Gunther said
Thanks for that. I do appreciate reading military history. It is my favorite subject. Have been doing so for most of my life.That Centralized planning/Decentralized execution which the 32nd ID performed in New Guinea is exactly the sort of operation the US got into in Vietnam and were up until recently performing in Afghanistan. Yes, small fire fights don't get the headlines. Events like the 7th Cavalry at Ia Drang Valley make the headlines. Primarily because it was the battle with the highest American casualty total up until that time of the war (1965). It was also a Battalion (+) sized operation. The Tet Offensive gets the press because it was decentralized execution that occurred on teh same day all over the country.What you say about the MoH is speaks volumes. Those things aren't handed out very frequently. For one division to receive 12 for one campaign speaks volumes.
Actually the 12 are for the entire campaign and the 1944 follow-up (including Army Air units). There was also a bit of geographical confusion regarding a man who single-handedly assaulted a position with a B.A.R. at a distance so close he had to use it for a club because bullets impacting the firearm (and himself) had rendered the machine-gun completely inoperable.
Said incident happened in Dutch New Guinea as part of the 506th PIR, and was not included.
Another man had done similar in the actual New Guinea campaign, survived, only to die in the dutch part.
Of the 32nd ID, there were only 4 MOH handed out*. The rest went to members of smaller units such as the 532nd Engineer Amphibian Regiment and 405th Bomber Squadron (B-25s in Port Morsby).
*In chronological order:
1942:
Sgt. Kenneth E. Gruennert + (Cleared 2 bunkers despite wounds, killed by sniper a minute later)
1st Sgt. Elmer J. Burr + (Mortally wounded by grenade)
1944:
Staff Sgt. Gerald L. Endl + (Automatic Weapons fire to the back while carrying wounded)
Pvt. Donald R. Lobaugh + (Mortally wounded by concentrated automatic weapons-fire, clearing a path for his surrounded platoon to withdraw through)
Note: Most of these went to members of a single regiment of a single division, on a single island.
By end of war, 32nd ID received:
Awards: MoH-11; Croix de guerre-1; Distinguished Service Cross-157; Distinguished Service Medal-1; Silver Star-845; Legion of Merit-49; Soldier Medal-78 ; Bonze Star Medal-1,854; Air Medal-98.
General Orders Number 21, War Department, 6 May 1943:
"When (a) bold and aggressive enemy invaded Papua in strength, the combined action of ground and air units of these forces, in association with Allied units, checked the hostile advance, drove the enemy back to the seacoast and in a series of actions against a highly organized defensive zone, utterly destroyed him. Ground combat forces, operating over roadless jungle-covered mountains and swamps, demonstrated their courage and resourcefulness in closing with an enemy who took every advantage of the nearly impassable terrain. Air forces, by repeatedly attacking the enemy ground forces and installations, by destroying his convoys attempting reinforcement and supply, and by transporting ground forces and supplies to areas for which land routes were non-existent and sea routes slow and hazardous, made possible the success of the ground operations. Service units, operating far forward of their normal positions and at times in advance of ground combat elements, built landing fields in the jungle, established and operated supply points, and provided for the hospitalization and evacuation of the wounded and sick. The courage, spirit, and devotion to duty of all elements of the command made possible the complete victory attained."
Tracing the legacy of the 127th/128th IRs goes back to the Iron Brigade (lead element of I Corps) of Gettysburg. And had seen 654 days of combat before (and after) the end of the 2nd world war despite suffering 110% casualties due to being deployed to Luzon.
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