My motivation for this subject and what I have a hard time understanding still is the casualty rates in those divisions chosen repeatedly for initial assaults. The corps and army commanders had favorites and somehow division staffs responded to reconstitute and retrain the rifle platoons every thirty to ninety days without losing the quality of the assault forces. It seems other divisions were usually sent to less active sectors, entered combat later in time, or occupied a flank in an attack. These were the most ordinary of men, so I keep hearing Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man as I read this narrative.
I am a baby boomer. My Cousin was killed in the Battle of Meuse Argonne in WWI. The family never talked about it. I never gave much thought as a kid to what my Dad did when he served in the South Pacific. He never talked about it till the day he died. I never asked. Nor, did my Uncle, his twin brother, who was a waist gunner on a B17 flying over Europe. I just thought it was something people were supposed to do. I am proud of my Father and Uncle’ service, and wish I had told them so when they were alive. I wish they could/would have talked to me about it back then. They would be 95 now.
During WWII, 93% of the United States Army was Draftees.
It was a magnificent fighting force, in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific, and in all forms of operations, including amphibious, conducting the largest, and the most, amphibious landings in all theatres, and also conducting Airborne operations in Europe and in the Pacific.
The Army continued using Indian Wind-talkers as radio operators, a practice they started in WWI, and in WWII continued their use in all theaters of the war, the Pacific, Europe, and North Africa.
I guess the infantry was typically the “point of the spear”.
The armored divisions I think operated with infantry support. I suppose everyone had their job and they were all important but some were surely more dangerous than others.
My dad was an Infantry officer in the pacific during WWII.
Until the day he died he hated the Japs for the atrocities he witnessed.
When Gen. George S. Patton described the 45th Infantry Division, he said it was “one of the finest, if not the finest infantry division in this history of modern warfare.” "
Thanks for the links.
Patton was in distinguished company, the German general Kesselring once described another US division (reserve division from a state neighboring Oklahoma) as the best division he had gone up against, except for the 45th.
When the 45th Division was formed late in WWI, the Thunderbird from native American folklore was chosen as its emblem. (The 1918 armistice came before the 45th could be deployed to Europe.)
The Thunderbird is, of course, the supernatural bird that brings thunder. Problem is, no one ever sees the Thunderbird and lives to tell about it for the Thunderbird also brings death to anyone who lays eyes on it.
If you're ever in Oklahoma City, a visit to the 45th Division museum out on NE 36th street is well worth it.
God bless the soldiers.
That said, let the g-damn bankers fight the wars. Let the politicians be drafted and fight the wars they bring about. Let the billionaires and the major corptocracies put their businesspeople on the lines for their interests they want us soldiers to protect.
Keep the military forces for us military and country needs. Not for new world order/globalist/big corporations to play with as they desire. Let them hire their own mercs and foot the damn bill in their own money and lives.
I was just thinking of my Father’s WWII service. He was in the combat engineers.
There were times when they were at the tip of the spear, such as clearing mines. They also were often the last ones to retreat, blowing bridges, etc.
Fella that bought the farm next to ours served with Patton in Europe. He NEVER talked about the war, ever.
First time I saw the movie “Patton”, he was with us. He came out of the theatre with tears running down his face, just looked at me and said “that’s that SOB top to bottom.”
The only other times he mentioned the war at all were if someone disparaged the memory of “Georgie”.
And he never heard Montgomery’s name that he didn’t cuss and spit.
Thank you for posting this excellent article, Retain Mike. My father was an infantryman in the 63rd Infantry Division “Blood and Fire” during the breach of the Siegfried Line and the breakout across southern Germany. I knew he was wounded twice because our mother told us, but he never spoke about it. It was only after he died (too young) that I found his award citations and realized all he had done. The men of his generation did their duty, licked their wounds and got on with the rest of their lives like grown men did. I chose Marine Corps infantry to honor my father’s example.