Semper Anticus

Then: June 1943-The troops of the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division, under the command of Colonel Charles M. Ankcorn, boarded the ships that were going to take them on the greatest adventure of their lives. The week preceding had been spent at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, their Port of Embarkation, and the men were not unhappy to leave. Since their arrival May 25th-26th from Camp Pickett, Virginia, where they had undergone rigorous training for combat duty overseas. August 1, 1944-Three could be no doubt that the month of August would see the Forty-Fifth Division and the 157th Infantry in action against the enemy once more. Off the line since a few days following the capture of Rome, the division had had the longest rest of its combat history. Speed marches, long hikes and extensive amphibious training through the months of June and July kept the command of the 157th Infantry in excellent condition, however, and physically the troops were prepared for any future operations. “October, 1944-At 1500 hours, S.Sgt. Robert Kirchgassner received multiple penetrating wounds in his chest. His condition was critical with a blood pressure reading of 0/0.”-Rita Kirchgassner May, 1945-The month of May saw the end of hostilities in the European Theater, but the men in the 157th there was nothing dramatic about it. They captured central Munich with little difficulty and on May 1, 1945, established a command post in Hitler’s famous Munich beer hall, mainly for publicity purposes. Billeted in the residential districts where bombing had done little damage, they began polishing their shoes, taking close-order drill, cleaning their weapons and standing reveille and retreat as befitted soldiers serving in occupational status. Motorized patrols roamed the streets at night, ordering civilians into their homes after curfew hours and stopping minor riots caused frequently by released POWs who had just cause for celebration. The official announcement declaring hostilities at an end came on May 9, 1945, but the 157th Infantry took it as a matter of course. The Hitler dynasty had collapsed, but overshadowing the good news was the constant threat that the regiment, with the Forty-Fifth Division, might suddenly be sent to the Pacific Theater. Few cherished the thought of going into battle again, this time against the Japanese, but all were prepared come what may. As always, they assumed the attitude, “If you gotta go, you gotta go,” and determined to enjoy life in peace as much as possible. A group of four-year men was sent home, probably to be discharged from the army and according to plan, others soon were to go. But the vast majority of men comprising the 157th were relatively new to the service and with the reason took a cryptic view of the future. The 157th Infantry improved its installations and expanded its recreational program. Taking over the former Jungend Stadium on Dante Strasse in Munich, special services made excellent use of the structure. Several baseball diamonds were laid out on the field, and the cinder track was restored to its pre-war condition. In the evenings, outdoor movies were shown. The rooms in the interior of the stadium were used to house the regimental photo shop, hot showers were available to the men of the organization during the daytime, and a fully equipped gymnasium was at the disposal of the more athletic members of the outfit. Gradually, the men began to realize that the war in Europe had actually ended and every was being done to make their set-up as comfortable as possible. However, a close watch was maintained on newspapers reporting the events in the Pacific. The combat hardened doughboys, now laboring under a spit and polish routine, assumed a policy of watchful waiting. For what, they did not know. “In the 667 days overseas, the regiment was in battle for about 470 days. During this time soldiers of the regiment were awarded three Medals of Honor, twenty Distinguished Service Crosses, 376 Silver Stars and 1,054 Bronze Stars and 1,694 Purple Hearts.”—Hugh F. Foster III Now “June 1, 2013-In the late afternoon, an overcast sky greets us as we gather in a hangar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jared, Mark, Krista and I are waiting to board a plane that will take us across the Atlantic Ocean to begin our journey. We will travel twelve thousand miles to see where S.Sgt. Robert L. Kirchgassner served with the 45th Division during World War II. I will be able to stand on the beaches in Italy and France where my father came ashore. Treading on the sand, breathing in the sea air, and looking upon the expanse of water stretching out from those beaches will surely touch the innermost corners of my soul.”-Rita Kirchgassner “June 25, 2013-Trying to wrap up this journey of a lifetime is nearly impossible, so I will just call this the final travel blog entry. This journey has allowed us to learn about the Thunderbirds. Visiting the places where they fought has been a pleasure and learning experience. Now when we read reports or books about World War II, we find it much easier to understand and to imagine where these men were and what they saw. The people we met along the way were friendly and helpful. The tour guides, local citizens, site experts and historians, particularly Lise, were invaluable. We cannot thank them enough for spending time with us. The Forty-Fifty Yahoo group, Dave Kerr and many others gave us support along the way and taught us a great deal. The Thunderbirds are a special group of heroes, ordinary Americans willing to take on the world’s greatest challenge and to make the ultimate sacrifice for something greater than themselves. I don’t know if there will be another generation of men willing to battle the way they did. Any attempt to summarize what I learned about them or to describe who they truly are would do them an injustice. Never forgotten: Richard Badgett and Roscoe Prince.”—Jared Leiker