My Dad was the son of Polish immigrants who came to the United States in the late 1890's. They settled, as many of them did in New York City. He was born in November 1913 and after a difficult life in "Hell's Kitchen" joined the U.S. Army.
As a child I remember my Dad and his brothers often sitting around reminiscing about the "old days" of their childhood, while swapping war stories about their times in World War II. I would sit there awestruck as many of us kids did listening about their world travels.
I do not know a lot about his military career. What I do know is that he enlisted in February 1932 and was stationed in New York, Virginia, and Texas. From there he was sent to Panama to fortify and set up the defenses of the Panama Canal. He was also responsible for the mine field defenses of the Chesepeake Bay. One of the units that he was assigned to was 2/62 Coast Artillery. (While in Germany I was assigned to a unit that supported Bitburg Airbase 2/62 a Hawk Site.)
During the war he took part in several major battles in France, Belgium, and Germany. He was assigned to the 35th Division, Charlie Company, 320th Infantry Regiment. One of the battles that after many, many years he is just able to talk about, is the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest. It is no wonder that it has been very difficult to talk about this battle. I have done some research on this battle and found that it was perhaps bloodier than the Battle of the Bulge.
With war clouds on the horizon, the division was inducted into Federal service on 23 December 1940. It trained at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, and took part in the Louisiana maneuvers of 1941. With the declaration of war, the 35th was rushed to California where it performed coastal defense duties. While in California the division was triangularized and redesignated as the 35th Infantry Division.
The 138th Infantry was relieved from its assignment to the division and sent to the Aleutian Islands. The division then moved to Camp Rucker, Alabama, and Camp Butner, North Carolina, for further training. In May 1944 the 35th sailed to Europe and arrived in England where it continued to train.
The Santa Fe Division landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, between 5-7 July 1944. It entered combat on 11 July and fought in the Normandy hedgerows north of St. Lo. After repelling a series of German counterattacks the division entered St. Lo.
Continuing its advance, the 35th took town after town in a drive spearheaded by the 4th Armored Division. By the middle of September the 35th had reached the city of Nancy. As part of the Third Army, the Santa Fe Division kept up the pressure against the German Army forcing it to fall back toward Germany.
During the battle for Achain in November, Staff Sergeant Junior J. Spurrier, Company G, 134th Infantry, won the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action. On 8 December the 35th crossed into Germany and continued to advance until it was relieved, after the 162 days of almost constant action, on 20 December. The 35th's rest period was interrupted by the German offensive in the Ardennes.
The division moved into Belgium and took part in the fighting to relieve Bastogne. The 1st Battalion, 134th Infantry broke through the German ring and was one of the first units to reach the 101st Airborne. The 35th then went on the defensive against the continued German attack.
During a five day period the division artillery fired more than 41,000 rounds. After another two weeks of fierce fighting the division stopped the German advance. On 23 January 1945 the 35th moved south to the Alsace region of France to help stop a German attack in the Seventh Army sector.
One week later the 35th made one of the longest tactical moves of the war when it deployed 292 miles, by rail and truck, to Masstricht, Holland. The 35th relieved the British 155th Brigade on 6 February in positions along the Roer River in Germany. The Santa Fe Division then spearheaded the Ninth's Army drive into the German heartland.
After crossing the Rhine on 25 March, the division kept advancing eastward until 26 April when it moved to Hanover, Germany, for occupation duty.
The 35th returned to France for rest and was alerted for movement to the Pacific Theater. However, with VJ Day the division returned to the United States in September 1945 and was inactivated on 7 December 1945 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky.
 |
 |
