by Mehlo, Noel
Another aspect of the Combat Basic Training Course provided to new soldiers included physical training or conditioning known as PT. The PT requirements of soldiers in World War II included passing a physical fitness test known as the Army Ground Forces Test consisting of pull-ups, squat jumps, pushups, sit-ups, and a 300 yard run. There was a modified form of the test used if administered indoors. The World War II version of the testing focused more on the quality of the soldier in performing the tasks than that of the absolute number of repetitions performed.12
New recruits were given instruction in military courtesy and close order drill, such as is seen in Figure 33. Other training included instruction in sex hygiene, malaria control, mines, booby traps and map reading. The soldiers spent some time in bivouac putting their newly acquired military field skills into practice. Figure 28 exemplifies the field conditions of the infantry soldier as it demonstrates an inspection of a two man bivouac.
Figure 28: Example of Army Bivouac setup: - Camp San Luis Obispo Museum A critical component of basic training was having each soldier receive his personal weapon (usually an M1 rifle). Once issued, Soldiers underwent extensive training on the care and maintenance of their weapons followed by marksmanship training. The weapons were secured in gun racks located in the barracks, this ensuring their availability when Soldiers conducted mounted drill, marksmanship training and field maneuvers and exercises. Figure 29 typifies training aids used during weapons training, while Figure 30 shows the soldiers at the range honing their craft.
Figure 29: Taken from U.S. Army Heritage Trail, USAHEC, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Figure 30: US Army rifle training of basic trainees: NARA Photo Early proof of Private Hull’s arrival at the camp was identified through talking with my aunt in the early spring of
2012. She revealed that she is in possession of a letter between Private Hull and his sister Doris postmarked February
4, 1943 indicating his arrival and life at Camp San Luis Obispo, and then she provided a copy of the letter. This correspondence notes that there was horrible mud everywhere at the camp, he was terribly homesick, and was concerned over the well-being of his mother.
Dear Doe [Doris], I am sorry I didn’t write soon there wasn’t no use. I’ve wrote mom every nite but she must not be getting them. If you’ll send me an address I’ll write to him and I sure wish I was with him and not in this mud hole. How is little Judy now? Has she got any teeth yet or can she talk? I’d like to be home rocking her just like I used to do. Have you seen Grace any more? I sure miss her a lot. Has Tim Patton left for Columbus yet? Harmon Fersteson (sp?) isn’t in my company anymore, and I’m kinda homesick for someone I know. Please write to me as often as you can and I’ll try to keep writing to you. I miss you more than I can say because you and me always did get along good. Good bye for now and I’ll write as soon as I can and Please tell me in your next letter if mom is worrying to much about me and you might even giver her a big kiss for me.
Love,Herb The reference to the mud hole is accurate as the National Weather Service records for January 1943 indicate a total of 10.83 inches of rain for the month when the average for that month is just 4.95 inches for the month.13 This sort of letter between a soldier and their family is not uncommon, nor are the types of feelings conveyed, as the transition from civilian to soldier is rather drastic for a person to grow through. Figure 31 shows the camp and surroundings.
Figure 31: Postcard of Camp San Luis Obispo: - Camp San Luis Obispo Museum While a member of the 320th Infantry Regiment, Private Hull had been designated as a Rifleman in the Infantry Branch of the Army. His association with the Infantry is noted on his uniform by the insignia below that appears on the lapel of his uniform.
Figure 32: U.S. Infantry Branch Insignia, enlisted This position is described in Army Training Manual (TM) 12-427, Military Occupational Classification of Enlisted Personnel dated July 12, 1944. The classifications for Rifleman were unchanged in this version of the TM over its predecessor, Army Regulation (AR) 615-26, dated 15 September 1942. It is important to note here, that by the time he became a member of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, his specialty had been changed to Squad Leader, Automatic Rifleman (746). This latter specialty is what appears on his Discharge WD AGO FORM 53-55 in Block 30.
RIFLEMAN (745)
Rifle Noncommissioned Officer, Security Noncommissioned Officer: Loads, aims, and fires a rifle to destroy enemy personnel and to assist in capturing and holding enemy positions. Places fire upon designated targets or distributes fire upon portions of enemy line, changing position as situation demands. Must be able to use hand weapons, including rifle, automatic rifle, rocket launcher, rifle grenade launcher, bayonet, trench knife, and hand grenades. Must be trained in taking advantage of camouflage, cover and concealment, entrenching, recognition and following of arm and hand signals, and recognition of enemy personnel, vehicles, and aircraft. Must be familiar with hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Must understand methods of defense against enemy weapons.14
It took several months of researching the 35th Infantry Division and the subordinate regiments in order for me to determine how PVT Hull was associated with the unit. Additional clues came in the form of new information provided from family members as I went on. He was found in the official records by inspecting Pay Roll Record Form 366, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 320th Infantry Regiment, Camp San Luis Obispo, California for month of January 1943. This record is located at the National Archives at St. Louis, Archival Records, Auxiliary and Organizational Records, in the Archival Research Room, within the World War II Enlisted Rosters, 320th Infantry Regiment, Microfilm #15597. Page 34 of the record states:
Hull, Herbert S. 35597467, Date of Induction - January 14, 1943, Allotment: $5.00 + $6.30; Transferred in grade of Private from Headquarters, Reception Center, Fort Hayes, Ohio to 320th Infantry Regiment, Camp San Louis Obispo, California per paragraph 23 Special Order (SO) #15 Headquarters Reception Center, Fort Hayes, Ohio dated January 20, 1943. Assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion per SO #18, Headquarters, 320th Infantry Regiment dated February 3, 1943. Pay due from date of induction 01 N dod $6.50 per month from January 1, 1943 for indef per authorization C1 A Pay Reevv indef per authorization Due U.S. $.30 for GPLD.15
This record definitively places him in California on February 3, 1943 and affirms his induction at Fort Hayes, Ohio. I had to invest time in reviewing and understanding a number of Army Regulations (AR) and Training Manuals (TM) in order to decipher the various documents about him or the units he was associated with. Important to note, is that although the record is written in military shorthand, it provided where he had been, where he was going and what military order was the basis for each of the actions.
Private Hull appears in the Pay Roll Records for February and March. In the April, 1943 Pay Roll Record, reference is made to him as a loss to the 320th Infantry Regiment, and is noted as having been transferred to the 134th Infantry Regiment, M Company at Camp Rucker, Alabama. The wording provided this information: The following enlisted men (EM) transferred to 134th Infantry, Camp Rucker Alabama per SO 65, 35th Infantry Division, dated 18 Mar 43. Until this record was identified in August, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri, our family had no knowledge of his association with the 134th Infantry Regiment. It was a real treat to be able to identify a long lost and missing piece of his service. It was from the 134th Infantry Regiment that PVT Hull would later be recruited, volunteer for, and be accepted into the Rangers. In March, PVT Hull sent a second letter home to his sister Doris. In it, he described how life in the Army seemed to be improving for him.
Dear Doe [Doris], Just a few lines to wish you a happy trip when you go see Albert, and just imagine how he will feel when he sees you because I know how I would feel if Grace or Mom and Dad came to see me. I’ve wrote to everyone in the family tonight and I’m just about out of ideas but I’ll try to make it as long as possible. As you know, I’m in a new Company and it looks as though I may have got a break after al
l because this outfit is a place where a fellow can learn something if he wants to and I think I’ll go in the Intelligence. That is where all the maps and plans are made up for the big drives that the troops makes but there’s one disadvantage, we’ll always be out in front laying the plains and drawing maps of enemy there. Well Doris, this is all I can think of now, so I’ll say so long. Take good care of that little girl til I get home.
Love,Herb This is where I indicated that he wanted something more in the Prologue. He wrote that he was not happy to be there, and that he had a desire to get himself positioned to take some sort of intelligence training to set him apart from being a standard infantry soldier. What struck me was that he wanted something more. Sometime between March 18 and April 5, 1943, the 320th Infantry Regiment boarded a troop train and headed east to Camp Rucker, Alabama. PVT Hull was assigned to his new regiment and would join them on arrival at the new post.
Figure 33: 6th Infantry Division training on parade field, close order drill – Camp San Luis Obispo Museum, Image
4 THE 35TH INFANTRY DIVISION – 134TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
On August 31, 2012 I paid a visit to the NARA and NPRC in St. Louis, Missouri.1 The original purpose of the trip was to investigate the microfilm records of the 320th Infantry Regiment and 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion. A review of the pay records of the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 320th Infantry Regiment dated April 30, 1943 for the month of April indicated that PVT Hull was shown as a loss to the Regiment. He was listed as one of many men to be transferred to the 134th Infantry Regiment at Camp Rucker per Special Order (SO) 65, 35th Infantry Division dated March 18, 1943. This clue opened an unexpected avenue of research. Fortunately, I was in exactly the right place at the time to further investigate this lead. Upon pulling the microfilms for the 134th Infantry Regiment, it took many hours to work my way through pay records of the various companies until I was able to identify that he had been assigned to Company M. The regimental crest of the 134th Infantry Regiment is shown next to the 35th Infantry Division patch above.
This revelation was very important for many reasons. I had obtained unconfirmed leads about a connection to Camp Rucker from various items received from my aunt that arrived along with his uniform such as unsigned Camp Rucker postcards (Figure 35). I also had a photo of him that my mom had given me dated July 22, 1943 that was taken at Camp Rucker based on the inscription on the back of the photo. I knew that Camp Rucker had been a posting of his at some point. The missing pieces of this aspect of his service began to fall together, while at the same time begged that new questions be asked. The pertinent records of the 134th Infantry Regiment are at NARA St Louis, microfilm research room, Microfilm Index #13, Army World War II Enlisted Rosters, 0134 INF REGT, 15501, Pay Roll records for April 1943 for the 134th Infantry Regiment. The record placing him in the unit is as follows: Page 20, Payroll of Company M, 134th Infantry Regiment, from April 1, 1943 to April 31, 1943. Line 14 reads;
Hull, Herbert S. 35597467, Inducted - January 14, 1943. Transferred as Private from Private from 320th Infantry Regiment per paragraph 3 80-65, Headquarters, 35th Infantry Division, APO 35, Camp San Luis Obispo, California dated March 18, 1943. Assigned to this organization per paragraph 1 30-71, Headquarters, 134th Infantry Regiment, APO 35, Camp Rucker, Alabama dated April 5, 1943. Joined organization April 5, 1943.
The portion of his personnel records that would have indicated this part of his service in various units was burned in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in Saint Louis.2 A resulting loss in this fire documenting his service in the 35th ID was a form referred to as a WD AGO Form 20 – Soldier’s Qualification Card3 (Figure 34). This record followed him throughout his military career as it did for all soldiers. It is possible, that Herbert Hull was provided with a copy of the document upon discharge.
Figure 34: Example of WD AGO Form 20 – Soldier Qualification Card (Source TM 12-223)
If he ever had a copy of the Soldier Qualification Card in his possession, it has been lost. This document would have provided: Record of any service schools he had attended in block 22
Record of current service by date, organization & station, grade and principle duty in block 29 Individual weapons qualifications in block 31
The 134th Infantry Regiment was originally the First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry Regiment, dating back to 1854. There were Native American uprisings associated with the United States westward expansion which necessitated that the Nebraska volunteer militia be organized for protection. During the Civil War, the First Nebraska served under General Grant at Fort Donelson and Pittsburgh Landing, and then with General Freemont in Missouri. The unit served as mounted cavalry in 1863, and concluded the War in Arkansas. After the Civil War, the First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry Regiment served in the Sioux Indian War. During this period, the famous W. F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was associated with the unit in various capacities including as a scout, with the regimental commander, or as an aide-de-camp for the Nebraska Governor. A friendship developed between the unit and the Pawnee Nation during this timeframe. The Sioux Indian War concluded with the U.S. and Pawnee forces battling the Sioux at the Battle of Wounded Knee. It is after this that the regimental motto was developed from the Pawnee – LAH WE LAH HIS, meaning “The Strong, The Brave”. This phrase was chosen in honor of the Pawnee assistance to the regiment in battle. The motto suggested valor and honor from the past, but it was a challenge for men who would serve in the regiment in the future.4
Figure 35: Camp Rucker Postcards in possession by PVT Hull (author’s collection) A close look at the regimental crest reveals a palm tree. This is in connection with the regiment’s service in the Spanish-American War in the Philippines. At that point in history, the unit was known as the First Nebraska Volunteer Regiment. President William McKinley federalized the unit on April 26, 1898, and they mobilized under the command of Colonel John Stotsonberg from Lincoln, Nebraska. The Filipino combatants were fierce and dedicated. At one point during the campaign; the First Nebraska conducted a charge against enemy-held positions at Quinqua. Brigadier General Irving Hale, Commander, Second Brigade, Second Division, VIII Corps, who was an eye-witness to the action, exclaimed, "There goes the First Nebraska, and all hell can't stop them!" This saying became inexorably attached to the unit. During the Spanish American War, they would be combined into a brigade with the Twentieth Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The Twentieth Kansas would later become the 137th Infantry Regiment. Part of the service of the Regiment in the Philippines is depicted on the regimental crest by the Katipuman Sun in the top left of the emblem. This symbol is from a secret society of the common people of the Philippine Islands that formed in 1892 when the Filipinos were unable to secure reforms peaceably. The regiment was mustered out of Federal service on August 23, 1899, and was not called up again until April 1, 1913.
Under the palm tree on the regimental crest is a serpent coiled around the trunk denoting duty along the Mexican border in 1916-1917. They were stationed at Llano Grando, Texas until the spring of 1917. During World War I, the unit was federalized and attached to the 34th Infantry Division. This is noted on the crest by a red steer skull. The 34th Infantry Division was comprised of National Guard units from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. On July 15, 1917, the Regiment was mobilized at Camp Cody, New Mexico, were it was redesignated the 134th Infantry, 34th Division. Upon reaching France in September, 1917, the unit was cannibalized to supply replacements for other units already in theatre. This resulted in no combat action for the regiment at large, although the men of the regiment saw action in the units to which they were sent.
The unit was redesigned the 134th Infantry, 69th Brigade, 35th Division, on June 22, 1921.5 They served as Nebraska National Guard troops until December 23, 1940, when the Regiment was called into the Army of the United States as a part of the 35th Infantry Division. The 35th Infantry Division was comprised of National Guard units from Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri at Fort Riley, Kansas
in 1937. The 134th and 137th Infantry Regiments would later form the nucleus of the 35th Infantry Division that would begin and end World War II together. They participated in Fourth Army Maneuvers in 1940. The 35th Infantry Division was under the command of Major General Ralph E. Truman organized at the time as a "square" division. The Santa Fe Division consisted of National Guardsmen of Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri, and included four infantry regiments, the 134th, 137th, 138th and 140th. The divisional patch was the blue and white Santa Fe insignia. The division insignia represented a white Santa Fe cross upon a wagon wheel with four quadrant projections on a blue field. The Santa Fe Trail was one of the main routes across the west from Independence, Missouri through Kansas, and into Oklahoma, Colorado and ending at Santa Fe, New Mexico during the westward expansion. When the trail became obscured due to the winds blowing across the dusty plains, the pioneers eventually marked the trail with crosses to guide the travelers, and it is these crosses that the patch symbolizes.6
The following years would see additional training and duty until the onset of World War II. The regiment assembled at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas in early January 1941, for training. On June 2, 1941, elements of the 35th Division were assigned to support the Tennessee Maneuvers "war games". The Tennessee Maneuvers were the first of the maneuvers, beginning in fall of 1941 which were designed to prepare the troops for the rigors they would experience on the battlefield with over 4,500 Divisional troops involved. In August, 1941 the Regiment conducted advance work as a unit as it participated in the largest scale maneuvers ever held in the United States, in mock fighting across southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana at the Louisiana Maneuver Area. While many National Guard units across the country had become complacent and relatively disorganized in the interwar years, the 134th Infantry Regiment had been able to remain at its authorized strength and effectiveness. The unit had high morale and interest, and even had a waiting list of applicants. Many of the outstanding enlisted men who had previously served now held commissions as officers in the unit. Due to the readiness of the unit the 134th had been issued the M1 Garand Rifle where most other National Guard Units at the time used older World War I era weapons. Through this time, the unit had been assigned to the Second Army. By World War II, National Guard troops were generally looked upon more favorably in certain military circles than their conscripted counterparts, as they were all volunteers and had some military experience. Company M, the Third Battalion's machine gun company was from Seward, Nebraska.
