albany and the communities around it. This is where we live, where we serve, and where we carry the Airborne tradition forward.
The Tulip Chapter held its founding meeting at Bountiful Bread in Albany on 15 March 2026. Paratroopers and supporters of the 82d gathered for coffee, conversation, and the start of something new in the Capital Region.
Earned your wings in any branch? The Tulip Chapter is active in the Capital Region. Coffee socials every two weeks. All paratroopers welcome.
