Archival OMPFs may also be requested by visiting the Archival Research Room at the National Archives at St. Louis. 1,463 of the 97th Steam Up Hudson: First Units of Second Combat Division Land Four Miles from Camp Shanks,", "European Veterans Arrive: U.S. 97th Division Landing at Yokohama--43d Coming Home,", "Job in Japan Irks GIs, But It Could Be Worse,", Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 22:19, Distinguished Service Cross (United States), 97th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized), Command structure, statistics and other details about the 97th Inf Div, The 97th Infantry Division During World War II, The Story of the 97th Infantry Division, Orientation Branch. On 12 April Pfc Joe R. Hastings of Company C, 386th Infantry Regiment, distinguished himself in action at Drabenderhhe, Germany while attacking an enemy position. The headquarters was organized in December 1921. During the final mopping-up operations in the pocket, the 97th took thousands of prisoners. And in the fall, finally, the Division that had expected to begin its travels in Jap-held territory found itself in Japan, as one of the two Divisionsthe 86th was the otherthat actually got redeployed from Europe. Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (24 September 1945 to inactivation). z p)\ 10 Fighting Doughs -- 10 Potential Heroes. The World War II History of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division, United States Army. Moving to protect the left flank of the Third Army on its southern drive, the 97th took Cheb, Czechoslovakia, on 25 April 1945 and attacked the Czechoslovak pocket near Weiden, Germany, on 29 April. Well, here's some info for you and your father. He was awarded the Silver Star. The 97th entered the battle of the Ruhr pocket, crossing the Rhine near Bonn, 3 April, and taking up a position on the southern bank of the Sieg River. 97th Infantry Division - World War II. It crossed that river, 7 April, with the troops suffering 80% casualties in wounded and dead. Thanks. The New York Times, Letters to the Editor, 8 August 1976. Lazne, Czechoslovakia, when it received the cease-fire order on 7 May. The 303rd Inf. for further assistance prior to making an appointment. ], Return to the Main Combat On the March When the Bell Rang. Organic Composition of Divisions, Infantry, Organic Composition of Divisions, Armored, Organic Composition of Divisions, Airborne, D. Table - Index to Organic Units By Branch and Number, E. Table - Organization and Strength -- Infantry Division, F. Table - Organization and Strength -- Armored Division, G. Table - Organization and Strength - Airborne Division, I. Arriving at Yokohama on 25 September 1945, the division relieved the 43rd Infantry Division[27] and established its headquarters at Mitsugahara Airfield in Kumagaya. 0 Reviews. [17] Members of the Counter Intelligence Corps, which included Robie Macauley,[18] Ib Melchior[19] and Anthony Hecht,[20] interviewed former prisoners and gathered evidence for trials of former camp officers and guards. ||)z^F/e2z^ MX*6cbgw;pg3w;pg3w;:s[-nA[;)\ [30], Confiscating and disposing of Japanese military property proved to be the Division's prime task. 30 April 1945: V Corps. On 28 March, the division crossed the German border west of Aachen and took up a defensive position along the west bank of the Rhine River opposite Dsseldorf, engaging in patrolling. . Gen. Milton B. Halsey (20 January 1944 24 September 1945), Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (24 September 1945 to inactivation). At that time the Division, which had been activated in February 1943, was stationed in California, with its training all completed and its men ready for battle. [24], The 97th Infantry Division was credited with firing the last official shot in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II. Please be aware that rosters for units serving in World War II from 1944 - 1946 were destroyed in accordance with Army disposition authorities. 66y%@wfJq4XBD RYZlgWo p)\ Maj. Gen. Louis A. Craig (4 February 1943-19 January 1944) Steve Robles. Then the Division began to move back toward Dsseldorf again, to close the pocket from the south. 22 April 1945: XII Corps. Docs). We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience. [6], On 23 April elements of the 97th, together with members of the 90th Infantry Division, liberated Flossenbrg concentration camp near Flo in Bavaria. Note . The 97th Infantry Division was ordered into active military service during World War II on 25 February 1943 at Camp Swift, Texas, the last of the Organized Reserve infantry divisions to enter active duty. Regiments, and the 62d Field Artillery Brigade. 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 many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the, , proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. 97th Infantry Division: 358: 99th Infantry Division: 365: 100th Infantry Division: 373: 101st Airborne Division: 381: 102d Infantry Division: 392: 103d Infantry Division: 401: Milton Ponitz and First Lt. Robert McCaffrey. [Note: This manuscript was prepared at the end of World War by the deployed combat historians assigned to the History Section, United States Army European Theater of Operations (ETO) in Paris. the border and trident represents the snow that covers these states' picturesque regiment (303d) served with the 76th Division. 97th Buttons Up the Ruhr Pocket. A military police patrol from the 303rd Infantry Regiment may have been the first U.S. Army unit to reach the camp, although the 2nd Cavalry Group, Mechanized[16] and a colonel from the 90th Infantry Division later took credit for liberating the camp. [15] Members of the 97th Division treated sick and dying prisoners and buried the several hundred corpses discovered in the camp. [Nota Bene: These combat chronicles, current (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized . The 97th Infantry Division landed at Le Havre, France, 2 March 1945, and moved to Camp Lucky Strike. endstream endobj 1109 0 obj <>stream Please contact these organizations directly for further assistance. Colonel C. A. Martin - 26 September 1918 to 19 October 1918; Brigadier General James R. Lindsay - 19 October 1918 until demobilization on 20 November 1918. He was an U.S. Army veteran of the Korean Conflict, serving with the 109th Field Artillery 28th Division from 1948 to 1952, attaining the rank of sergeant first class. The 97th returned 198,142,046 pounds of foodstuffs, 670,226 gallons of gasoline, 8,568,857 yards of cloth and 480,343 pairs of boots and shoes to the Japanese government for distribution to civilians. It will take a considerable amount of time to eliminate the backlog on other types of requests, such as genealogical requests for complete copies of records. Macauley R. "Who Should Mourn?" the blue symbolizes the states numerous fresh water lakes; and, the white of Nickname: Trident. The following lists the divisions which fought in the ETO, units covered in the "G . For more information, please refer to, Onsite Operations at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Archival OMPFs may also be requested by visiting the, . The 99th Division was constituted at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, on 23 July 1918. Pushing on toward Dusseldorf through difficult terrain and heavy resistance in The 97th landed in France at Le Havre, and was first as-signed to the Fifteenth Army. Flossenbrg memorial archive. My grandfather was a member. Flossenbrg memorial archive. Contents: G: Concurrently, it was withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular Army. Muster Rolls and Rosters, 11/1/1912 - 12/31/1943. Please contact these organizations directly for further assistance. Plans called for the division to include the 393rd, 394th, 395th, and 396th Infantry Regiments. 10 Fighting Doughs -- 10 Potential Heroes The 97th re-mained in battle for five weeks, moving up with the Third Army into Czechoslovakia. The demobilization was completed on 22 December/[3]. There are 3 soldiers of the 97th Infantry Division World War II still listed as missing in action. Where modern explanatory notes were required, they have been inserted as italicized text in square brackets.] Gen. Milton B. Halsey (20 January 1944-24 September 1945) Private First Class LeVert W. Bell 387th Infantry Regiment 04/02/1945 Staff Sergeant Charles C. Miller 387th Infantry Regiment 04/03/1946 %PDF-1.5 % World War II European Theater of Operations Divisions Office of the Theater Historian Paris, France. On 25 April the division entered Ash, Czechoslovakia. WW 2 Connections, Aug 6, 2010. (SaeVaeVaeVaeVaeV_eU_Wx^Wx^Wx^Wx^Wx^Wx^Wx^WXXXYXYXYXYXYXYL#6a-L3?Y~M5_~M5_~M5_~M5_~*UW_ 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. It had advanced to Konstantinovy Lzn, Czechoslovakia, when it received the cease-fire order on 7 May. The exact time frame is unknown. World War II Central Europe DECORATIONS None. Table - Comparative Statistics, Chronology, J. Its regiments were at less than half-strength as late as the beginning of November. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. As the 97th prepared to enter Czechoslovakia, Flossenburg concentration camp was discovered in the division's . The division was activated 5 September 1918 and inactivated 20 November 1918 ; one infantry The 97th Inf. "Obituary: Oscar M. "Mel" Grimes Jr., 80, "Bemedaled Ex-Nazi Youth Home from Europe Wars,", Bryan J. Dickerson, "The Liberation of Western Czechoslovakia 1945,", Geoffrey Lindsay, "Anthony Hecht in Occupied Japan. The. The 97th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Please email stlarr.archives@nara.gov for further assistance prior to making an appointment. |_W+ 303rd Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division | American Battle Monuments Commission 303rd Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division Home 303rd Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division Legacy ID 22757 Legacy Alias /db-abmc-burial-unit/303rd-infantry-regiment-97th-infantry-division Legacy Source db_abmc_burial_unit Richard P. Padgett Read more Inactivated 3l March 1946 in Japan. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Overseas: 19 February 1945, for the ETO; 28 August 1945, for the Pacific Theater, Commanders: Maj. Gen. Louis A. Craig (4 February 1943 19 January 1944), Brig. Kurt Frank Korf, quoted in Patricia Kollander. It crossed that river, 7 April, against light resistance and fought a street-to-street engagement in Siegburg on the 10th. 10 April 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps. But in the Army plans can change quickly, even plans involving the 14,000 men and hundreds of vehicles of a division. [8] According to his citation: He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. 2010-2023 ACPL Genealogy Center.All RightsReserved. Strike. However, many of the survivors credit their lives to Pfc. |_W+ [4], The division left Le Havre on 16 June 1945 aboard the SSBrazil, arriving at Camp Shanks on 24 June. 97th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia. "Elimination of the Ruhr Pocket; XVIII Airborne Corps (First U. S. Army) 387th Infantry Regt, 97th Infantry Division." Activated: 25 February 1943. 563 . The 97th Infantry Division landed at Le Havre, France, 2 March 1945, and moved to Camp Lucky Strike. Neptune's trident was originally adopted to represent the coastal states of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, from which personnel for the division was draw in 1918. The 97th ID had advanced into Czechoslovakia when on May 8, 1945, WWII officially ended in the ETO.