Draftee Division

Draftee Division

Author: John Sloan Brown

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2021-10-21

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 0813185882

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The involuntary soldiers of an unmilitary people such were the forces that American military planners had to pit against hardened Axis veterans, yet prewar unpreparedness dictated that whole divisions of such men would go to war under the supervision of tiny professional cadres. Much to his surprise and delight, Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall found that the 88th Infantry Division, his first draftee division, "fought like wildcats" and readily outclassed its German adversaries while measuring up to the best Regular Army divisions. Draftee Division is at once a history of the 88th Division, an analysis of American unit mobilization during World War II, and an insight into the savage Italian Campaign. After an introduction placing the division in historical context, separate chapters address personnel, training, logistics, and overseas deployment. Another chapter focuses upon preliminary adjustments to the realities of combat, after which two chapters trace the 88th's climactic drive through the Gustav Line into Rome itself. A final chapter takes the veteran 88th to final victory. Of particular interest are observations concerning differences connected with mobilization between the 88th and less successful divisions and discussions of the contemporary relevance of the 88th's experiences. Draftee Division is especially rich in its sources. John Sloan Brown, with close ties to the division, has secured extensive and candid contributions from veterans. To these he has added a full array of archival and secondary sources. The result is a definitive study of American cadremen creating a division out of raw draftees and leading them on to creditable victories. Its findings will be important for military and social historians and for students of defense policy


The 92nd Infantry Division and the Italian Campaign in World War II

The 92nd Infantry Division and the Italian Campaign in World War II

Author: Daniel K. Gibran

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2001-04-23

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0786410094

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This work focuses on the all black 92nd Infantry Division in the Italian Campaign in World War II and the poor combat performance of the division in Italy. An introduction provides an overall view of the Italian Campaign and the role of the 92nd Infantry Division. The author then examines the reasons for the division's troubles on and off the battlefield, such as the low morale among the soldiers because of racial segregation, the limited facilities provided for them, and their lack of trust in their leadership. All of these issues are explored at length. Information on the early life and military training and experience of General Ned Almond is provided, along with the stories of Vernon Baker and John Fox, who emerged as leaders but endured a long struggle for recognition. The author concludes this work on a personal note by telling of his involvement as principal investigator of Acting Secretary of the Army John Shannon's study of why no African American received the Medal of Honor in World War II (a situation that was rectified in the late 1990s: See Elliott V. Converse, Daniel K. Gibran et al., The Exclusion of Black Soldiers from the Medal of Honor in World War II, McFarland 1997, $29.95).


The Army Almanac

The Army Almanac

Author: Gordon Russell Young

Publisher:

Published: 1959

Total Pages: 826

ISBN-13:

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Amerikansk militærhistorie, amerikanske hær's historie. Army Almanac for 1959. Udkom første gang i 1950 (dette ex. er på DEPOT I-1159). KGB har1959-udgaven med ajourførte oplysninger på Læsesalen. En form for grundbog om US Army. Indeholder alle mulige nyttige oplysninger og informationer om den amerikanske hær, organisation, opdeling, enheder, uddannelse, officerskorpset, veteraner, material, våben, uniformer, udrustning, efterretningsvirksomhed, logistikområdet, militærlove, dekorationer og belønninger, oversigt over generaler, hærens relationer til det civile, m.m. samt afsnit om USA's deltagelse i krige og væbnede konflikter fra Uafhængighedskrigene i 1775 til Koreakrigen i 1950, væbnede konflikter, "småkrige", m.m.


Guard Wars

Guard Wars

Author: Michael E. Weaver

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2010-10-29

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0253004934

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An inventive study of relations between the National Guard and the Regular Army during World War II, Guard Wars follows the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division from its peacetime status through training and into combat in Western Europe. The broader story, spanning the years 1939--1945, sheds light on the National Guard, the U.S. Army, and American identities and priorities during the war years. Michael E. Weaver carefully tracks the division's difficult transformation into a combat-ready unit and highlights General Omar Bradley's extraordinary capacity for leadership -- which turned the Pennsylvanians from the least capable to one of the more capable units, a claim dearly tested in the Battle of the HÃ1⁄4rtgen Forest. This absorbing and informative analysis chronicles the nation's response to the extreme demands of a world war, and the flexibility its leaders and soldiers displayed in the chaos of combat.


Twenty-Nine, Let’s Go

Twenty-Nine, Let’s Go

Author: Joseph H. Ewing

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2018-12-01

Total Pages: 759

ISBN-13: 1789125324

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The 29th Infantry was on the front lines on D-Day, Battle of Normandy, and was the first division to cross the Elbe into Germany. When, on January 17, 1946, the 29th Infantry Division was deactivated, 28,776 soldiers had been killed, wounded, taken prisoner or missing. In September 1944, Joseph H. Ewing joined the famed 29th Infantry Division of the Maryland-Virginia National Guard as the unit was readying to storm the port city of Brest, France. In Germany, he led his rifle platoon in making an assault crossing of the Roer River at Julich, which led to the division’s drive on Munchen-Gladbach. During quiet periods on the Roer, Col. Ewing typed and edited a newspaper he titled Chin Strap. The scant-copy newspaper was circulated within the company and also caught the eye of battalion headquarters. The publication earned Col. Ewing the nicknames “Strap” and “The Strap.” At the end of World War II, Col. Ewing was assigned to Fort Meade and the War Department Historical Division in the Pentagon, and decided to author the official history of the 29th Division in World War II. This fascinating account of the division’s wartime history is the result of Col. Ewing’s combat experience and civilian career in journalism.


The Blue Devils in Italy

The Blue Devils in Italy

Author: T/Sgt. John P. Delaney

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2017-06-28

Total Pages: 1151

ISBN-13: 1787205754

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The 88th Division played a major role in the battle of Italy, where it was rated by the Germans after the summer of 1944 as the best American division in Italy. Because of the outstanding job it did in Italy, the 88th contributed its share to the winning of the war. It was the first of the draft infantry divisions to enter combat on any front in World War II and it was among the top divisions in the American Army. It won its share of territory and honors during its 344 days of combat. It paid dearly for all that it won—it lost 15,173 officers and men killed, wounded and missing in action. Only thirteen other divisions in the U.S. Army suffered heavier losses. The 88th fought its battles on what was called “a forgotten front.” Some day history will appraise the true worth of the Italian campaign in the overall war picture. Military historians will analyze and sift and publish detailed volumes on the operational contribution of the 88th in the battle for Italy. This book is not a history, in the true sense of the word. It is not intended to be such. It is rather the story of a combat division from its beginning to its end. It is a story compiled both from official journals and from the personal experiences of the citizen-soldiers who made up its squads and platoons. It is a story which never can be told in every complete detail. For every one of the incidents related here, a reader can remember scores that are not found in these pages. There are not enough words, or paper, to list them all. The incidents related are considered to be representative of the experiences of the majority of 88th men.


Defining Moment at Wirtzfeld

Defining Moment at Wirtzfeld

Author: James Edward

Publisher: Brown Books

Published: 2013-01-04

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781612540894

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This book is intended to honor all veterans for their sacrifices on the battlefields of the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. It further honors military police everywhere who have served America in the honorable tradition of military service, exemplifying high levels of esprit de corps. It brings recognition to one of the oldest units in America¿s military history. More specifically, this book recognizes and pays tribute to a small group of men: the MP Platoon of the 2nd Infantry Division who fought in Europe in World War II. From ¿D-Day Plus 1¿ (the day after the initial wave of troops came ashore) at Omaha Beach, through the defeat of Hitler and Nazi Germany, to their final destination of Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, on May 7, 1945, and the conclusion of the war, this small group of men performed above and beyond their call of duty, earning the Meritorious Unit Service plaque for their contributions to the war effort. This MP unit had a large role in supporting and participating in combat operations and in the eventual defeat of a determined enemy.


History of the Third Infantry Division in World War Ii

History of the Third Infantry Division in World War Ii

Author: Donald Gilbert Taggart

Publisher:

Published: 2012-11-01

Total Pages: 600

ISBN-13: 9781258521486

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Additional Contributors Are Jonathan W. Anderson, Lucian K. Truscott, Jr., And John W. O'Daniel. Preface By Frederick C. Spreyer. Illustrations By Richard Gaige And Henry McAlear.