This article is part of an ongoing series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II made possible byBank of America. This item is available on microfilm at this FamilySearch center. Lyle E. Eberspecher, 2013.495.408. John C. Willems, Capt. The exhausted GIs of Royster's and Belmans companies began to withdraw, crawling under enemy fire and dragging their wounded behind them as they crawled away. (operated with 382nd IR). security duty, training, and loading for the coming invasion of Okinawa. Website costs have gone way up to protect the site from Malware. There were four artillery battalions: three light ones with 105 mm howitzers to support each infantry regiment, and a heavier one, the 363rd. The fight for Kakazu Ridge did not end with the withdrawal of the 383rds 1st Battalion. After resting in July, the division left Okinawa for Mindoro, in the Philippines, and engaged in a training program. Tanabaru Nishibaru, 17-23 April, and after advancing slightly against extremely determined resistance, was relieved, 30 The Deadeyes of the US Army 96th Infantry Division are known primarily for their successful combat operations in WWII in the Pacific Theatre; notably in the Leyte and Samar Islands in the Philippines, and the island of Okinawa, Japan. The rapid advance and relatively light American casualties sustained so far on Okinawa ended. %%EOF It had taken the island of Attu in the Aleutians and Kwajalein. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. Distinguished Unit Citations: 1. The next 3 months were spent in mopping up, security duty, training, and loading for the coming invasion of Okinawa. The mission of the American Veterans Center and the World War II Veterans Committee is to preserve and promote the legacy and experiences of America's veterans and active duty service personnel from World War II through today. Tanks and infantrymen of a US Tenth Army Division blast their way through a minefield as Japanese machine gunners keep foottroops crouching behind their tanks. From the Collection of The National WWII Museum, Gift in memory of Sgt. If you wish to help extend Remember The Deadeyes please use Paypal or send a check. US Marines and amphibious vehicles gathering on a narrow beach on Eastern morning, Okinawa, 1945. The warships were there to protect the fleet of over 100 assault transports and supply ships needed to put ashore over 200,000 American combat troops of the newly formed Tenth Army that would be needed to defeat Japanese General Mitsuru Ushijimas army of over 67,000 Japanese defenders. As part of the reorganization of the U.S. Army divisions from "square" to "triangular," the two infantry brigade headquarters were converted to provide personnel for other units and the 380th Infantry Regiment was disbanded. With the northern end of Okinawa clear of enemy resistance, the Tenth Army wheeled south and made plans to mop up the remainder of the island. My mother remarried, and she wouldnt ever talk about him. Detailed map of Okinawa and immediate surrounding areas with agricultural, terrain, and population details. With no preparatory artillery barrage, the two companies of infantry jumped off from their positions before day break so as to achieve surprise. Seeing his own opportunity to retreat, Moskala left his position and ran down the face of the ridge to rejoin his company. From the Collection of The National WWII Museum,Gift of Ms. Paulette Stewart, 2001.078.004_10. There were 884 men listed and included as combat fatigue. The Division left the Philippines, 27 March 1945, for Okinawa, making an assault landing on the island, 1 April 1945. And even then, the Japanese defenses had been reduced to a pocket of die-hard defenders who had to be rooted out to the last man. The offensive was resumed, 30 May, against weakening enemy resistance; Japanese north of Yonabaru-Shuri-Naha Road area were cleared out. The 77th Infantry Division landed in Hawaii, 31 March 1944, and continued training in amphibious and jungle warfare. at an end. April 14, 2021. Please be assured your personal information, your email address if SAFE with us. Two American soldiers sharing a foxhole with a war orphan on Okinawa, 1945. by Donald Dencker, L Company, 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, I am webmaster for the 96th Infantry Divisions web page. Lyle E. Eberspecher, 2013.495.407. Welcome Deadeyes, Families, and Friends of Deadeyes! Japanese resistance was fierce when encountered, but the defense of the island, at least the northern portion of it, was almost non-existent. Okinawans caught in the fighting suffered greatly, with an estimate as high as 150,000 civilians killed. The rapid advance and relatively light American casualties sustained so far on Okinawa ended. A 37mm anti-tank gun prepares to fire point-blank at a Japanese pillbox on Conical Hill on Okinawa. HUN0/bcEiI*4' }s X-X[**tVvC,z_Y;(ZijN 0nS* 0b~m3%bw&>P6c "~6 3r J@RL,/gtw!@z. As the American 96th Infantry Division advanced south along Okinawa's Highway 1 on 4 April, it came under increasing fire from the south and from the ridges on their left (east). 96th Infantry Division rosters from the membership index cards 96th Infantry Division Newspaper Deadeye Dispatch Based on the above figures the totals were: 2,136 Deadeyes were killed or died of wounds, and 14,484 were wounded, or suffered jungle diseases, all through June, 1945. The most accurate figures we have to report as of 2009 for Deadeye losses are: In Leyte 486 men were killed as well as 28 attached troops, making a total of 514, which includes dying of wounds. The 96th Division acquired their nickname, "The Deadeyes," from Brigadier General Claudius Easley. The 96th Division received both the Presidential Unit Citation and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, for combat operations on Okinawa and Leyte, respectively. In American hands, the island provided a vital airfield in the final drive on Japan, as the Allies finally brought about Japanese surrender less than three months later. Please email us if you would like to honor your Deadeye this way on Remember the Deadeyes. American strategists saw Okinawa as both a staging point for the eventual invasion of Japan, and a dress rehearsal for that event. Among the assaulting masses . Taking Okinawa would provide Allied forces an airbase from which bombers could strike Japan and an advanced anchorage for Allied fleets. He served his country very proudly as a Deadeye of the 96th Division, Leyte. From the Collection of The National WWII Museum, 2013.495.476. %PDF-1.7 % entering combat in an assault landing in Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands, between Tanauan and Dulag, 20 October 1944. . Royster, half blinded by a mortar wound in the faceand knowing full well that his company was on the verge of being overrun and annihilated, called his battalion for further support. Okinawa military correspondencefor Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, Transport Division 47. info@AmericanVeteransCenter.org. . On Easter morning April 1, 1945, elements of the US Tenth Army including the 7th, 27th, and 96th Infantry Divisions of the Army and 1st and 6th Marine Divisions land on the southwest coast of Okinawa. overlap, both superimposed on a hexagonial patch with khaki background. Beauford Anderson fought 75 enemies on Okinawa alone, heroics for which he received the Medal of Honor. The core of the 3rd Marine Amphibious Corps were the 1st Marine Division and the 6th Marine Division, which was formed from the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade. With the extraordinary assistance of Filipino guerrillas, four daring raids were launched behind Japanese lines to liberate those camps. Enemy resistance in the beachhead area was quickly broken and the division had advanced to and secured the Tanauan-Dagami-Tabontabon sector by 9 November after heavy fighting. Infantry Division; by Capt. The division was inactivated in December 1965. The 96th Infantry Division is a unit of the United States Army that served in World War II . He last saw me when I was one year old. In 1984, the ARCOM was again reorganized, losing New Mexico and regaining North and South Dakota. Resistance stiffened considerably as the Division advanced to gakazu Ridge, where fighting was fierce, 7-16 April. One week later,Marines begin an assault on Sugar Loaf Hill. U.S. Army 96th Regional Readiness Command, History of the 96th Infantry Division and 96th Army Reserve Command, The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, United States Army Center of Military History, Components of Infantry Divisions in World War 2, 96th Infantry Division Deadeye Association, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Military units and formations established in 1942, United States Army divisions during World War II, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The largest of the Ryukyu Islands, and part of Japans Kyushu region, it was known that the island held a large civilian population and a terrain similar to that of Japans southernmost main islands. From the Collection of The National WWII Museum, Gift in Memory of Sgt. 1076-1077 SUBSERIES II: G-I REPORTS, 1944-1945 Also in March the 259th Quartermaster Battalion, an ARCOM unit in Pleasant Grove, Utah was ordered to active duty. info@nationalww2museum.org As he did so, he came across a singlewounded man who had been mistakenly left behind. Please be assured your personal information, your email address if SAFE with us. In 1996, as part of the US Army Reserve Command restructuring, the 96th ARCOM became the 96th Regional Support Command.After the end of the Cold War, the command was finally redesignated the 96th Regional Readiness Command. On 22 December 1967, the Department of the Army announced that Salt Lake City, Utah had been chosen as the site for one of the eighteen new nationwide Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) headquarters. Regiment and reorganized to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the Conscientious objector, Army Medic Desmond Doss, selflessly attends to wounded menwhile unarmed. The 96th Infantry Division was basically organized the same as all other Army infantry divisions. I said to myself, This poor manmy buddydied. from the Combat Arms Regimental System; concurrently redesignated as the 381st is site is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the 96th Infantry Division of WWII, Our website works in collaboration with the official, This project is vested until the year 2030 -. It was recorded that the 96th had 453 missing in action, and since the report was issued the number of missing in action has been reduced to 50 in 2005. Shielding the man with his own body while killing at least four more Japanese, Moskala was struck down by enemy fire and killed. April 28, 1945 Landed on Okinawa, relieving the 96th Division . It was also reported that there were 1289 men wounded. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Its men, most draftees from the Pacific Northwest and the. Find 96th Infantry Division unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. The Division patrolled an area from Chan to Ogusuku until 30 June. The microfilm may be scheduled for future scanning. American infantry, tanks, artillery and supplies poured ashore as soldiers of the 7th, 27th, 96th (and later 77th) Infantry Divisions, alongside their Marine brothers in the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions, swept aside paltry resistance and raced across the island. In a war that had seen some of the most violent fighting in human history on some of the most unforgiving terrain and locales on the planet, Okinawa and the fight ashoremade other Pacific campaigns pale in comparison. American servicemen on a beach with military vehicles in the background, Okinawa,1945. The 382nd Infantry Regiment was first constituted on . After resting in July, the Division left Although American forces faced little to no resistance upon landing, by April 6 Japanese forces concentrated inland began a fierce defense of the island. The next day, the Army's 96th Infantry Division assaults Kakazu Ridge. Join the community of family history enthusiasts and FamilySearch employees to ask questions and discuss potential product enhancements. Largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator of Attu in the,! Kakazu Ridge overlap, both superimposed on a beach with military vehicles in the fighting suffered greatly, an! Week later, Marines begin an assault landing in Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands between. Landed in Hawaii, 31 March 1944, and a dress rehearsal for that event did so, he across... 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