In some of these cars there were more than enough to cover the floors. 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. When US troops arrived in Dachau on April 29, they found 2,310 additional corpses on the train. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Sicily. [21] It then moved to Pine Camp, New York briefly for winter warfare training, but was hampered by continuously poor weather. The 45th Infantry Division, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico National Guards, the Thunderbirds, were a group of citizen soldiers who fought long and hard during World War II (Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe Campaigns), and still do today, as a Seperate Infantry Brigade. Every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Seventh Army and beyond, claimed to have liberated Dachau KZ on 29 April 1945 or to have. They took part in intense fighting during the invasion of Sicily and the attack on Salerno in the 1943 Italian Campaign. Horrible images. 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. However, please note that these records are not online and NARA is not staffed to do this level of research for you. [49] The division was allowed a one-month rest, resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of Mutzig. [48] The U.S. [63] Accounts conflict over what happened and over how many German troops were killed. The 45th, in turn, was under constant artillery and mortar attack. My father, Charles Joseph Capra's records were burned up in the Armory fire in St. Louis. Anyways if you see this his name was Clarence LaHayne and he was enlisted. A non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Horace T. West, 33 years old, later confessed to the crimes in the first incident and was found guilty. Slowly advancing through Italy, they fought in Anzio and the Beachhead breakout to the capture of Rome. The 45th Infantry Division in World War II: An Unofficial Guide to Resources [56] During the next month, the division remained in Munich and set up collection points and camps for the massive numbers of surrendering troops of the German armies. Wilkin. They had few soldiers left, very little ammunition, and even food was running out in some places. [106] It was deployed around Chorwon and assigned to protect the key routes from that area into Seoul. [39] The advance continued, with Aschaffenburg falling on 3 April, and Nuremberg on the 20th. In January 1943 it moved to Fort Pickett, Virginia, for its final training. I came on this site hoping to find a clue to Dad's whereabouts in Germany after crossing the Rhine, but I have to say I don't appreciate him being dismissed as every Tom, Dick, and Harry. [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. This is intended as a rememberance or memorial to those who served in the 45th Infantry Division. These small-unit actions made up the majority of the division's combat in Korea. In the first two cases, dubbed the Biscari massacre, occurred on 14 July 1943, American troops from C Company, 180th Infantry Regiment, were alleged to have shot 74 Italian and two German prisoners in Acate following the capture of an airfield in the area. Documents. [115] Chinese forces continued to mount concentrated attacks on the lines of the UN forces, including the 45th Infantry Division, but the division managed to hold most of its ground, remaining stationary until the end of the war in the summer of 1953. [15] Its men immediately began basic combat training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The majority of the 45th ID GIs who returned in September 1945 were discharge Nov. - Dec. 1945. The local townspeople were brought in to give the dead prisoners a proper burial. [49] The 45th, 36th, and 3rd Infantry Divisions were pulled from the line in Italy in preparation for Operation Dragoon (formerly Anvil), the invasion of southern France. Nora Drewry wrote on January 10, 2014. Devers. & 01.01.1945-16.02.1945 & 04.03.1945-09.05.1945, 191st Tank Battalion (less A Company & 3rd [52][53] Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division engaged the dispersed forces of German Army Group G, suffering very few casualties. Yeah, I've heard of that fire in 1973. [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. The division received seven distinguished unit citations and eight campaign streamers during the conflict. Up till now everything was basically small scattered pieces to the puzzle. "Train, No. [101] By 1952, it was fully integrated. families that they liberated Dachu, when technically it was a subcamp called Kaufring II in Landsburg. 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. When the three units arrived at Dachau, they discovered more than 30,000 prisoners in the overcrowded camp. [84] Regardless, by mid-1950 the division had only 8,413 troops, less than 45 percent[n 1] of its full-strength authorization. [8] The 45th Infantry Division was then based around the 157th, 179th, and 180th Infantry Regiments. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. 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. Dad told us he was at Dachau. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we balance mission-critical work and the safety of our staff during the pandemic. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we balance mission-critical work and the safety of our staff during the pandemic. So he might have actually meant one of the subcamps which would increase the number of possible units. [80] Its colors were returned to Oklahoma on 25 September of that year, formally ending the division's presence in Korea. [26] Nine soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during their service with the 45th Infantry Division: Van T. Barfoot,[72] Ernest Childers,[73] Almond E. Fisher,[74] William J. Johnston,[75] Salvador J. Lara,[76] Jack C. Montgomery,[77] James D. Slaton,[73] Jack Treadwell,[78] and Edward G. 1st Cavalry . (155mm Howitzer), 925th FA Battalion, 100th Infantry Please be aware that NPRC is prioritizing the requests for separation documents needed by veterans and their dependents to prove eligibility for a variety of benefits. Men from the state militias of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma made up the division. [109] It also conducted constant small-unit patrols along the border seeking to engage Chinese outposts or patrols. 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 reenacting unit attends living history displays and tactical events throughout the region. the 45th infantry division, oklahoma, colorado, arizona and new mexico national guards, the thunderbirds, were a group of citizen soldiers who fought long and hard during world war ii (sicily, naples-foggia, anzio, rome-arno, southern france, rhineland, ardennes-alsace, and central europe campaigns), and still do today, as a seperate infantry If it is on the righthand side, as he wore it, then this means the unit he served with was attached to the 3rd ID during combat operations. [118], The division briefly patrolled the Korean Demilitarized Zone following the signing of the armistice ending the war, but most of its men returned home and reverted to National Guard status on 30 April 1954. I've often thought he may have been attached to the 75th after they were sent south to the Colmar Pocket, and when that was over, and the 75th went back north, Dad was transferred out to - my best guess at the time - the 3rd Division. 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. It's like a window back in time. You did what you had to do.". 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. I know that the 45th, the 42nd, and the 3rd Divisions swept down through that area. In 1940, the "Thunderbird" division was reactivated and deployed in late June 1943 to North Africa. Group, 36th Engineer Combat Group (less 2nd I have his army serial # as well if that would help. [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. His old dress uniform has a 3rd Infantry Division shoulder patch. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Morning Reports, ca. [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. Jive Software Version: 9.13.0.0 , revision: 20220815205735.50e1b0c.master, Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division, Re: Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division. The Spanish colors, red and gold, indicate that the four States (Colorado, Oklahoma, New. [39] The division was then reassigned to V Corps, under the command of Major General Leonard T. Gerow, for its next advance. The first major German counterattack came in early February, was against the British 1st Division. These cars were an assortment of odd boxcars, some of which were locked, and some were coal-car type. [21][23] By the time the 45th Division landed in North Africa on 22 June 1943, the Allies had largely secured the African theater. They trace their lineage from frontier militias that operated in the Southwestern United States throughout the late 1800s. The proximity of the US Army gave hope to the prisoners in the camp and to anti-Nazis outside it. Holocaust Memorial Museum provides information about which units liberated which camps on their Recognition of U.S. Liberating Army Units website. I have to wonder why he would have that particular book. [1], On 16 September 1940, the 45th Infantry Division, under Major General William S. Key, was federalized from state control. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. Rosters. Headquartered for most of its history in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the guardsmen fought in both World War II and the Korean War. 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. Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! In his effects was a hard cover book, similar to school year books, of the 180 Infantry, 45th Division, published in Munich,1945. On April 20, it captured the city of Nuremberg and on April 30, Munich. [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. 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. I checked the 1944 and 1945 Division rosters (45th Div. Almost immediately the Chinese launched a concentrated attack on the hill, overrunning the U.S. and see if I can find a CIB for your dad. You can not post a blank message. [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. The U.S. [24] Also assigned to the division were the 158th, 160th, 171st, and 189th Field Artillery Battalions, the 45th Signal Company, the 700th Ordnance Company, the 45th Quartermaster Company, the 45th Reconnaissance Troop, the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, and the 120th Medical Battalion. On 7 December 1945, the division was inactivated from the active duty force and its members reassigned to other Army units. [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 had to show them his records, with our unit to prove that he was nowhere near Normandy in June 1944. On April 28, the day before liberation, a train bearing about 40 or so railway cars arrived at the camp. That's the most information, all in one place, nailing things down to a specific place and time, that I've seen on Dad. In addition to burying the dead, the Allied forces attempted to help and comfort the survivors with food, clothing and medical assistance. These prisoners had apparently crawled out of the cars and had died on the ground. [32] The paratroopers, conducting their first combat jump of the war after six weeks of training in Tunisia, then set up to protect the 45th's flank against German counterattack, but without weapons to counter heavy armor, the paratroopers had to rely on support from the 2nd Armored Division to repulse the German Tiger I tanks. We have every reason to believe him, because he was not the kind to tell stories just to make himself look good. By 31 May, the German defenses were shattered, and the 45th Division turned northwest, toward the Alban Hills and Rome. [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. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Keywords: Korean War, 45th Infantry Division, Thunderbirds. The 45th Infantry Division was formed in 1924 from National Guard units in the southwestern United States. At the end of World War II, it contained 89 divisions, but by 1950, there were just 10 active divisions in the force, along with a few reserve divisions such as the 45th Infantry Division which were combat-ineffective. The 45th participated in its fourth assault landing, 15 August 1944, at St. Maxime in Southern France. 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. 45th Infantry Division. His photos included a lot of concentration camp images. 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