Hi Kate,
No problem, we're here to help each other.
Thanks for the additonal information on your father.
You know you can ask for his military record in Missouri (National Personnel Records Center)?
A bronze arrowhead denotes he participated in an amphibious assault. As the 14th Armored Division landed at Marseille, France, on 29 October 1944, your father probably was with another unit before that date as he was in
. His military record will reveal what units he was in.Algeria france Morrocco Tunisia Sicily Naple Foggia Rome arno
I think he might have been transferred to the 14th Armored Division either around the end of 1944 or at war's end.
Maybe he didn't have enough points to return with his former unit to the US and had to stay on occupational duty in 1945 (The 14th Armored Division was inactivated on 16 September 1945.).
Some little bits of information regarding your father's unit and the 14th Armored Division:
January 1, 1945 — In the Seventh Army area in southern France, the Germans launched Operation Northwind, an attack designed to take advantage of Third Army's turn to the north toward Bastogne in support of First Army. The attack began several hours before midnight on 31 December 1944. The 1st Battalion, 540th Engineer Combat Regiment, assembled at Baerenthal, France, organizing as infantry to help meet the enemy advance into its area. Companies B and C stood in the main line with a cavalry reconnaissance squadron and an armored infantry battalion. Two platoons of Company A assaulted German positions to open a path for isolated elements of the 125th Armored Engineer Battalion.
14th Armored Division - order of battle & staff
Hopefully, this helps a little.
Erwin