Research

Where to look, where to go, whom to contact for historical information on the 78th Division

Last update: 18-Jun-09

78th Division Historian

Stan Polny, SV Battery 308 FA Bn

921 Liberty St., McKees Rocks, PA 15136, Ph: 412-771-2240

Table of Contents

Complete List of Unit Histories of the 78th Division


1a) 78th INFANTRY DIVISION in WWI
Courtesy of The Digital Bookshelf

** The 78th Division in the World War. Compiled by Thomas F. Meehan (former G-3 of the division), this 243-page official division history traces the 78th Division from its organization to its return to the U.S. and contains 5 maps, 1 drawing, 118 photographs, awards lists (DSC, DSM, foreign, all w/ citations) and an honor roll (rank, unit, date of death, type of death).

** Pictorial History of the 78th Division in France. 32 leaves of photographs and text about the 78th. A good brief account of the division’s organization and operations.

** 78th Division Summary of Operations in the World War. From the series by the American Battle Monuments Commission, this book is the best source for information on unit movements and operations. The 62 pages contain 1 map in the text, tables of casualties, a monthly division strength table, a list of the 269 sources used and an index. There are also 2 large folding maps which are reproduced on this CD.

** War Story of the 78th. 16-page pamphlet giving a brief history of the division; contains 1 photograph

** Camp Dix Booklet by Roger Batchelder about Camp Dix, New Jersey, where the 78th Division was organized and trained. 68 pages containing 1 map and 49 photographs.

** Historical and Pictorial Record of Camp Dix, New Jersey . Another book on the 78th at Camp Dix, this one by I. L. Cochrane, who had published the Camp Dix newspaper. The 36 leaves contain 56 images and 1 fold-out photograph. Features several command & staff and unit photographs as well as biographies of the division’s general officers.

** “The Flash,” Vol. 1, No. 1, 1922 & “The Flash,” Vol. 1, No. 2, 1922 The first newsletter published by the 78th Division Association following its first reunion in 1922. This 20-page issue contains 4 photographs, 1 drawing, and the minutes of the first stateside meeting of the association

** The Camp Dix Pictorial Review, Vol. 1. This CD-ROM contains all 10 issues of the Camp Dix Pictorial Review, Vol. 1. This newspaper was first published as a single 24-page issue dedicated to the construction of Camp Dix in November, 1917. Monthly publication began in February, 1918, and continued until October, 1918. Also included is the Camp Dix Pictorial Review Vol. II, No. 1 (an issue dedicated to the 78th Division published in the spring of 1919) and a Special Edition produced in 1919 featuring panorama photographs of the camp, a 2-page map and drawings of division insignia with brief divisional histories.

Aside from presenting an excellent record of the activities at Camp Dix during World War One, these newspapers also provide a wealth of information about the units which trained at or passed through Camp Dix. The 78th Division was the first division to train there, and the majority of issues 2 through 5 focus on the units of the 78th Division. After the 78th’s departure for France, the 87th and 34th Divisions utilized Camp Dix, as well as smaller units including the 153rd Depot Brigade, 24th Engineer Regiment, 26th Engineer Regiment, 34th Engineer Regiment, 59th Pioneer Infantry Regiment, Bakery Co. 354, and No. 102 Ordnance Depot Company. Colored troops from the 349th and 350th Artillery Regiments of the 92nd Division were also among the units briefly stationed at Camp Dix.

** History of the 307th Field Artillery - 1917-1919 / hardcover, 296 pages with illustrations, photos and fold-0ut maps / no other info, but I know this was published prior to 1921.

** Memories of the 309th Field Artillery / hardcover / 193 pages with illustrations, photos and maps / copyright 1920, by William E. McCarthy, Sergeant major, Second battalion.

** History Co. C, 312th / softcover / 84 pages with illustrations, photos and 24" fold-out photo. No other info on this one yet but WWI period published.

** #48 The Mobilization Plan of the 78th (1924).


1b) 78th INFANTRY DIVISION in WWII
Courtesy of Tom MacKnight and Ralf Klodt

** Div Historical Society. Lightning: The History of the 78th Infantry Division. Wash, DC: Inf Jrnl Pr, 1947. 309 p. #05-78.1947. WW2

** 78th Division - History of the 78th Division - reprint of the1947 edition, Battery Press $50 - send check made payable to the 78th Division Association and mail it to: John C. Swengel, 508 Orange Drive Apt 12, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (phone 1-407-260-2438). Price includes postage and handling.

** U.S. Army. ETO. Lightning: The Story of the 78th Infantry Division. Paris, 1945. 33 p. #05-78.1945. Small booklet covering the history of the 78th Infantry Division. This booklet is one of the series of G.I. Stories published by the Stars & Stripes in Paris in 1945.

** "Stop the presses" (Addendum to the "Lightning" booklet above, About the Ruhr Pocket Operation

** Parker, Major General Edwin P., Jr., Memoirs of Edwin P. Parker. The 78th (Lighting) Division Veterans Association, Durham: A. Printing Company, 1976. 66p.

** ___. "A Guide for New Soldiers, 78th Division", 78th Infantry Division, Camp Butner, North Carolina, 1942, 24p.

** ___. "An Illustrated Guide to the City of Berlin, US Headquarters Berlin District", 78th Division G-2 Section, 1945, 48 p.

___. Berlin. "VIEWS AND FACTS ABOUT BERLIN, GERMANY" As seen Through The Eyes Of American soldier and intended for the folks and friends at home. Prepared under the direction of 78th Division Special Services Office, Text by 1st Lt. Cedric L. White, 309th Inf, Photography and Editorial Supervision by Capt James E. MacLane, Sgt Jesse G. Reynolds, and Berlin Photo Center, Idea & Layout William Wintzer and Printed by Rasche & Co.KG Wiesbaden-Biebrich. No date in the book, but it would be during WWII. This book's covers are a card-board type material, the book measures 4 1/2 X 6 inches and there are 78 pages.

Plonski, Edward, "Rhine Journey: Stories of the Men of the 78th." The 78th (Lighting) Division Veterans Association, Durham: A. Printing Company.

**___ . Lightning - 78th Infantry Division, Turner Publishing Company, KY, 1987, 1996, 176 p.

309th INFANTRY REGIMENT

** Lockhart, Thomas P. "Diehard": History of the 309th Infantry Regiment. n.p., 1990. 38 p. #603-309.1990.

** Men of Diehard: An Address Book of the Men of the Three Hundred Ninth Infantry Regiment, 1944-1945. Marburg (Lahn), Germany: Eukerdruck K.-G., 1945. 146 p. #603-309.1945.

** "Diehard - Your Regiment"

310th INFANTRY REGIMENT

Fondiller, Harvey V., ed. Fighting the War-Guarding the Peace: A Summary of the Story of the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th "Lightning" Division in Combat and in the Army of Occupation. Berlin: 1946. 18 p. #603-310.1946/2.

** Loos, John D., ed. Combat Diary Fighting Fox: Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe. F Company/310th Regiment, n.p., 1945. 87 p.hard cover #603-310.1945.

** Durk, Robert A., Ed., Blue Infantrymen: The Combat History of the Third Battalion, 310th Infantry Regiment, Seventy-Eighth "Lightning" Division. n.p., 1946. 101 p. #603-310.1946.

** Zitwer, Eugene, E Company, 310 Inf. Regiment, 78th Division - There's Another Wooded Hill Right Up The Road So, "Take It Easy". 1945. 75p.

** ___. The Story of the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division, in the War Against Germany, 1942-1945. Berlin: Tempelhof, 1945. 360 p. #603-310.1945/2.

"Lightning Bug". Softcover, 12" x 8.5" size, 32 pages, printed in Berlin, May 1946.

"I Company. 310th", compiled by Berwyn Fred, a member of the 78th Division Veterans Association. Never Published. Contact Division historian for copy.

311th INFANTRY REGIMENT

** A History of the 311th Timberwolf Infantry Regiment: First Across the Rhine. n.p., 1945. 23 p. #603-311.1945/2.

** Lipsius, Major Joseph, ed., Combat Journal: The Story of the Timberwolf Regiment of the 78th Lightning Division in World War II, 1944-1945. Fulda, Germany: Parzeller, 1945. 142 p. #603-311.1945/2.

307th FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION

"Roll Call", with Map "128 Days with Headquarters Battery of 307th F.A. Bn, unknown number of pages (note: a two page copy of it appears in January 2004 FLASH on pages 56-57)

308th FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION

308th Field Artillery Battalion , 23 pages with supplement Pictorial 308th Field Artillery Battalion, 7 pages

309th FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION

Diary of Battery "C" 309th Field Artillery Battalion, 78th Infantry Division. n.p., 1945? 13 p. #202-309FA.1945a.

U.S. Army. 309th Field Arty Bn., Dixon Charlie - Combat History of Battery C, 309th Field Artillery Battalion, World War II. n.p., 1947? 67 p. #202-309FA.1947. ?)

Our Utmost Always - the 309th Field Artillery Battalion, World War II European Theatre of Operations Privately Published at the Rumford Press, 1947.

903rd FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION

Combat History of Battery "B", 903rd Artillery Battalion. n.p., 1945? 27 p. #202-903FA.1945.

History of Headquarters Battery, Nine Hundred Third Field Artillery Battalion, 78th Infantry Division, 15 August 1942 to 10 November 1945. n.p., 1946. 48 p. #202-903FA.1946.

History by Service Company. (mentioned by Division Historian Stan Polny)

Irving, Colonel Thurman, A History of the 903rd Field Artillery Battalion, 1942-1946

303rd ENGINEER (COMBAT) BATTALION

** Baumann, Martin J., History, 303rd Engineer [C] Battalion. Berlin: Druckhaus Tempelhof, 71p.

The Combat Outline of the first Platoon, Company C, 303rd Engineer Battalion. n.p.

78th QUARTER MASTER COMPANY

None Known.

303rd MEDICAL BATTALION

None Known.

78th SIGNAL COMPANY

** Little Things, Druckhaus Tempelhof, Berlin - Tempelhof

78th RECON TROOP

None Known.

778TH ORDINANCE (LIGHT MAINTENANCE) COMPANY

778th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company

552nd ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BATTALION

+ "Mission Accomplished, A Brief Narrative of the 552nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Moble), World War II - Part I"

+ "Mission Accomplished, A Brief Narrative of the 552nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Moble), World War II - Part II"

1c) 78th Division Code Names in WWII
Courtesy of Tom MacKnight, Stan Polny, John Binkley and Ralf Klodt

List of radio and phone code names (call signs) for message traffic on the communications net.

*** Note: work is still on-going in this new section***

Division

78th HQ - Discus (Major General Parker: Discus 6)
78th Division Artillery - Disarm
78th Signal Company - Dipole
78th Recon Troop - Driveway
78th Military Police (MP) Platoon - Druid
78th Quartermaster Company (QM) - Dreamland
78th Antitank Company - Able Tare
778th Ordnance Company - Draglink

Regiment

309th - Diehard 310th - Diploma 311th - Disburse

Battalion (general designations)

1st - Red
2nd - White
3rd - Blue

Company (general designations, phonetic alphabet)

A - Able
B - Baker
C - Charlie
D - Dog
E - Easy
F - Fox
G - George
H - How
I - Item
K - King
L - Love
M - Mike

Individuals

Commanding Officer - 6
Executive Officer (second in command) - 5
S4-Officer (logistics/bulk supply) - 4
S3-Officer (operations) - 3
S2-Officer (intelligence) - 2
S1-Officer (personnel) - 1

Attachments

303rd Combat Engineer Battalion (ECB) - Dogma
303rd Medical Battalion - ??
307th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) - Diary
308th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) - Dissect
309th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) - Dixon
903rd Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) - Displace
552nd Automatic-Anti-Aircraft (AAA) Battalion - Discover
774th Tank Battalion - Black Cat
893rd Tank Battalion - Vicar
709th Tank Battalion - ??
656nd Tank Destroyer (TD) Battalion - Devilfish (at least parts of it in March 1945)
62d Armored Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) self-propelled (SP) - Valve (a few days in Dec. 1944)
52d Armored Infantry Battalion - Collar
90th Mortar Battalion - Lobster (Company B, March 11th - 16th 1945)
102nd Cavalry ReconnaissanceGroup - Vertical (December 1944/January 1945)

IX TAC Forward Controller - Foundation

Unknowns

?? - Diehard Brown
?? - Diehard Green
?? - Healthy (Air Observer for Artillery?)
?? - Valve (Air Observer for Artillery?)
?? - Vanity (Air Command?)
?? - BuzzSaw (member of general staff? Brigadier General Rice?)
?? - Capt. Bulwinkle ??
?? - Notorious
?? - Sunray

2. Other Books and Writings

Miller, Edward G., Desperate Hours at Kesternich, World War II, Volume II, Number 4, November 1996, Cowles Enthusiast Media, History Group, Leesburg, Va.

Miller, Edward G., A Dark and Bloody Ground, The Hürtgen Forest and the Roer River Dams, 1944-1945. College Station, Texas A&M University Press, 1995.

WW1 - The American Expeditionary Forces , from the The Digital Bookshelf. Each division has a "home page" which provides basic information about that division and links to product flyers of currently available digitized documents. Click on the name of the division to get to the division's page. If you have a unit but don't know which division to look up, use the division unit chart link below. (Note: underline text are linked to Digital Bookshelf website)

3. Finding and Telling Your Father's World War II Story

This site is an excellent introduction to performing research, has many references and tips.

4. Institutional Information Sources

[Letter from Tom MacKnight to your webmaster Greg Farrell, dated 30 May 1999. Reprinted by the kind permission of Tom MacKnight to help all those pursuing information on 78th Division family members who served.]

I do not know if I can offer any additional help in your search, but during my research, I have found a variety of sources for information. I have found the Internet extremely valuable as a research aid. I have found all sorts of leads that I would have taken months or years to uncover. But, although I have found a great number of leads for information, I have still had to write quite a few letters to get real documentation. Perhaps a few of my findings can help.

NEW! Added 04-Aug-08 "Researching Modern Military Records at NARA" by Tom MacKnight

4.1 National Archives

http://www.archives.gov/index.html

The National Archives in Washington, DC, has a wealth of information, but it can be daunting trying to ask the proper questions to get results. When writing them, you need to give them all the information you can as to dates and units. Since Dad's unit was attached to the 309th, I have queried the Archives on that unit's records. They exist in the Records of the Adjunct General's Office (RG 407). The following is a list of files in Record Group 407 for the 309th [Infantry Regiment of the 78th Division] (as an example):

The Archives will make copies of files for you, but there is a charge. You can request a quote for copies from the Archives in writing to the address given below. Include in your request the file numbers and dates you in which you are interested. The Archive will send you back a quote in the form of an order for the files requested. They prefer that you limit your request for quote to no more than 5 files at a time.

In explanation, the following describes the Army's jargon for Journal Types:

For example I requested quotes for the following files, and they came to a total of $70. As of yet I have not sent the order form back to request these records.

4.2 After Action Reports

Courtesy of Tom MacKnight

The National Archives and Records Administration has (NARA) has After/Action Reports (A/A Reports) for each infantry division, infantry regiment, armored division, and in some cases for smaller units such as armored battalions. But in the case of the infantry units the smallest unit level where records were retained were the regiment. Company and Battalion level records were rolled up into the regiment A/A. These reports were filed for each month.

The format for an A/A was somewhat standard. I will not go into it here, but it included sections for the G-2 and S-2 to include their findings and analysis. So I would just request the whole report for the 309th regiment for the month of March. I believe that if you just ask for the A/A report you may not get all that exists in the records. There are two other types of reports (and I think of these as part of the A/A, but I¡¦m not sure the NARA researchers do). These are the Operations Journal and the Overlays.

The Operations Journal is a kind of moment by moment record of operations. But it is a recording of the main radio communication that went on between its subordinate units. This is not a literal word-for-word transcript, but a paraphrase of the transmissions. It is quite useful to pin down some events.

The Overlays are daily maps that were made showing things that were important to the operation. They contain aspects that are recon/intelligence based, but also contain the position and disposition of units. The format and content of information is not standard by any means. These are simply notes on a piece of tracing paper ¡§overlayed¡¨ over a 1:25,000 scale map. These are notes scribbled in the overlay. The quality varies substantially with what pencil was found by whoever wrote the particular note. The note may be ¡§yellow flare 1300¡¨ or ¡§local counterattack by 20 enemy¡¨ or such. Bland as most of the notations seem, these maps often contain information found no where else.

I'll include a sample letter so you can see how to request the records. The process is simple, but time consuming. You send a letter requesting the material. The letter is assigned to a researcher at NARA. The researcher goes into the warehouse and looks in the appropriate box or boxes and finds the material you are asking for. He then notes how many pages of material you want. Then he writes you a cover letter with a quotation form for that number of pages. You send a check or money order (I think they also now accept most major credit cards.) back to NARA, attention to the researcher, with the quotation form. The researcher has the box pulled and sent with the quotation to the copy room. They make your copies and send them to you. So it takes several weeks for all of this to take place. NARA is not slow and you generally hear back from them in three or maybe four weeks.

4.3 Morning Reports

Now Morning Reports are a different matter entirely. They are company level records which were turned in daily and their information was sometimes used to create a part of the regimental A/A. But their main purpose was to report manpower -- the loss of men due to WIA or KIA and the addition of replacements. Sometimes they contain some level of reporting of a general nature but they are mainly personnel oriented. These are not kept in the DC area, but at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. While you can visit NARA in College Park, you cannot visit the National Personnel Records Center. It is run by NARA, but it really exists purely as a records group for the arms of the service -- kind of like a human resources records group.

They keep two types of records here. The unit personnel records, which in WWII were called Morning Reports. And of individual records. Many of the WWII records were destroyed in a fire that occurred in 1973. Some still exist, but it takes a massive effort to get the records center to move to reconstruct the record. Persistence to the point of badgering is the key for individual records that they say were destroyed in the fire. Of course not all of the records of the certain segment of the alphabet were destroyed, but they give a pat answer at first. It is a lot of work for them to go back to the damaged microfilm (if it wasn't indeed totally destroyed). In general reconstructing an individuals records can be done with some success from other sources.

If you are looking for records other than those of an individual or the effort requires the center to spend time reconstructing a file as best as they can, the center has a flat hourly fee for the effort and you pay the bill when they are done. So you open your pocketbook to them (I don't believe they misuse the opportunity or bilk anyone but you won't know what it costs until they are done). The National Personnel Records Center has a standard form for requesting records and it is, as far as I know, the only way to communicate with them. If they don't send you copies based on your request, then you get a letter explaining why and they may offer to do the search to the hourly rate. So all you can to is fill the form out. The form is available on the National Personnel Records Center's web site in the form of a PDF file.

You can try and send them a letter and I'll include a sample if you want to try that approach. You may also try to use you uncle as a reason for the request if you are limiting the search to just his company and you can do this on the form. For more than your uncle, I'd try to use a letter. In recent years, although they insist you can only communicate with them using the form, they have been more open to helping researchers via the hourly fee approach. Bracket your dates a day or so each side the time period you think you need.

Hope this helps. If you have other questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them for you. In the mean time, I encourage you to send any copies of records you get to Stan Pony for his records.

Tom

4.4 Sample Letters to NARA

January 27, 2004

Your address goes here

Modern Military Records (NWCTM)
National Archives at College Park
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am interested in obtaining copies of records from the Records of the Adjunct General's Office (RG 407). I would like a price quote for the following records of the 309th Infantry Regiment of the 78th Infantry Division during WW2:

1) After Action Reports
2) Operation Journals
3) Overlays

For each of the files above I would like quotes for the period of March 1945.

Any help you can offer in my getting copies these records will be greatly appreciated.

Cordially,

Sue Smith

Phone (Daytime): 999-555-1212
Phone (Evening): 999-555-1213
Email: sue_smith@xyz.com

January 19, 2001

Your address goes here

National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am searching for records about my uncles's service during WWII in the European Theatre of Operations, primarily unit operational records such as Morning Reports.

My uncle, KIA, was HIS NAME HERE (Service Number HIS SERVICE NUMBER).

During this time he was in the 1st Battalion of the 309th Infantry Regiment. During action dated March 20th to 21st. He was KIA. I am requesting Morning Reports for the following:

X Company C of 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division on the days of 19th to 22nd of March 1945.

Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Cordially,

John Jones

Phone (Daytime): 999-555-1212
Phone (Evening): 999-555-1213
Email: john_jones@xyz.com

4.5 National Personnel Records Center


One Approach to Research

[Letter from Tom MacKnight to Greg Farrell, webmaster]

The National Personnel Records Center houses the records for all military service personnel. You can request your Uncle's military record from them. They suffered a severe fire in 1973, and many of the records for WWII Army personnel were destroyed, but they can attempt to recreate your Uncle's records if his were among those destroyed.

Their web site is at http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records.html
It has the forms to request a service record for an individual in .PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader) format.

Mailing address:


The National Personnel Records Center is also the official holder of "Morning Reports". Morning Reports list members of units who experienced a change of status such as discharge, death, temporary duty, absence, return from absence, reassignment, hospitalization, and sometimes details of a unit's movements or activities. You can write them and request the morning reports for the 78th Infantry Division, 309th Infantry Regiment, Company C, for the time when your Uncle was killed. I would suggest you ask for the day before and at least a week afterward. During combat, things are not always recorded properly, or in a timely manner. Men were not recorded as MIA or KIA until the event was verified after the confusion of combat. Since the Americans were taking ground during the time of your Uncle's death, it is more likely he is recorded on the next day's report, but you never know for sure. The morning reports for your Uncle's Company should show him as KIA. In addition, sometimes if you're lucky, a brief description of the events of the day are also recorded in the morning reports. Be sure to mention that you are requesting information via the Freedom of Information Act in some way such as:

"I am searching for records, under the Freedom of Information Act, about my Uncle's service during WWII in the European Theatre of Operations, primarily unit operational records such as Morning Reports."

I also located copies of the following books using the Internet search engines of Barnes and Noble, and Alibris.com. Although there are many other locations on the Web where you can search for used books and booksellers who specialize in WWII, these produced the quickest results for me. I searched using the strings "78th" and "310th".

Cahn, Miles, et. al., LIGHTNING, The History of The 78th Infantry Division. Washington: Infantry Journal, Inc., 1947.

Hatch, Gardner. LIGHTNING, 78th Infantry Division Association. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 1996.

___. The Story of the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division, in the War Against Germany, 1942-1945. Berlin: Tempelhof, 1945.

LIGHTNING by Miles Cahn, is the offical history of the 78th Division and has some description on the action before and after the capture of the Remagen Bridge. I noticed from your Web page that you already have this book. I think it is an honor for your Uncle is listed in the Honor Roll and the Purple Heart memorials in the back of this book. I guess because my Dad was MIA, the record of his medals, and other POWs I know of, did not make the listings in the book. The story of the 310th is not likely to be of interest to you, but I list it as an example of what can be found. LIGHTNING by Gardner Hatch is kind of like a year book. The history contained in it came directly from Cahn's book, but it also has some additional stories as well as names and pictures of Association members.

I used Hatch's LIGHTNING to develop a list of possible members who may have known my Dad. I also contacted some members, who were nice enough to look through their copy of the 78th Infantry Division Association members to help me develop my list of contacts. I do not have the book, but from what I gather, when you join the Association you receive a book with the names and addresses of other members. It includes the regiment and company of the member. You yourself can join the Association as a family member of a veteran of the 78th. The dues are $15.00 per year or $100.00 for a lifetime membership. I believe this also entitles you to a subscription to the Association's quarterly publication, "The Flash".

If you haven't read Ken Hechler's "The Bridge at Remagen", you may wish to do so. Ken Hechler was a U.S. Army historian, and he conducted Combat Interviews as well as interviews of the German military comanders after the end of the war. It is considered by many to be the definitive description of the events (I feel Cahn's LIGHTNING to be more detailed from the point of view of the 78th). It is a very good book. My paperback copy belonged to my Dad and is autographed by Hechler. It is quite delicate and falling apart. You could likely find a used copy using the Internet.

I mentioned that Hechler conducted "Combat Interviews". The U.S. Army conducted these as a sort of debriefing of the men after combat. I have not deeply delved into these, but they seem to be a quite promising source of information. From what I know, they are organized according to date. I would guess that "date" means when the interview was conducted. The interview of a soldier may cover a multiple actions over several weeks and may have been made weeks after the action. Once again, I have not dug into the material, so I am not sure of this. They are only available on microfilm as far as I know. There are three organizations that I know hold copies of these interviews: the National Archives (NARA), The Combined Arms Research Library, and a company called University Microfilms International (UMI).

Of course you need to write the Archives for a quote on any interviews you get from them. This seems like a shot in the dark to get what you want from them, but the research aids are very familiar with the material they hold, and may actually save you countless hours at a microfilm reader. There are several sources, and from what I have been told, more than one version of the Combat Interviews (i.e. one source's interview may be different from the same interview from another source). From what I have been told, the Combat Interviews available from the The Combined Arms Research Library, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 66027, via inter-library loan as long as the material is not considered classified and most WWII stuff would not be classified. Your local library can tell you how to go about a request for a loan. The final source, UMI, is actually a company that makes and sells microfilm and CD information to Universities. You would not likely be able to afford to purchase a copy from them, but they could likely tell you to whom they have sold copies. As an aside, UMI has a web site at URL= http://www.umi.com/ UMI's address and phone numbers are as follows:

The Center of Military History is yet another source for information. They also have a Web site at URL = http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/. Many of the files in RG 407 of the Archives were transferred from the CMH and are no longer in their holdings. They still have some material though. For the 78th, I found the following listed in their holdings:

Div Hist Society. Lightning: The History of the 78th Infantry Division. Wash, DC: Inf Jrnl Pr, 1947. 309 p. #05-78.1947.

Hatch, Gardner. 78th Infantry Division. Paducah, KY: Turner Pub Co, 1987. 128 p. #05-78.1987. Incls pictorial roster of veterans.

Rice, John K. Papers. 2 Bxs. Arch. Biog material & corresp, chiefly covers 1945-59 while CG of 78th, 12th & 6th Divs.

Stanton, Shelby L. Order of Battle, U.S. Army, World War II. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1984. pp. 145-47. UA25.5S767.1984.

U.S. Army. ETO. Lightning: The Story of the 78th Infantry Division. Paris, 1945. 33 p. #05-78.1945.

___. Order of Battle of the United States Army, World War II: European Theater of Operations, Divisions. Paris: 1945. pp. 248-56. D767U52.

The last entry "Order of Battle" is available on their web site. They will also have some holdings specific to the 309th Regiment. Look on their web site for "A Working Bibliography of MIH Sources for the 309th Infantry Regiment." In case you wish to inquire about any of their holdings, their address and phone number is:

I ran across a unpublished memoir from Robert W. Cromer of the 309th, 3rd Battalion, L Company. He describes some of the action around Remagen, but does not specifically address Stieldorf. It is available free of charge from the address below, or you can eMail Annie Wedekind, Assistant Director, at her eMail address: awedekin@uno.edu.

I wish you luck in researching your Uncle's military service. Although the chances are slim that, some 55 years later, that someone will be able to tell you the exact fate of your Uncle, the history of the greater events he went through is certainly available. It takes persistence, grabbing a piece here and there, and putting them together. I hope what I have provided here can be of some assistance. You may have already discovered some of the sources I cite here. If you feel I can help in any other way, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Cordially, Tom MacKnight

Phone (Evening): 864-243-2587

4.6 U.S. Army Military History Institute (MHI)

4.6.1 How to Research MHI

(answer to an inquiry for help from Jim Hughes, B Co., 303rd Engineers, Ramsey, NJ - courtesy Tom MacKnight)

Jim,

My name is Tom MacKnight. Greg Farrell passed your email on to me. The research article was originally an email to Greg, which he then posted on the 78th ID web site, and Stan Polny published in The FLASH. I haven't gone back to see what I'd written, but the "Rice Papers" are not at the Center for Military History (CMH), but rather they are located at the Military History Institute (MHI).

The MHI has an online search system, kind of like a card catalog.

You can go to this page and type in "John Rice" and the material you seek will show up in the search results.

When the search results appear, you will see something like "Record 1" for the "John K. Rice Papers." Click on the word "Record 1" and a full description will appear.

Now, how to go about getting copies of anything you want. Well it seems that there is quite a bit of information in "The John K. Rice Papers," so it may be difficult to find what is there without actually going to the MHI, which is located at Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. But you can contact them by email, or write them if you wish. Since you access to the internet, I suggest you go to the MHI homepage at http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/

Once you are there, you will see some text "Contacting/Visiting USMHI." Click on that test and it will bring up a web page which has several links to subjects such as, "Email," "Mail," "Facsimile," "Telephone," "Visiting MHI," and "Local Accommodations."

In dealing with organizations of the government, as you might expect most are time consuming and lengthy processes. But, I've found the MHI to be a jewel in the crown. They are simply great and will normally go out of their way to be of service. If you do go to Carlisle Barracks, be sure to telephone or write ahead to let them know what day you are coming. That way they can locate the material (boxes) containing the "Rice Papers" and have them ready when you arrive. Ask about copying. Find out what the cost is and how to pay for it. You may need to bring several rolls of dimes with you when you visit.

If you have a pretty good idea what you want you can write the MHI and as for a quote for copies of the material. They will send you a quote for the material and then you can put a check in the mail, along with a copy of the quote and you should receive your material in a matter of a few weeks.

I hope this is of some help. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Best Regards, Tom

4.6.2 U.S. Army Military History Institute Files

- courtesy Tom MacKnight

U.S. Army Military History Institute (MHI) - Main Page

78th Infantry division on parade from Camp Butner (camp opened on June 15, 1942 - closed in 1945, [Nov. 12, 1945?]) ("Charles H. Cooper, Photographer. Herald-Sun Papers, Durham, N.C.").  Source is from the special collections, online, of the Duke University Library.

4.6.3 MHI References on the 78th Division (click link)

4.7 Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)

(Excerpt from letter received from Wayne Fortune to Greg Farrell, date 29 May 1999, and reprinted by permission)

The address below is the return address that is on the information we received:

ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION ATTN; TAPC-ALP-A (FOIA) DCS PERSONNEL AND LOGISTIC 200 STOVALL STREET ALEXANDRIA, VA 22332-0405

The initial request was sent to the address below. I requested in that letter my Uncle's 293 file. In the letter we received in the information packet it is referred to as the "INDIVIDUAL DECEASED PERSONNEL FILE (IDPF)".

I included the standard information in my letter: name, rank, serial number, unit, date of death, etc.

These are copies of the original field records concerning where the body was found, type of injuries, etc. It also gives details to who requested the body to be returned to the states and copy of letters sent to get the body returned etc. I should warn you that these are actual field records and are graphic in detailing injuries. An additional level of certainty was added when my Father read letters that is in his Father's hand writing requesting the return of my Uncle's body.

I think that you will be happy with the turn around time on your request. My request letter was dated August 8, 1998 and the letter in the packet is dated August 24, 1998.

Wayne and A.E. Fortune

4.8 Researching Records of World War II Prisoners of War, 1942 - 1947

If your next of kind was ever a POW during WW2, you can find them in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) web site.

It is kind of a painful process to drill down to the POW data base, but here is the process:

1) Go to the web page: http://www.archives.gov/aad/index.html This is the NARA AAD or "Access to Archival Database"

2) Click on the big red "Search" button in the upper left hand corner of the page.

3) In the "Subject" field, click on the down box arrow and go all the way to the bottom and click on "World War, 1939, 1945."

4) Click the submit button

5) Click on the hot link "Records of World War II Prisoners of War, 1942 - 1947"

6) Click on the big red "Select" button.

7) Go down in the search form and enter your dad's last name or his ASN.

8) Click on the "Search" button.

Find the name in the list. If you want a little more information, you check the box in the left-most column and then click the "Show Selected Records" button. If you want, you can modify the search data in the page from step 7 using the "Customize Search" option. This allows you to search by any field in the database.

For example: you could chose the "Parent Unit Number" and search by "0310" for the 310 Infantry and get a list of all men captured during WWII for the 310th. Also you could select the date and get all of the men captured for the month of December 1944. Knowing the history of the unit, you can determine who from the 310th was reported captured on 16 December, and those men would have been captured at Kesternich.



4.9 Researching World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1945

This is a database off all Army and Army Air Corps men who served in WWII who were inducted from 1938-1945.

1. Similar to above, but at step 5 you would go to Series: World War II Army Enlistment Records, 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002 (URL=http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series_description.jsp?series_id=3360&coll_id=null)

2) Click on the big red "Select" button.

3) Go down in the search form and enter your dad's last name or his ASN.

4) Click on the "Search" button.

Find the name in the list. If you want a little more information, you check the box in the left-most column and then click the "Show Selected Records" button. If you want, you can modify the search data in the page from step 7 using the "Customize Search" option. This allows you to search by any field in the database.

Example: If I look for a dad using his name "Mac Knight" (with a space Between "Mac" and "Knight" as was often the case at that time) you would come up with a list that not only includes your dad, but several of his cousins.

Lastly, and perhaps the best thing about this database for researchers of units is that you can download your search results to your hard-drive in what is called "CSV" format. CSV is a text based file format that uses comma to separate the fields in the database. It is what you'd call a universal format. MS Excel, MS Access, and most other spreadsheet and database programs can read this format.

5. Maps

The Lyken's Map  

Thanks to Ralf Klodt, this map has been re-imaged in remarkable clarity, and made available through the website for the dedicated researcher, veterans, family members or visitors. This was a large captured wartime German map that PFC (later T/Sgt) B.M. Lykens ASN 33931109 of HQ Company, 3rd Battalion of the 311th Infantry Regiment, traced the regiment's 78th Division route of march from roughly Aachen in the west (panel 7) to roughly Marburg in east (panel 9). Each file is quite large (approximately 1.5 MB each) that can be downloaded or viewed online (you need high speed or broadband internet for best viewing or download speeds) for detailed research. Each panel can be zoomed in upon to read detailed town and terrain feature names. Remagen appears on panel 8.

The original German map was cut and broken down into 6 rows by 6 columns, and laminated onto a German gray oilskin cloth, so it could be folded repeatedly and never tear. The map is very detailed and measures 33 " X 48" (84 cm x 108 cm) overall. Each individual section measures approximately 14 cm x 18 cm. Since the 78th Division activity was contained within a fewer number of panels than the total map, only 18 of the 36 panels have been made available for downloading, with each file containing 2 panels of the map.

Click the panel link in the table below or right click and select "Save As" to download image

Front Cover Panel of Map

Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3
Panel 4 Panel 5 Panel 6
Panel 7 Panel 8 Panel 9

This image shows a composite of the 18 panels


78th WW2 Division Battle or Operations Route Map


Courtesy of Ronnie Shelor

Full Size - 18 Megabytes (right click > save as)

Medium Size - 2.6 Megabytes (click to view or right click > save as

6. Other Sources

Internet Sources for Information and Research on 78th Division family members

The following two links were provided by Tom MacKnight - they really work. Exercise some patience and take your time when you use these. Some experimentation is required.

http://ancestry.com/ - Subscription Service for locating family history and people, and other information.

http://www.rootsweb.com/ - Free service for Genealogy Searches, locator and accessing the Social Security Death Index

http://www.abmc.gov/ - American Battle Monuments Commission homepage now has an online search for KIA'd soldiers and location of internment.

http://www.findagrave.com/ - can help you locate name to cemetary - has access to the National Registries

7. Advanced Research Section

AOL Is shutting down the X-drive forever, effective 12-Jan-2009. There is no plan or funding to move this file hosting elsewhere. However, we have limited diskspace available on our host website thanks to Pacific Online, about 300 MB of space. We had used 5 Gigabytes on the AOL X-drive already. Your webmaster will place and rotate select documents and unit histories on the host server as time permits.

To access the index: http://www.78thdivision.org/X-Drive-files.htm

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