Documents: All of the files from The 45th Division in World War II: The Thunderbirds Facebook Group in searchable PDF format plus other documents. In his effects was a hard cover book, similar to school year books, of the 180 Infantry, 45th Division, published in Munich,1945. The soldiers reacted in shock and disbelief to the evidence of Nazi atrocities. [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. A Company), A Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, C Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, B Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, D Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, 3rd Chemical Mortar Battalion (less [55] The 45th Infantry Division, now commanded by Major General Robert T. Frederick, who had previously commanded the 1st Special Service Force, was reassigned to VI Corps on New Year's Day. . [2] Also activated from division assets were the 45th Field Artillery Group, later redesignated the 45th Fires Brigade, and the 90th Troop Command. Allied intelligence estimated that the island was defended by approximately 230,000 troops, the majority of which were drawn mostly from weak Italian formations and two German divisions which had been reconstituted after being destroyed earlier. [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. Nora Drewry wrote on January 10, 2014. 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'. [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. & 05.03.1945-15.03.1945 & 20.03.1945-25.03.1945 & 11.04.1945-10.05.1945, 1st Platoon, A Battery, 353rd AAA SL Battalion, 15.08.1944-25.08.1944 & 30.08.1944-09.11.1944 I have been trying to find out more about my grandfathers service and think he might have been a part of the 45th and was hoping you might see this and be able to check for me. Read more about the division insignia and there nickname. [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. A Company), B & C Companies, 2nd Chemical Battalion. In the town of Dachau, German opponents of the regime, including a few escaped concentration camp prisoners, took over the town hall, but the local SS put down the small rebellion and executed those among the insurgents whom they caught. Fearing political ramifications, Army leaders sought to prevent large numbers of casualties from any one state, and the 45th Infantry Division was an all-Oklahoma organization at the beginning of the war. Devers. The following year, on 10 September 1946, the 45th Infantry Division was reconstituted as a National Guard unit. [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. & 3rd Battalions), 3rd Battalion, 36th Engineer Combat Platoon, D Company), 47th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division, 47th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division (less Anyways if you see this his name was Clarence LaHayne and he was enlisted. Mortar Battalion, 2nd Battalion, 36th Engineer Combat Find topics of interest and explore encyclopedia content related to those topics, Find articles, photos, maps, films, and more listed alphabetically, Recommended resources and topics if you have limited time to teach about the Holocaust, Explore the ID Cards to learn more about personal experiences during the Holocaust. I know that the 45th, the 42nd, and the 3rd Divisions swept down through that area. [51] The German Army, reeling from the Battle of Normandy, in which it had suffered a major defeat, pulled back after a short fight, part of an overall German withdrawal to the east following the landings. The muster rolls often indicate which unit a soldier is transferring from when he is first noted on the muster rolls as transferring to the unit. Documents. Hoping to occupy as much of the country as humanly possible before the German Army could react, the U.S. Fifth Army prepared to attack Salerno. In Section 1, Item 1, where it asks which items you are requesting, please check Other and specify that you want the entire file. [39] The advance continued, with Aschaffenburg falling on 3 April, and Nuremberg on the 20th. They worked their way up the East coast in their quest to reach Messina. 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. The 45th Infantry Division of the United States Army was a major formation of the Oklahoma Army National Guard from 1920 to 1968. With few provisions, almost 2,000 inmates died during the circuitous route that took them from Thuringia through Saxony to Czechoslovakia and into Bavaria. [45] The next three months were spent on the defensive, with the 45th engaged in trench warfare, alike to that in World War I. The 45th, in turn, was under constant artillery and mortar attack. 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. In each of them the floor of the car was covered with dead, emaciated bodies. [93][97] Nevertheless, it was not deployed to Korea until December 1951, when its advanced training was complete. Confessed murderer Frank Sheeran later recalled his war service as the time when he first developed a callousness to the taking of human life. The delegations of journalists and congressmen who had been viewing the Buchenwald concentration camp were quickly diverted to Dachau to see the camp. [6] The division was formed and federally recognized as a National Guard unit on 3 August 1923 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Seventh Army was being disbanded and Patton had been appointed Military Governor of Bavaria, placing the matter in his hands. Calculated attempts to dehumanize and degrade German POWs. [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. View of a Clearing Station, somewhere behind Utah Beach, Normandy, taken June 6 - 7, 1944 - triage of Airborne casualties and patients . Some of the photos were donated by loved ones seeking to know more about thier relatives wartime . According to the regimental After Action Report of May 1945. the 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to guard duty at KZ Dachau. We have every reason to believe him, because he was not the kind to tell stories just to make himself look good. A non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Horace T. West, 33 years old, later confessed to the crimes in the first incident and was found guilty. 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 The division remained on the front lines in such engagements as Old Baldy Hill and Hill Eerie until the end of the war, returning to the U.S. in 1954. Re: Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division Dave Kerr Nov 30, 2022 12:50 PM ( in response to Katie Geuin ) Katie, I checked the 29 June 1945 Division Roster as well as my General Orders' Worksheet and did not find your dad's name. [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. . 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. 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 is curious that his draft card (Ancestry.com) has an annotated discharge date of 31 March 1946. In World War II, following stateside training at Camp Barkley, Fort Sill, Camp Devens, the 45th Infantry Division landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943. 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 45th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army, most associated with the Oklahoma Army National Guard, from 1920 to 1968. [92], In preparation for the deployment, the division was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to begin training and to fill its ranks. and see if I can find a CIB for your dad. After entering the camp, the soldiers found boxcars filled with dead bodies of prisoners who had succumbed to starvation or last-minute executions, and in rooms adjacent to gas chambers they found naked bodies piled from the floor to the ceiling. Lucas then ordered the rest of the division ashore. They returned home at the end of the war, which occurred on Armistice with Germany. Red is a symbol of bravery and valor. Seventh Army under Lieutenant General George S. Patton, for the operation. However, everyone at that time had heard of Dachu so it is what stuck in people's minds. . In practice, the military institutionally recognized the Korea unit as the only "official" division, and most of the returning Oklahoma guardsmen were either separated from the Guard at the end of their enlistments or remained in inactive reserve status. 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. [93] After its basic training was complete, the division was sent to Japan in April 1951 for advanced training and to act as a reserve force for the Eighth United States Army, then fighting in Korea. Click the image to view the campaign. [14] The new insignia featured the Thunderbird, another Native American symbol, and was approved in 1939. It went over to the attack, 23 May, crossed the Tiber River, 4 June, outflanking Rome and withdrew for rest and training on the 16th. We hope this is helpful. These small-unit actions made up the majority of the division's combat in Korea. They took part in intense fighting during the invasion of Sicily and the attack on Salerno in the 1943 Italian Campaign. [28], The division was subsequently assigned a lead role in the amphibious assault on Sicily, coming ashore on 10 July. Please type your message and try again. [36] The 45th Division spent a few days in that city, but on 1 August, the division was withdrawn from the front line for rest and rear-guard patrol duty,[26] after which the division was assigned to Major General Ernest J. Dawley's VI Corps, part of the U.S. Fifth Army, under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, in preparation for the invasion of mainland Italy. Attachments In Section 1, Item 1, where it asks which items you are requesting, please check Other and specify that you want the entire file. The division remained a National Guard formation until its downsizing in 1968. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. [11] The onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s severely curtailed its funding for training and equipment. 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 division was organized as a full Armored Division in May and June 1942 under the command of . The thunderbird is a symbol of the Southwestern Indians meaning sacred bearer of unlimited happiness. We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies and the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. Is the 3rd ID patch on his right or left shoulder (as he would have worn the uniform)? I checked the 1944 and 1945 Division rosters (45th Div. Horrible images. [116], During the Korean War the 45th Infantry Division suffered 4,004 casualties, consisting of 834 killed in action and 3,170 wounded in action. Division, 2nd Battalion, 411th Infantry Regiment, 1912 - 1946 for Army units that may include morning reports of the component units of the 45th Infantry Division and the 3rd Infantry Division, as well as the 290 Infantry Regiment. For more information, please refer to, Onsite Operations at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, We searched the National Archives Catalog and located, for Army units that may include morning reports of the component units of the 45th Infantry Division and the 3rd Infantry Division, as well as the 290 Infantry Regiment. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Sicily. In some of these cars there were more than enough to cover the floors. [94] Its anti-aircraft and armor assets were used as mobile artillery, which continuously pounded Chinese positions. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests. [62] The cremation ovens, which were still in operation when the soldiers arrived, contained bodies and skeletons as well. [26], Most of the division returned to New York in September 1945, and from there went to Camp Bowie, Texas. Some of those photos match the area where Operation Dragoon was executed. 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. [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. 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 After linking up with the British Eighth Army, which had advanced from the south, the combined force, under the 15th Army Group, commanded by British General Sir Harold Alexander, was stalled when it reached the Gustav Line. The 45th Division next crossed the Zintzel River before pushing through the Maginot Line defenses. 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. 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. The 45th Infantry Division was formed in 1924 from National Guard units in the southwestern United States. So he might have actually meant one of the subcamps which would increase the number of possible units. So he might have actually meant one of the subcamps which would increase the number of possible units. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW These brigades would see no major deployments or events, and were inactivated five years later in 1968. Please turn JavaScript back on and reload this page. This tool uses JavaScript and much of it will not work correctly without it enabled. Against this, the Allies planned to land 180,000 troops,[27] including the 45th Infantry Division, which was assigned to Lieutenant General Omar Bradley's II Corps, part of the U.S. You can not post a blank message. Please check NARAs web page about, The U.S. History. It had left Buchenwald four weeks earlier on April 7 filled with more than 5,000 prisoners. Several units were activated to replace the division and carry on its lineage. We saw many dead bodies on the ground. 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. On April 28, the day before liberation, a train bearing about 40 or so railway cars arrived at the camp. Yeah, I've heard of that fire in 1973. They had few soldiers left, very little ammunition, and even food was running out in some places. forces. 1st Cavalry Medical Squadron. For more information, please refer to Onsite Operations at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. 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