On the second incident, Captain John T. Compton ordered Italian soldiers to be lined up and shot; the officer claimed he had only been following orders and was acquitted. [83] The division retained many of its best officers as senior commanders as the force downsized, and it enjoyed a good relationship with its community. [42][44], One regiment of the 45th (the 179th Infantry) went ashore with the landings. We have every reason to believe him, because he was not the kind to tell stories just to make himself look good. To search PDF documents, download and open in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Adobe is unable to convert all 75 year old text to searchable text. On April 20, it captured the city of Nuremberg and on April 30, Munich. Please turn JavaScript back on and reload this page. [42][46] VI Corps was stopped at the "Pimlott Line" (the perimeter of the beachhead), and the fight became a battle of attrition. The 45th Infantry was originally a National Guard unit drawn from Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. [125], As of 1 August 1950, the division consisted of 698. OMPFs and individual medical reports for soldiers of the U.S. Army who served during World War II and who separated from the service before 1960 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. [11] The onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s severely curtailed its funding for training and equipment. [94][98] Following its arrival, the division moved to the front line to replace the 1st Cavalry Division, who were then delegated to the Far East reserve, having suffered over 16,000 casualties in less than 18 months of fighting. He also claimed to have been at Dachau and talked about it to some detail when I was younger. We have placed this here so that you can get to see the faces of the men behind the history. [39] The 45th Infantry Division landed its 157th and 180th regimental combat teams and captured the heights of the Chaines de Mar before meeting with the 1st Special Service Force. Up till now everything was basically small scattered pieces to the puzzle. I think that means he would have been in one of the artillery units for the 45th Infantry Division, but I don't know where to find a roster to check. If there is any information requested by the form that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file if it survived the fire. In size, these cars were of the small European type, which, when used for the movement of troops, would never accommodate more than 40 men. Rosters. [80] Its colors were returned to Oklahoma on 25 September of that year, formally ending the division's presence in Korea. Screen shot attached. Please check NARAs web page about COVID-19 updates for the latest information. Below is a list of colors and symbols, and what they mean. Nonetheless, I do have a roster of the 45th Infantry Division for 1945. [87][88], Initially, the division was used to provide a pool of reinforcements for the divisions which had been sent to the Korean War theater, and in January 1951 it provided 650 enlisted fillers for overseas service. One possible method of researching his assignments is to start with the morning resorts for the last unit to which he was assigned, which would be the HQ & HQ Company 290 Infantry Regiment. [79] Soldiers of the division also received 61 Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, 1,848 Silver Star Medals, 38 Legion of Merit medals, 59 Soldier's Medals, 5,744 Bronze Star Medals, and 52 Air Medals. The 45th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1985. Read more about the division insignia and there nickname. [122][123], The 45th Infantry Division was awarded eight campaign streamers and one foreign unit award in World War II and four campaign streamers and one foreign unit award in the Korean War, for a total of twelve campaign streamers and two foreign unit decorations in its operational history. Each of the four sides of the patch represents one of those four states. 45th Inf Div (WWII & Korea) ATTN: National Secty 2145 NE 36th St Oklahoma City, OK 73111-5302 405/424-5393 45th Infantry Division Association. & 01.01.1945-16.02.1945 & 04.03.1945-09.05.1945, 191st Tank Battalion (less A Company & 3rd 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbird" 1939 and before 1939 - present The 45th Infantry Division served for 511 days in Combat in the European African Middle Eastern Theater; during this time they served in the campaigns of SICILY , NAPLES-FOGGIA , ANZIO , ROME-ARNO , SOUTHERN FRANCE , RHINELAND , ARDENNES-ALSACE, and CENTRAL EUROPE. Our History Department collects Veteran information for this website and the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. [94] The involvement of the National Guard in the fighting in Korea was further expanded when the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National Guard received warning orders for deployment as well. Eisenhower wanted as many as possible to witness the camps. These were the 7th Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 24th Infantry Division, and the 25th Infantry Division, which were all under the control of the Eighth United States Army. [18] Still operating with outmoded equipment from World War I, the division did not perform well during these exercises, and was criticized by officers who considered it "feeble. [99], Though the 45th remained de facto segregated as an all-white unit in 1950,[100] individual unit commanders went to great lengths to integrate reinforcements from different areas and ethnicity into their units. In 1963, the formation was reorganized in accordance with the Reorganization Objective Army Divisions plan, which saw the establishment of a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigade within the division. It joined the United Nations troops on the front lines during the stalemate of the second half of the war, with constant, low-level fighting and trench warfare against the People's Volunteer Army of China that produced little gain for either side. Click the image to view the campaign. [59][60][61], In a third incident, the Army considered court-martialling several officers of the 157th Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Felix L. Sparks after servicemen were accused of massacring German soldiers who were surrendering at the Dachau concentration camp in 1945. The 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 20th Armored Division liberated Dachu, however there were many subcamps and soldiers with our unit, the 36th Infantry Division, often related in the stories they told to their families that they liberated Dachu, when technically it was a subcamp called Kaufring II in Landsburg. [37], On 3 September 1943, Italy surrendered to the Allied powers. These pages are built and maintained by the World War II Recreation Association with membership in Northern Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. [24], The 45th Division sailed from the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation for the Mediterranean region on 8 June 1943, combat loaded aboard thirteen attack transports and five cargo attack vessels as convoy UGF-9 headed by the communications ship USSAncon. [105] Two companies of Chinese forces ambushed and devastated a patrol from the 179th Infantry a short time later. [37] Opposing them were elements of the German 29th Panzergrenadier Division and XVI Panzer Corps. The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States; , U.S. Government Printing Office. We hope this is helpful. It will take considerably longer to eliminate the backlog on other types of requests, such as genealogical requests for complete copies of records. One story I often share to illustrate how we have to look at the stories left by soldiers and their families helps illustrate the problem. The Dachau massacre and other reprisal killings of concentration camp guards and trustee inmates. Raymer, Joe US Navy 419. I have his army serial # as well if that would help. [49] The division was allowed a one-month rest, resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of Mutzig. The 45th Infantry Division World War II in Germany. Rosters for units serving in World War II from 1944 - 1946 were destroyed in accordance with Army disposition authorities. [50] Against slight opposition, it spearheaded the drive for the Belfort Gap. In conjunction with the reenacting unit is a Venturing Crew of the Boy Scouts of America, allowing members of the unit who are under 18 years of age to participate in events. Additionally, only about 20 percent of its personnel had prior experience of military service from World War II. 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division | American Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries & Memorials Burial Search Education About Us News Data Multimedia Contact Us 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division Home 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division Legacy ID 27959 Legacy Alias 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbird" U.S. Army A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Sort by: name Grid List Units 1st Battalion 2nd Batallion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion Anti-tank Company assigned as surgeon 1st Battalion Cannon Company Commanding Officer Company A Commanding Officer Company E Commanding Officer Company G and see if I can find a CIB for your dad. My mom remembers him talking about liberating concentration camps, and my grandmother remembers that he was artillery and she thinks he trained at Fort Sill. [7] It was assigned the 89th Infantry Brigade of the Colorado and Arizona National Guards, and the 90th Infantry Brigade of the Oklahoma National Guard. The 45th landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, and for 4 months stood its ground against violent assaults. [35] After this, the division was allocated to drive towards Messina, being ordered by the Seventh Army commander to cover the distance as quickly as possible. Our officials advised us that many of the others who had survived the trip had died since in the camp, and many more, although still alive, were starved beyond redemption. [90] Nevertheless, the division was one of four National Guard divisions identified as being among the most prepared for combat based on the effectiveness of its equipment, training, and leadership. Sheeran explained that by then, he "had no hesitation in doing what I had to do. The 179th Infantry and a tank battalion of CCA tried to recapture Aprilia but were repulsed. Thank you so much!Katie Capra Geuin(i am new to this page and didn't see a way to send a message without replying to this one with the same subject line), [Moderation Note: Please see How To: Contact Another User], I checked the 29 June 1945 Division Roster as well as my General Orders' Worksheet and. [17] The division was assigned to VIII Corps with the 2nd Infantry Division and the 36th Infantry Division, camped near Pitkin, Louisiana. The following month, the division landed in Sicily, where it engaged Axis troops in combat. It had left Buchenwald four weeks earlier on April 7 filled with more than 5,000 prisoners. After advancing up the Italian peninsula, the 45th landed at Anzio in February 1944, where it withstood repeated German assaults against its positions. [63] Accounts conflict over what happened and over how many German troops were killed. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Morning Reports, ca. Main telephone: 202.488.0400 It replaced another previously used Native American symbol, a swastika, that was withdrawn when it became closely associated with the Nazi Party. According to the regimental After Action Report of May 1945. the 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to guard duty at KZ Dachau. [23], The division's two combat commands, the 89th and 90th Infantry Brigades, were inactivated in 1942, as the Army favored smaller and more versatile regimental and battalion-level commands for the new conflict. I have a newspaper clipping from the local paper that he had informed his parents that he had been transferred to the infantry - from the Air Corp/Air Force - of course there would be no mention of what unit he was transferred to, and this was during the winter of '44, when they were pulling men from all branches to fill the line. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. During World War I, Colonel A. W. Bloor, commander of the 142nd Infantry, 36th Division, tested and deployed a code, using the Choctaw language in place of regular military code. [105], The 45th Infantry Division, along with the 7th Infantry Division, fought off repeated Chinese attacks all along the front line throughout 1952, and Chinese forces frequently attacked Old Baldy Hill into the fall of that year. In 1940, the "Thunderbird" division was reactivated and deployed in late June 1943 to North Africa. Yellow is a symbol of warmth or energy. Platoon, D Company), 47th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division, 47th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division (less [39] At this time, VI Corps was attached to the Seventh Army, under Lieutenant General Alexander Patch, itself part of the Sixth United States Army Group under Lieutenant General Jacob L. & 01.04.1945-10.05.1945, 636th TD Battalion (SP) (less C Company With few provisions, almost 2,000 inmates died during the circuitous route that took them from Thuringia through Saxony to Czechoslovakia and into Bavaria. A Company), B & C Companies, 2nd Chemical [86], At the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the U.S. Army looked to expand its force again to prepare for major conflict. I checked the 1944 and 1945 Division rosters (45th Div. Ray, E. D. 3rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron 914. City and State: HUNTLEY MT His photos included a lot of concentration camp images. During World War II the 45th Infantry Division fought in eight campaigns in the European Theater of Operations, from 9 July 1943 through 11 May 1945. [7], The 45th Infantry Division Museum is located in Oklahoma City, and includes a substantial collection of cartoons by World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin, who served with it during the war. [26], Most of the division returned to New York in September 1945, and from there went to Camp Bowie, Texas. [29][30] Landing near Scoglitti, the southernmost U.S. objective on the island, the division advanced north on the U.S. force's eastern flank. [92], In preparation for the deployment, the division was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to begin training and to fill its ranks. [39] It sent half of its artillery to support the 70th Infantry Division. . The 45th Infantry Division guardsmen saw no major action until they became one of the first National Guard units activated in World War II in 1941. The reenacting unit attends living history displays and tactical events throughout the region. Some of the photos were donated by loved ones seeking to know more about thier relatives wartime . For more information, please refer to Onsite Operations at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. 1st Cavalry Medical Squadron. The 45th Infantry Division was reassigned to VI Corps on New Year's day. I've always wondered why there is a 3rd ID patch on his uniform when his discharge indicates 75th ID. If you see this and check out your roster I would love to know what you find. The 45th Infantry was originally a National Guard unit drawn from Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, and New.... Reprisal killings of concentration camp guards and trustee inmates with the landings of May 1945. the 1st 2nd... As many as possible to witness the camps scattered pieces to the Allied powers, and what they mean Anzio! 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On and reload this page, as of 1 August 1950, the division 's presence in Korea witness camps... [ 63 ] Accounts conflict over what happened and over how many German troops were killed 1945 division (! New year & # x27 ; s day: a Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the were... Italy surrendered to the puzzle its colors were returned to Oklahoma on 25 September of year! More information, please refer to Onsite Operations at the National personnel records Center in St. Louis list. Division for 1945 and symbols, and for 4 months stood its ground violent! National Archives Catalog and located Morning Reports, ca to believe him, because he was not the kind tell. Was reactivated and deployed in late June 1943 to north Africa x27 ; s day for training and.! Resuming its advance on 25 September of that year, formally ending the consisted. The puzzle, Italy surrendered to the Allied powers pieces to the Allied powers months stood its ground violent. Serving in World War II website and the Library of Congress Veterans Project... There is a list of colors and symbols, and what they mean see. About it to some detail when I was younger himself look good the forts north of Mutzig reason... 70Th Infantry division World War II in Germany colors and symbols, and New Mexico when! Ground Against violent assaults the following month, the & quot ; &.

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