387th Inf Reg - 97th Inf Div

[Walt's Daughter]

Received a letter this evening from a gentleman requesting info for his father who was a member of the 387th Infantry Regiment.

 

Hello my name is Steve,.....I'm not too knowledgeable on computers.

I'm looking up some info for my Dad.

He was in the 387th Infantry Regiment.

How could I get pictures when he was in Europe and Japan?.....How can I get more info on Commander, Col.William Long, such as hometown and where he settled after the war.

Anything you can give me I will greatly appreciate.

thank you,

Steve Robles

 

 

Well, here's some info for you and your father. First off the 387th was part of the 97th Infantry Division.

 

97th Infantry Division - World War II

 

Activated: 25 February 1943.

Overseas: 19 February 1945, for the ETO; 28 August 1945, for the Pacific Theater.

Campaigns: Central Europe.

Days of combat: 41 (ETO).

Awards: MH-1; DSC-1; DSM-1; SS-61; LM-2; SM-3; BSM-206.

Commanders: Maj. Gen. Louis A. Craig (4 February 1943-19 January 1944), Brig. Gen. Milton B. Halsey (20 January 1944-24 September 1945), Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (24 September 1945 to inactivation).

Returned to U.S.: 26 June 1945, from the ETO.

Overseas: 16 September 1945, to the Philippine Islands.

Inactivated: 31 March 1946 in Japan.

Combat Chronicle

 

The 97th Infantry Division landed at Le Havre, France, 2 March 1945, and moved to Camp Lucky Strike. On 28 March, the Division crossed the German border west of Aachen and took up a defensive position along the west bank of the Rhine River opposite Dusseldorf, engaging in patrolling. The 97th entered the battle of the Ruhr pocket, crossing the Rhine near Bonn, 3 April, and taking up a position on the southern bank of the Sieg River. It crossed that river, 7 April, against light resistance and fought a street-to-street engagement in Siegburg on the 10th. Pushing on toward Dusseldorf through difficult terrain and heavy resistance in densely wooded areas, the Division captured Solingen, 17 April. Dusseldorf fell on the next day and the Ruhr pocket was eliminated. Moving to protect the left flank of the Third Army on its southern drive, the 97th took Cheb, Czechoslovakia, on 25 April 1945 and attacked the Czechoslovak pocket near Widen, Germany, on the 29th. It had advanced to Konstantinovy Lazne, Czechoslovakia, when it received the cease-fire order on 7 May. The Division left for Le Havre, 16 June 1945, for redeployment to the Pacific, arriving at Cebu, Philippine Islands, 16 September, and then sailed to Japan for occupation duty, arriving at Yokohama 23 September 1945.

 

Assignments in the ETO

 

30 January 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group. // 28 March 1945: XXII Corps. // 1 April 1945: First Army, 12th Army Group. // 10 April 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps. // 19 April 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group. // 22 April 1945: XII Corps. // 28 April 1945: First Army, 12th Army Group. // 30 April 1945: V Corps. // 6 May 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group.

General

 

Nickname: Trident.

Shoulder patch: A vertical trident in white on a blue background.

 

Here are the division components:

 

303rd Infantry Regiment

386th Infantry Regiment

387th Infantry Regiment

 

97th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)

322nd Engineer Combat Battalion

322nd Medical Battalion

 

 

303rd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

386th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

922nd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

389th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)

 

 

797th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company

97th Quartermaster Company

97th Signal Company

Military Police Platoon

Headquarters Company

Band

 

Here are some contact numbers that you can call and/or write to:

 

387th Infantry, 97th Infantry Division

Mr. Harold A. Rice

Route 1

Hickman, KY 42050

(502) 236-2754

 

387th Infantry Regiment, Co E

Mr. Joe E. Chaves

2040 Fair Park Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90041-1992

(213) 255-8575

 

Here are some other links of interest:

 

This one names one of the men of the 387th as a 2006 honoree:

James A. Faulkner (Bountiful)

U.S. Army: World War II

James A. Faulkner served in World War II, Company B, 1st Battalion, 387th Infantry Regiment, 97th Division. Faulkner was a platoon sergeant who usually went on patrol by himself because he didn’t want his men out there. Once, he saw a German who shot at him and nearly killed him. He survived the war and was awarded the Soldier’s Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

 

http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=103006-1

 

http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/...ration1945.aspx

 

Here is a 97th Inf Div site:

 

http://www.97thdivision.com/

 

Here's a real interesting site. It states the following:

 

97th Infantry Division was credited with firing the last official shot in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II. This shot was fired by PFC Domenic Mozzetta of Company B, 387th Infantry Regiment, 97th Division, fired at a German sniper near Klenovice, Czechoslovakia shortly before midnight, May 7, 1945, thus ending the greatest war in the history of mankind.

 

http://www.calegion.org/html/last_shot_memorial.html

[Walt's Daughter]

Please also check out Ray Repasky's page:

 

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/RayRepasky.htm