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Our Story

About the
Tulip Chapter

A name rooted in history. A mission rooted in service.

The Association

The 82d Airborne Division Association

The 82d Airborne Division Association is a nonprofit veterans organization dedicated to honoring and preserving the legacy of the 82d Airborne Division, one of the most decorated combat divisions in the history of the United States Army.

Founded in 1944, the Association brings together veterans, active duty soldiers, and supporters of the 82d through a network of local chapters across the country. Its mission: foster camaraderie, support veterans and families, and keep the history and traditions of the All Americans alive for future generations.

The Tulip Chapter is a local chapter of the Association, serving the Capital Region of New York and connecting those with ties to the 82d who live and work in this area.

1917 82d Division Activated
1944 Association Founded · Nijmegen
All The Way Division Motto
Operation Market Garden Sept.
1944 Nijmegen,
Netherlands American paratroopers boarding aircraft, WWII
Why We Carry the Tulip

The Dutch Connection

In September 1944, paratroopers of the 82d Airborne Division descended into the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden. Their mission: seize and hold key bridges along the highway toward Arnhem. The battle for the Nijmegen bridge over the Waal River was among the fiercest engagements of the operation — soldiers crossed in canvas assault boats under withering fire to secure the bridge and open the route north.

Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands, had suffered immensely. After the war, Major General James Gavin of the 82d Airborne — having seen the city's devastation firsthand — sent word to Albany Mayor Erastus Corning suggesting that Albany, with its own deep Dutch roots, adopt Nijmegen. In 1947, Albany answered. The city sent more than 300 tons of supplies: food, clothing, building materials, medical equipment.

In gratitude, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands sent 2,000 tulip bulbs to Albany in 1948. They were planted in Washington Park. Those bulbs became the Albany Tulip Festival.

The 82d Airborne is the reason Albany has a Tulip Festival.

Operation Market Garden · September 1944

Into the Netherlands

On 17 September 1944, paratroopers of the 82d Airborne Division descended from the sky over the Netherlands. What followed was one of the most audacious airborne operations in the history of warfare.

The Albany Tulip Festival

From the Waal River
to Washington Park

The Albany Tulip Festival began in 1949 — a direct outgrowth of the sister-city friendship between Albany and Nijmegen. It is held every year on Mother's Day weekend in Washington Park, the 81-acre heart of the city, where more than 140,000 tulips in 150 varieties bloom each spring.

The festival opens with the scrubbing of State Street in the Dutch tradition, followed by the crowning of the Tulip Queen. It is one of the largest free public events in the Northeast. In 2026, it marks its 78th year.

Albany's official tulip is the Orange Wonder, selected personally by Queen Wilhelmina in 1948 — a bronzy orange variety in the same color as the Dutch royal house of Orange. The threads connecting the 82d Airborne, Nijmegen, Albany, and this festival run deeper than most people realize.

The Tulip Chapter intends to be present at the festival each year. It is one of the most fitting places in the Capital Region for paratroopers of the 82d to gather.

Sept. 1944 82d Airborne liberates Nijmegen

Paratroopers cross the Waal under fire. General Gavin witnesses the city's devastation.

1947 Albany adopts Nijmegen as sister city

At Gavin's suggestion, Albany sends 300+ tons of supplies to rebuild the war-ravaged city.

1948 Queen Wilhelmina sends the tulips

2,000 bulbs arrive in Albany, planted in Washington Park. Albany's official flower: the Orange Wonder.

1949 First Albany Tulip Festival

The festival begins and has run every year since. Now in its 78th year, still rooted in the Dutch-American friendship forged by the 82d.

The Chapter Today

Building Something New
in the Capital Region

The Tulip Chapter is newly forming, and that is exactly what makes this moment meaningful. We are paratroopers and supporters of the 82d Airborne Division who live in the Albany area and wanted a local community to call home.

We are in the process of establishing our chapter officially with the 82d Airborne Division Association, planning our first events, and welcoming founding members. Every chapter has a beginning. We are honored to be at ours.

If you served with the 82d, or if someone in your family did, we want to hear from you. The Tulip Chapter is for all paratroopers, past and present, in the Capital Region.

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