Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. There were two other men in Joe Turner's tent. 1945 History 397th Infantry Regiment 100th Infantry Division ETO 1944-19. ), After their long and rather snowy journey toward Bitche, Collie and the rest of the 100th Division managed to successfully take the entire city over. There were snake and mongoose battles staged for your entertainment and there were monkeys that went for a daily walk. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB. Joseph Hudson was in Calcutta when the war ended and was home soon because his four children gave him high points. Late in the day of December 31, the left side of the American line near Sarreguemines suddenly trembled as the Germans opened fire with a well-placed barrage of artillery rounds, followed by a charge of 2,000 men of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division heading straight for the 397th Regiment of the 100th Infantry Division. Crews were working to clear passage through the capsized ships. Joseph Hudson saw things in Calcutta that he never could have imagined. Welcome to the online home for the Men Of The Century: The 100th Infantry Division (Reenacted). Eventually, they found themselves in Mouterhouse, France where they were met with random mortar fire from the Germans stationed not too far from them. It wasn't long after they secured their area in Luzon that the war ended. After a nerve-wracking mission to bomb Tokyo and a typhoon, B.E. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB. 100th Infantry Division in World War 11. He still holds his love for country close, despite the racism he faced in his career, like a frustrating incident he remembers involving General George Patton. Because of his time in combat, he was given a bronze star. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) After his training, he was assigned to a Landing Ship, Medium, LSM for short. 397th Infantry Regiment 100th Infantry Division – Century – Sons of Bitche. Then, began the grim task of collecting the personal belongings of the dead and preparing them for burial at sea. Later on 4 April, 1945 General Burress of the 100th Division had the 397th Infantry Regiment cross the Neckar just south of the 398th's position. World War I. The destination was unknown when Juius Rainwater boarded the liberty ship and headed out into the Pacific. He made it through the war without losing his cool, but he had a tough time adjusting when he returned home. The first stop was Hawaii, where he had a chance meeting on the street with his brother, who was also in the service. After that sobering experience, he headed for the Philippines for the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the landing on Leyte. in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.). Radar officer Howard Dean was in the 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, but he didn't know it yet. He caught some shrapnel himself but his bandolier deflected it. Collie remembers a few of the interactions he had with them. The first stop was Hawaii, where he had a chance meeting on the street with his brother, who was also in the service. Then time ran out for the B-17 and Don Scott had to slip down the hatch into the slipstream. There was a mess kit thieving bird that swooped down from the sky. His supply ship was in Tokyo Bay just weeks after the two atomic bombs ended the war. After the Japanese surrender, Lofton Hill was certain the enemy troops in the hills in Luzon did not know about it. He'd already been studying radio communications, so the Army sent Julius Rainwater to the Signal Corps. Sherman Howard was a striker, or assistant, to a carpenter's mate. En route through the Pacific on a liberty ship, Julius Rainwater heard Tokyo Rose threaten his convoy on her broadcast. Lofton Hill saw a buddy take a near direct hit from a mortar shell. He was put on MP detail, where he couldn't make much sense of what he was hearing from the civilians. Soon, his unit was in Japan, freeing and sending home American POW's, who had received harsh treatment from their captors. The division did a wonderful job of recording everything. Later on 4 April, General Burress of the 100th Division had the 397th Infantry Regiment cross the Neckar just south of the 398th's position. He was a member of the Army Specialized Training Program, received his college schooling from Virginia Tech and was set to go to Cornell afterwards. It was in Inchon that the two crossed paths. 1 No. They were on the dock when the order was reversed. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB. Bill Pontow tried for the Marines but they declined to take him, so he joined the Navy. During the six months in combat, 476 men fought in Company E of the 397th Infantry regiment. Regiment of the Century: The Story of the 397th Infantry Regiment. 397th Infantry Regiment . His supply ship was in Tokyo Bay just weeks after the two atomic bombs ended the war. Radar officer Howard Dean was in the 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, but he didn't know it yet. It was assigned the 199th Infantry Brigade commanding the 397th Infantry Regiment, the 398th Infantry Regiment and the 200th Infantry Brigade, commanding the 399th Infantry Regiment and the 400th Infantry Regiment. Menu Home; Our Mission; History; Original Photographs. One of the most memorable things for Sherman Howard about his Pacific tour was the initiation ceremony at the crossing of the equator. They were packed in like cattle on the troop ship. Then time ran out for the B-17 and Don Scott had to slip down the hatch into the slipstream. Where was that going to be? The 100th Division was constituted on 12 July 1918 in the National Army. Very quickly he was thrown into his first combat experience and it wasn't long after that his division had its first casualty. There were still Japanese in the hills, so they had guard duty and, when it was his turn, he was sure he saw something creeping up in the darkness. The 100th Training Division (Leader Development) (formerly the 100th Infantry Division) was an infantry division of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky.It currently serves as a major training command of the United States Army Reserve.It has been known as the "Century Division" owing to the 100th designation. All Rights Reserved. It was an empty threat and he made it to Anguar, an island near Peleliu, where he set up a radio communications station. Four German fighters pounced on the B-24 and it was engulfed in flame and going down. ), Before going overseas to Europe, Collie was given training for weapons such as machine guns and mortars. He made very good use of his time while he was waiting. Reorganized and redesignated 12 May 1952 as the 397th Infantry, an element of the 100th Infantry Division. Starting at Guadalcanal, the USS Volans distributed supplies to fighting forces and ships in the South Pacific. From there, he crossed the Atlantic on the USS George Washington and wound up in Marseille, France. The museum is actively seeking more artifacts from the above periods. He was noted as being employed as a … Joe Turner was part of the crew at an Air Corps base in the Philippines and a sympathetic pilot offered to take him along on a flight to Japan. Because of his time in combat, he was given a bronze star. He was only out of the Army a couple of months before he re-enlisted. Along the way there, they managed to capture a good amount of soldiers from the German side and make them prisoners of war. Where was that going to be? There were snake and mongoose battles staged for your entertainment and there were monkeys that went for a daily walk.