I checked the 1944 and 1945 Division rosters (45th Div. Following Sicily the division landed at Salerno and Anzio, as part of the forces in the taking of Italy. [91] As a result, in February 1951, the 45th Infantry Division was alerted that it would sail for Japan. Battles & Campaigns of World War II Combat load of Infantry SoldierSicily [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. Slowly advancing through Italy, they fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino. Nora Drewry wrote on January 10, 2014. "On 20 May, the Regiment was incorporated under the Dachau Area, Command. Slowly advancing through Italy, they fought in Anzio and the Beachhead breakout to the capture of Rome. Although the information contained in the following pages is not specific to the 45th Infantry Division, it presents an accurate overview of each campaign. It will take considerably longer to eliminate the backlog on other types of requests, such as genealogical requests for complete copies of records. [39] The division crossed the Danube River on 27 April, and liberated 32,000 captives of the Dachau concentration camp on 29 April 1945. A non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Horace T. West, 33 years old, later confessed to the crimes in the first incident and was found guilty. He described often witnessing similar behavior by fellow, Orders from unit commanders during a mission. [80] Its colors were returned to Oklahoma on 25 September of that year, formally ending the division's presence in Korea. 45th Infantry Division WWII Veteran Cap Black 5.0 (1) $2695 $7.49 delivery Fri, Dec 23 Arrives before Christmas 45th Infantry Division/Brigade 1 inch Enamel Pin $999 Save 15% when you buy $40.00 of select items FREE delivery Dec 22 - 28 Small Business 45th Infantry Division in the Sicilian Campaign, Part 2 by U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division [42][46] VI Corps was stopped at the "Pimlott Line" (the perimeter of the beachhead), and the fight became a battle of attrition. [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. According to the regimental After Action Report of May 1945. the 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to guard duty at KZ Dachau. 9, commanded by Major Kirk A. Meaders, and carrying personnel of, our Third Battalion and five Officers and 95 Enlisted Men of the 120th, When I have time, Jon, I will look through the General Orders of the 180th. [82], During this time, the U.S. Army underwent a drastic reduction in size. [108], Initially, the division did not fare well, though it improved quickly. Over the course of its history, the 45th Infantry Division sustained over 25,000 battle casualties, and its men were awarded ten Medals of Honor, twelve campaign streamers, the Croix de Guerre and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. [101] By 1952, it was fully integrated. Anzio - Operation Shingle, 22 January- 24 May, 1944: The 45th began landing at Anzio on 22 January, 1944, with the 179th Regiment seeing the Division's first action of the campaign at Aprilia, also known as "the factory" on 27 January. Almost immediately the Chinese launched a concentrated attack on the hill, overrunning the U.S. By mid-February, the 45th was positioned astride the "Via Anziate," the road leading to Rome. However, everyone at that time had heard of Dachu so it is what stuck in people's minds. 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. The division remained a National Guard formation until its downsizing in 1968. I know it is old but thought Id try to reach out. Screen shot attached. ", It appears that most of the regiment remained in the Dachau vicinity until, 20 July, when the regiment embarked by train for Camp St. Louis. Originally organized in the continental U.S. in 1917, this organization sailed to the Philippines with all of its records and colors. I found that book on the 180th Regiment by George Fisher on line. They returned home at the end of the war, which occurred on Armistice with Germany. Headquartered mostly in Oklahoma City, the guardsmen fought in both World War II and the Korean War. However, with the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, with its infamous swastika symbol, the 45th Division stopped using the insignia. [41] Until 9 January 1944, the division, now under Major General William W. Eagles (replacing Major General Middleton who, struck down with arthritis, was sent to England to command VIII Corps in the Normandy invasion), inched forward into the mountains reaching St. Elia, north of Monte Cassino, before moving to a rest area. George Patton, the Seventh Army commanding general, asked Omar Bradley, II Corps commanding general, to get the cases dismissed to prevent bad press, but Bradley refused. Some of those photos match the area where Operation Dragoon was executed. As Allied troops moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Nazi Germany, they found tens of thousands of concentration camp prisoners in deplorable conditions. On 30 January 1944, when VI Corps advanced from the beaches, it encountered heavy resistance and took heavy casualties. Also in that collection are two Army Air Corps patches - he started out in the Air Corps - and one USSTAF patch, which the Air Corps evolved into sometime prior to the crossing of the Rhine. At the time, the 45th Infantry Division was comprised overwhelmingly of high school students or recent graduates and only about 60 percent of its divisional troops had conducted training and drills with the division for a year or more. In some of these cars there were more than enough to cover the floors. [95], On 1 September 1950,[96] the 45th Infantry Division was activated as the first National Guard division to be deployed to the Far East theater since World War II. . and see if I can find a CIB for your dad. Lucas sent famed U.S. Army Ranger leader Colonel William Orlando Darby to assume command of the 157th Infantry, and the Germans were repulsed. Hey Dave, Im new to this site and stumbled across this thread. & 01.01.1945-16.02.1945 & 04.03.1945-09.05.1945, 191st Tank Battalion (less A Company & 3rd 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. Jive Software Version: 9.13.0.0 , revision: 20220815205735.50e1b0c.master, Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division, Re: Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division. 45th ID in World War II. History Of the 45th Infantry Following World War I, the National Defense Act of 1920 created the authority to form the 45th Infantry Division from the four states of Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. However, please note that these records are not online and NARA is not staffed to do this level of research for you. [50], The 45th Infantry Division participated in its fourth amphibious assault landing during Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944, at St. Maxime, in Southern France. The number of POWs taken by the 45th Division during its almost two years of fighting totalled 124,840 men. After advancing up the Italian peninsula, the 45th landed at Anzio in February 1944, where it withstood repeated German assaults against its positions. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Southern France, Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Rhineland. To access these records for the 1940s, you will need to either make an appointment to visit the, For more information about these records, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL) at, You may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RL-SL. [22] The division, now commanded by Major General Troy H. Middleton, a Regular Army soldier and highly distinguished World War I veteran, moved to the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation's Camp Patrick Henry to await combat loading on the transports. [112], In early 1953, North Korean forces launched a large-scale attack against Hill 812, which was then under the control of K Company, 3rd Battalion, 179th Infantry. The 3rd Div patch is on the left shoulder. [52][53] Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division engaged the dispersed forces of German Army Group G, suffering very few casualties. Their bodies were left behind in various locations throughout Germany. On April 20, it captured the city of Nuremberg and on April 30, Munich. After landing in France during Operation Dragoon, they joined the 1945 drive into Germany that ended the War in Europe. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. 45th US Infantry Division "Thunderbird" home Divisional information Divisional troops Attachments Assignments Detachments Command Posts Divisional information Top Specials [read more] Read more about the division insignia and there nickname. These prisoners had apparently crawled out of the cars and had died on the ground. I've always guessed that was possibly for convenience of shipping home. The division received seven distinguished unit citations and eight campaign streamers during the conflict. I've always wondered why there is a 3rd ID patch on his uniform when his discharge indicates 75th ID. Up till now everything was basically small scattered pieces to the puzzle. In each of them the floor of the car was covered with dead, emaciated bodies. Additionally, only about 20 percent of its personnel had prior experience of military service from World War II. In addition to burying the dead, the Allied forces attempted to help and comfort the survivors with food, clothing and medical assistance. [39] The division was then slated to move to the Pacific theater of operations to participate in the invasion of mainland Japan on the island of Honshu, but these plans were scrubbed before the division could depart after the surrender of Japan, on V-J Day. 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 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. [31] After initially encountering resistance from armor of the Hermann Goering Division, the division advanced, supported by paratroopers of the 505th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, who landed inland on 11 July. [38] On 10 September, elements of the division conducted its second landing at Agropoli and Paestum with the 36th Infantry Division, on the southernmost beaches of the attack. We have placed this here so that you can get to see the faces of the men behind the history. When describing his first murder for organized crime, Sheeran recalled: "It was just like when an officer would tell you to take a couple of German prisoners back behind the line and for you to 'hurry back'. [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. If you provide your dad's name, I can check it. & 1st Platoon, Recon Company). I also examined the lists of names in the History of the Third Infantry Division without success. I have to wonder why he would have that particular book. 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. In the 45th Division Bill Mauldin 45th Division NewsAngelo Casertano UnknownWilson Kale UnknownHerb Alexander 120th QuartermasterEloy Bacca C/ 120th EngineersErnesto Padilla F/ 120th EngineersAllan Osbourne Sr UnknownHistory B Company 120th Medical Bn. Jive Software Version: 9.13.0.0 , revision: 20220815205735.50e1b0c.master, The 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 20th Armored Division liberated Dachu, however there were many, ubcamps and soldiers with our unit, the 36th Infantry Division, often related in the stories they told to. A Company), B & C Companies, 2nd Chemical 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. [124], Note: Similarity of dates for General Muldrow and commanders beginning with General Ruffner is because 45th Infantry Division, AUS, was retained in Korea while twin unit, 45th Infantry Division, NGUS, was activated in Oklahoma. It quickly advanced through western France, reaching the German border by the end of the year. [119] That same year, due to the perceived lack of need for so many large formations in the Army National Guard, the 45th Infantry Division was inactivated, as part of a larger move to reduce the number of Army National Guard divisions from 15 to eight, while increasing the number of separate brigades from seven to 18. NPRC expects to eliminate this portion of the backlog by fall 2022, and restore their pre-pandemic response times of under ten days for these requests later this fall. It arrived on December 2, 1920 and redesignated as a Philippine Scout regiment the next day. Ray, E. D. 3rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron 914. The 45th Division next crossed the Zintzel River before pushing through the Maginot Line defenses. These units were assigned to the 40th Division, and deployed to France where the division was used as a "depot" unit to process and provide replacements for front-line units. Read more about the division insignia and there nickname. A shame. [11], The division's original shoulder sleeve insignia, approved in August 1924,[12] featured a swastika, a common Native American symbol, as a tribute to the Southwestern United States region which had a large population of Native Americans. Please check NARAs web page about, The U.S. Veterans and next of kin of deceased veterans also may use eVetRecs to request records. When the three units arrived at Dachau, they discovered more than 30,000 prisoners in the overcrowded camp. 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. The 45th, in turn, was under constant artillery and mortar attack. Each car was loaded with emaciated human corpses . Major General Roy Hoffman took command in 1931, followed by Alexander M. Tuthill, Alexander E. McPherren in 1935, and William S. Key in 1936. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests. Sheeran told Brandt that, when a German soldier had just killed his close friends and then tried to surrender, he would often "send him to hell, too". The 45th Infantry Museum honors not just their service, but that of all Oklahomans. Courtesy of the 45th Infantry Division Museum. We have no records for him other than his registration card and photos. His name was William C. Dennard, enlisted in Houston, TX in October of '42. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. [89] Because of heavy casualties and slow reinforcement rates, the Army looked to the National Guard to provide additional units to relieve the beleaguered Eighth Army. Casualty figures for the 45th Infantry Division, European theater of operations: The 45th Infantry Division gained its nickname, "Thunderbird" division, from the gold thunderbird. Documents. You can not post a blank message. [92], In preparation for the deployment, the division was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to begin training and to fill its ranks. By 31 May, the German defenses were shattered, and the 45th Division turned northwest, toward the Alban Hills and Rome. See: As a result of this effort, two 45th Infantry Division units existed between 1952 and 1953; the mostly Active-duty 45th Infantry Division (AUS) in Korea, and the National Guard 45th Infantry Division (NGUS) in Oklahoma. See: Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer, "Lt. Kleindienst's Forward Observer's Notebook", "Codes Used in the Daily Journals of the Command Reports", "Legislature Honors 45th Infantry Brigade", "Home at Last National Guardsmen Return Home", The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear, Part Two, "Obama will award Medal of Honor to 24 overlooked Army veterans", 45th Infantry Division History and Reenactments, The 45th: The Story of the 45th Infantry Division, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Forty-fifth Infantry Division (OKANG), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=45th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)&oldid=1132482693, 70th Field Artillery Brigade (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), 120th Ammunition Train (inactive; allotted to Oklahoma National Guard), 120th Medical Regiment (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), 120th Quartermaster Regiment (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 45th Infantry Division Artillery, 45th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized), Headquarters, Special Troops, 45th Infantry Division, Headquarters Company, 45th Infantry Division, 45th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment, Revenge killings in the heat of battle. [8] As a consequence of these militia roots, when the division was properly organized, many of its members were marksmen and outdoorsmen from the remote frontier regions of the Southwestern United States. [49] The 45th moved north to the Sarreguemines area and smashed through the Siegfried Line, on 17 March taking Homburg on the 21st and crossing the Rhine between Worms and Hamm on the 26th. Several units were activated to replace the division and carry on its lineage. These small-unit actions made up the majority of the division's combat in Korea. [49] From 2 January 1945, the division fought defensively along the German border, withdrawing to the Moder River. The first major German counterattack came in early February, was against the British 1st Division. It had left Buchenwald four weeks earlier on April 7 filled with more than 5,000 prisoners. 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