T h e "O Z A R K S"
We, at World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words, are beginning a new section which we will be devoting to the men who served in the 102d Infantry Division during World War II.
This division was nicknamed the "Ozarks".
OUR OZARK INSIGNIA
We all recognize our OZARK Patch but we do not all remember the significance of the design. We thought it might be a good idea to refresh the minds of all OZARKS on the meaning of this design. The 102nd Inf. Div. was originally activated as a Reserve Division in 1921 and existed on paper thru the 20s and 30s until it was reactivated in 1942 into the Division we knew. After WWII it became for awhile the top Reserve Division of the Army Reserve in personnel and equipment, located in the St. Louis area. In 1965 it died a McNamara death and later became the 102nd US Army Reserve Command with headquarters in the St. Louis area, which statit holds today, commanded by Brig. Gen. JAMES O. FREESE USAR, with Command Sgt. Maj. GORDON WALKER USAR.
The meaning of the OZARK Insignia is as follows: From the Indian bowsmen who were found by the French explorers in the hills and mountains of Arkansas and Missouri came the Division name and insignia. The French 'Terre Aux Arcs', 'Land of the Bows' became OZARK in American folklore. The arc in the insignia represents a bow superimposed on a circular target, together symbolizing marksmanship. Z completes the design making O-Z&emdash;ARC for OZARK. Gold is for valour on a background of Blue for distinction. MARKSMANSHIP, VALOUR, DISTINCTION were and still are the OZARK ideals.
(From Ozark Notes, Vol. 23, No. 2. 1971-1972, pp. 3)
The division which fought in Belgium, Holland and Germany during the war consisted of the following units:
Unit
Motto
405th Infantry Regiment
"Up Front"
406th Infantry Regiment
"To the Front"
407th Infantry Regiment
"Aux Arcs"
379th F. A. Battalion
"Pro Aris Et Focis"
380th F. A. Battalion
"Alert and Prepared"
381st F. A. Battalion
"Forward Without Fear"
927th F. A. Battalion
"Fortis Sub Forte"
327th Medical Battalion
102d Reconnaissance Troop
"Esto Vigilans"
327th Engineer Combat Battalion
802d Ordnance Company
102d Signal Company
Hq. & Hq. Company
102d Quartermaster Company
Through special arrangements with the 102d Division, we have been given permission to place stories on the following series of pages written by former members of the above units who were attached to the 102d Division.
Already, you have see and read a number of stories from but ONE company, Co. F., 405th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Those Damn Doggies in F, which are currently in place in another section of this web site.
Those stories contain experiences from former Co. F. members such as My Time with the 407th by Edward L. Souder and Gene Greenburg's World War II Diary and Jim Hansen Remembers and the Oral History Tapes of Jim Brophy to mention but a few.
Each story in the Co. F. section is a tale of men at war and the moving experiences of men in combat. If one were to study the stories, one would see that by comparing certain events in some of the stories against a telling of some of the same events as related by another soldier, one can obtain an overall picture of things as it appeared to the men in this unit.
It is also interesting to note that even though two individuals experienced almost the same experience, their recollections were quite different.
Below, we will now be adding stories from other units of the "Ozark" Division. Each story should prove as interesting as the other stories thus far related on these web pages.
Check back often, for we plan to add these stories as quickly as time permits.
We would also welcome any ADDITIONAL stories from former members of the units that made up the 102d Division. We are always looking for new and exciting material.
So, without further commentary, here are stories from men of the 102d "Ozark" Division...
Heroes: the Army
Kitchen Histories Project:
102d "Ozark" Division
A Special Tribute to the Men of:
102nd Division
European Theater of Operations
Kitchen Histories of the 102d Division:
These stories were sent to the various unit historians during the period of time around 1978 - 1980 when the 102d Division began asking its members to write up their World War II experiences in order for the division to collect and maintain a historical record of the men who had served with the 102d Division in the European theater of operations.
The stories were then compiled, organized and edited by the various unit historians and forwarded to the 102d Division historian.
The stories were then routinely picked to appear in the 102d Infantry Division newsletter, the "Ozark Notes", which was printed and distributed to members of the Division Association about 3 to 4 times a year.
Each edition of the "Ozark Notes" carried a number of the men's submitted stories. Below, is a collection of some of the stories that appeared in the various editions of the "Ozark Notes".
They do not appear in any order or sequence.
We, at World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words cannot thank the men of the 102d Infantry Division enough for what they were compelled to do and for saving their experiences for future generations to marvel at. When asked about some of the men who served in the war about their being a "hero" the response was almost always NO -- for each person that I have talked to in the long period of story collecting, will say that they were only doing a job that had to be done.
In their eyes, yes, they may not be a hero, but in the eyes of the succeeding generations, starting with the children of America's Greatest Generation -- a resounding YES, these men were ALL a HERO to us.
Thank You!
the web master
Crossing the Roer River -- Image Series
The Allies Drive for the Rhine
On March 12, 1945, LIFE magazine ran an article on the crossing of the Roer River. This article was by LIFE photographer, Geroge Silk who took some dramatic photographs of just one small part of the crossing. If you wish to read this article and see the haunting images, click on the link below.This article offers an insight into what the men of Co. F experienced.
Images courtesy of Edward L. Souder.
In Honor of the men who served in the
102d Infantry Division,
We are proud to present to you their stories:NOW! 170 STORIES +
and Adding More All the Time!
102d Infantry Divisionthe Kitchen History Stories:
Added on 16
February 2005.
