Links
Bill Mauldin, cartoonist and creator of Willy and Joe, died on January 22 in California at the age of 81 from complications of Alzheimer's after suffering for many months.
Follow this link for some of his cartoons: http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/BillMauldinTributes/main.asp
45th Infantry Division; The Thunderbirds -
http://www.45thdivisionmuseum.co
The 40th supported or was attached to several different divisions in combat situations, but primarily to the 45th Division. The links to divisions with which the 40th was involved provide additional information on the tactical situation at the time.
The 40th was attached to the 45th for the amphibious invasion of Sicily and Southern France, the Rhine Crossing, and the liberation of Dachau. The 40th was not with the 45th at Salerno or Anzio.
During the winter of 1944-45 in Alsace all 3 battalions had assignments to build bridges, and construct fortifications for the 36th Infantry Division.
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Sgt. William Heller's 3rd Infantry Division site - www.warfoto.com
The 3rd Battalion (designated the 497th Engineer Combat Battalion) was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division during the Colemar Pocket campaign during the winter of 1944-45 and later during the attack and clearing of Nurenberg in the spring of 1945. Other units of the 40th supported the 3rd Division on various occasions.
442nd History - www.Katonk.com
After the landing in Southern France the 1st Battalion was attached to and supported the Neisi 442nd Regimental Combat Team on the Italian frontier east of Niece, France, The 442nd was one of the most decorated units of WWII.
The 40th Engineer Combat Battalion- http://www.baumholder.army.mil/units/40eng/
The 40th Engineer Combat Battalion, Mechanized was activated in 1947 and served as the organic engineer battalion for the 1st Armored Division in Bosnia.
WWII Memorial Washington DC - www.wwiimemorial.com - Use the Registry link of this site to submit a name of a WWII veteran for listing at the WWII Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC, or to see if someone you know is listed.
D-day Museum - www.ddaymuseum.org
Army Engineer Association - www.armyengineer.com
NavSource Naval History - Photographic History of the U.S. Navy:
Click here for background or Click here to go directly to site http://www.navsource.org
Veterans History Project - http://www.loc.gov/folklife/vets/
Congressional legislation has established a project to collect personal war stories from veterans. Click on the link above for details and to contribute your story.
The French Embassy - http://www.ambafrance-us.org/news/statmnts/2000/ww2/index.asp
The certificate is meant to express the gratitude of the French people to the soldiers who participated in the Normandy landing and liberation of France, on French territory and in French territorial waters and airspace, between June 6, 1944 and May 8, 1945.
Personal Stories - http://www.storypreservation.com/links-m1.html
There are personal stories of infantry men in the 3rd Division, 45th Division, 82nd Airborne (my brother's outfit), and many others that were supported by the 40th engineers at one time or another. There was one by a GI in the 157 Regt. of the 45th which made me glad that I was in the 40th Engeers. and not an Infantry rifleman. There are also personal stories by Navy, Air Force, Marines, etc. in the ETO and the Pacific. If you can find it and spend some time you will probably find some operations and incidents that you remember. - - Al French
