MILITARY SERIES – After spending 20 years in the military and retiring in 2000 as a First Sergeant from the Wisconsin Army Reserve National Guard, I decided to create this series and dedicate it to all of the men and women that served before me, with me, after me, serve today and those who will serve in future generations.
So looking at this red arrow, why does it have a line through the middle of it? Read on and find out!
The 32nd Sep Inf Bde (M), also know as the 'Red Arrow' has a long and historic lineage but it holds special meaning for me personally. After my three years on active duty, all 17 years of my service in the National Guard were in the 32nd wearing the Red Arrow. While the 32nd originated as the 32nd Division, there have been numerous re-organizations changing the make-up of the units keeping up with the changes and needs of the military. Over the years, one thing that has remained constant, is the Red Arrow. If you have ever driven on Hwy 32 in Wisconsin (which runs north and south, from Illinois to Michigan), you have probally seen the two red arrows on each side of the 32. Hwy 32 is named the 32nd Division Memorial Highway in honor of the 32nd Infantry Division. The 32nd also has the nickname of 'Les Terribles' which is displayed on the unit crest. More on these two notables after a little history lessons to tie it all together!
Now the embarrassing part. From 1971-1981 I lived on Hwy 32 in Oconto County and saw those red arrows every day! I had no idea what they were there for!
In July 1917, only two months after the United States declared war on Germany (April 11, 1917), the 32nd Division was activated after being formed in less than a year from different units from Wisconsin and Michigan.
The 32nd Division arrived on the Western Front in February 1918. The 32nd was the sixth U.S. division to join the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), under General John J. Pershing. The unit's morale was temporarily lessened when they learned they were assigned to create a depot for I Corps that would train replacement soldiers. Major General Haan reminded his commanders that it was every soldier's duty to contribute their best to the war effort, including training replacements. However, Haan lobbied Pershing and after several stormy sessions, finally convinced him that the 32nd could hold its own as a division. Up to this point much of the war had been a stalemate, fought from static trench lines over the same few kilometers of terrain. Over the next six months, the division was under constant fire, with only 10 days' rest. The division took a leading role in three important offensives, fighting on five fronts, suffered more than 14,000 casualties, captured more than 2,000 prisoners, and never yielded ground to the enemy.
Major General James Parker had re-assumed command on 7 December 1917, and led the unit into Alsace in May 1918, attacking 19 kilometers (12 mi) in seven days. During the Battle of Marne, they captured Fismes. The only American unit in French General Charles Mangin's famous 10th French Army, it fought between the Moroccans and the Foreign Legion, two of the best divisions in the French army in the Battle of Oise-Battle of Aisne offensive. The 10th Army took Juvigny. In the five-day battle against five German divisions, the 32nd suffered 2,848 casualties.
On 18 May 1918, four battalions of the 32nd division replaced decimated French troops on the front line at Haute Alsace, along a 17 miles (27 km) front from the Aspach-le-Bas to the Swiss border. The division's units conducted combat patrols into Germany itself, gaining the distinction of being the first US troops to set foot on enemy soil in World War I.
Moving out of their trenches, the division fought continuously for 20 days during the Meuse–Argonne offensive. The division was the front line element of the Third U.S. Army. The Germans were well dug in after four years of trench warfare and had orders to hold the line at all costs. On 14 October at 5:30 am, the division broke through the maze of barbed wire and took the line of trenches forming the Hindenburg Line and moved on to the last German stronghold at Kriemhilde Stellung, where they reached the Meuse River. The 32nd was the first Allied Army unit to penetrate the Hindenburg Line. They then captured Côte Dame de Marie, the key to all the defenses in the area. Over the next five days the division continued to advance while under nearly constant machine gun and artillery fire. The 32nd Division defeated 11 German divisions in the Argonne fighting, including the fearsome Prussian Guards and the German Army's 28th Division, known as Kaiser's Own. The offensive cost the division 5,950 casualties.
Their next objective was to flank the Germans at Metz and they marched 300 kilometers (190 mi) to the Rhine River. There they occupied the center sector in the Koblenz bridgehead for four months, during which they held 400 square kilometers (150 sq mi) and 63 towns.
The division fought in three major offensives, engaging and defeating 23 German divisions. They took 2,153 prisoners and gained 32 kilometers (20 mi), pushing back every German counterattack. During the drive to capture Fismes, they successfully attacked over open ground at great cost.
The authorized strength of the 3rd battalion was 20 officers and 1,000 men, but by 4 August it had only 12 officers and 350 men on the line. As they advanced over 2,100 yards (1,900 m) of mostly open ground, the Germans targeted them with intense artillery and machine gun fire. They were reinforced by the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, which was also under-strength. The 127th Infantry finally captured Fismes, but they lost many men. By the end of the day, the 3rd Battalion had only two officers and 94 men; the 2nd Battalion had five officers and 104 men.
General de Mondesir, the 38th French Corps Commander, which the 32nd served under, went to the front to observe the fighting. When he saw how the 32nd cleared the Germans out of their reinforced positions with unrelenting and successful attacks, he exclaimed, Oui, Oui, Les soldats terribles, tres bien, tres bien! General Charles Mangin heard of it and referred to the 32nd Division as Les Terribles when he asked for the division to join his 10th French Army north of Soissons. He later made the nickname official when he incorporated it in his citation for their attack at Juvigny. The division's shoulder patch, a line shot through with a red arrow, symbolizes the fact that the 32nd Division was the 1st Allied Army unit to penetrate the Hindenburg Line and penetrated every German line of defense that it faced during World War I.
The 32nd continued its legacy through WWII and several other conflicts.
For its efforts in both World Wars, the division has been honored and memorialized by communities throughout the United States and Philippines for its actions. Some of these memorials include:
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The 32nd Division March song, written by Theodore Steinmetz, is still played by marching bands to this day.
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Wisconsin Highway 32 (WIS 32), as well as a portion of former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan (now Red Arrow Highway), are named in honor of the 32nd Infantry Division, and all WIS 32 markers carry the Red Arrow insignia. A memorial plaque describing the division is located at southern end of WIS 32 on Sheridan Road in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Ceremonies were held along the route and included veterans of the Grand Rapids Guard, which had been part of the Thirty-second Division during both world wars.
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Lowell High School in Lowell, Michigan, adopted the nickname Red Arrows in honor of the 32nd Infantry Division shortly after their return.
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A memorial to the division was built in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, Philippines. It is inscribed, "Erected by the officers and men of the 32d Infantry Division United States Army in memory of their gallant comrades who were killed along the Villa Verde Trail 30 January 1945 – 28 May 1945".
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A memorial to the division was built in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, Philippines.
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The Red Arrow Elementary School in Hartford, Michigan, is named for the division
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The Red Arrow High School in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, Philippines was named in honor of the division
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Red Arrow High School logo in the Philippines
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Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee
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Milwaukee built the Red Arrow Park dedicated to the men of the 32nd Red Arrow Division who came from Wisconsin following World War I. When Interstate 43 was built over the site, the park was relocated to a site just north of Milwaukee City Hall at E. State Street and N. Water Street. On 11 November 1984, the city dedicated a red granite monument at the park. At its base is inscribed "Les Terribles".
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Red Arrow Park in Kenosha, Wisconsin is dedicated to the division.
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Red Arrow Park in Manitowoc, Wisconsin is dedicated to the division.
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Red Arrow Park in Marinette, Wisconsin, is dedicated to the division.
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A memorial to the division was built in Arcadia, Wisconsin. It bears the inscription:
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The 32nd Red Arrow Division was first formed in July 1917 at Camp McArthur, Waco, Texas of National Guard units from both Wisconsin and Michigan. Its 27,000 men arrived in Europe in January and February 1918. It was the first division to pierce the famed German Hindenburg line of defense. From a French general, then all French troops, it was given the fearsome name "Les Terribles." This is the division whose shoulder patch is the Red Arrow, shot through a line denoting that it pierced every battle line it ever faced. The 32nd division was inactivated and retired in 1967.
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Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1527 "The Red Arrow Post" in Portage, Michigan is named in their honor.
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Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #5003 "Cockle-Lemanski Post" in Bronson, Michigan is named after Benedict P. Lemanski, a PFC in the 32nd Division, who was killed in action on 28Dec1942.
As a side note, I served in the following units/assignments within the 32nd over those 17 years I mentioned: MP Platoon attached to the 2/127 Inf Battalion in Appleton; MP Platoon in HHC 32nd Sep Inf Bed(M) in Milwaukee; S-2 Section in HHC 32nd Sep Inf Bed(M) in Milwaukee; Det 1 Co C, 173rd Eng Bn in Ripon; HHC 173rd Eng Bn in Onalaska.
If you served at any time in the 32nd, please add the unit you were assigned to in your post and thank you for your service!