Today, as the world rightly remembers the valiant sacrifice of the men of Allied Armies who landed at Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah beaches on the coast of France, we sometimes forget, that on the other side of the world, Allied Armies were locked in a struggle against the Armies of Imperial Japan.
I could write a litany about what was happening on this day, Marines preparing for the assault on Saipan, Army units, including the 32nd Division conducting operations in New Guinea and getting ready for the assault on the Philippines. Rather, I choose to write about my father and the men he served with in the 121st Field Artillery, 32nd Infantry Division, Wisconsin Army National Guard.
Like, their counterparts in the 29th Infantry Division, which landed at Omaha Beach, the men of the 32nd Infantry Division, were citizen soldiers from Wisconsin and Michigan. The 32nd was one of the first American Divisions sent to the South Pacific in World War II. Initially based in Australia, where they continued their training, they participated in some of the nastiest battles of World War II, New Guinea, Buna, Biak, the Philippines. Many of the battles were Regimental Combat Team amphibious assaults of Japanese controlled Islands.
My father, having been commissioned as a Regular Army 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery upon his graduation from VMI in June of 1941 was headed to the Philippines on December 7, 1941 as part of the Pensacola Convoy, where he was to join the Philippine Scouts. Instead of the Philippines he ended up in Australia serving on the Australian Combined Staff for about eight months. Eventually he was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division and to the 121st Field Artillery.
The 121st Field Artillery was from Green Bay Wisconsin. The soldiers of the 121st Field Artillery represented the multi-cultural nature of the citizens of Green Bay; men of who were Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant of German, Czech, Irish, Hungarian, Norwegian, and Native American heritage. Blue Collar, White Collar, they were representative of citizens soldiers who answered their nations call. The 121st Field Artillery was equipped with the Schneider 155mm Howitzer. After several months, it was decided that they would also be equipped with the Pack 75, 75mm Howitzer because it was realized they would have difficulty getting the 155s ashore. Designed to be a mountain gun, Airborne Troops used the Pack 75 almost exclusively in the European Theater of War, in the Pacific however, it was the Howitzer of choice by the Army for amphibious assaults. It was chosen for this role because it was man portable, could be moved ashore with the assault forces, and given the terrain, its reduced range was not necessarily an impediment.
My father was always very reluctant to speak of his time in World War II, but when he did, the image, which left with me, was very different than World War II of the history books which was almost exclusively the European Theater. It was jungles, it was hot, sticky humid heat, it was uniforms which rotted off the body, it was days of eating the same K Ration, it was open sores, jungle rot, dysentery. It was an enemy who was governed by a different code than the west, who fought to the death, who would rather die than be captured. It was combat in the Mangrove swamps, in the jungles, in putrid water. It was beach assault, where the Japanese would battle you for a month and then just disappear. It was very different than the good war in Europe. It was a war very different, and often forgotten in our histories of World War II.
So on this day, when we rightly remember those who landed at Normandy, let us take moment to remember those who fought in the Pacific, remember their heroism, remember their sacrifices. Let us remember those like my father and the soldiers of the 121st Field Artillery 32nd Infantry Division, members of the greatest generation who fought a war very different than what was fought in Europe and what by in large is found in the history books.
This one is for you Pops.
In memory of Captain Henry J. Foresman AUS Retired 9 November 1919–28 December 2000
My Father, Staff Sergeant Donald C. Boyd, served with the 32nd “Red Arrow” Division, 128th Infantry Regiment, Cannon Company. He fought on Leyte, Luzon, the Druiniumor River, and the Villa Verde Trail where he was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism. He now resides in Swanton, Ohio and is in good health. A short interview and recent images of my Dad may be viewed at this link. http://carol_fus.tripod.com/army_hero_donald_boyd.html
Thanks for remembering the battle in the Pacific. My father was from Janesville, Wisconsin, and a member of the 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry, 32nd Division. They marched for 42 days across the Kapa Kapa Trail, suffering jungle rot, dysentery, malaria, and worse, and then went almost immediately into battle for Buna-Gona. He fought with the 32nd right to the end of the war. The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during WWII, more than any other United States Army division.
Excellent remembrance. The accounts I read of the Baatan Death March curdles the blood.
Sir:
GREAT POST, one of the bext we’ve ever had. Here’s to the Soldiers Foresman, pere et fils!
jpp 89