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Who is the 78th Infantry Division
WWII Living History Association
and how did this organization get started?
(By founding member Col. Robert Krauss)
My decision to found the
78th Infantry Division Living History Unit has roots in my
love of history, especially U.S. Military History and in my background.
I always had a passionate interest in Military History dating back to
when I was a young boy in the mid 1950’s. I had lots of first
generation family and friends of my family who actively served in WWII.
I grew up listening to their first hand stories and was mesmerized. I
also had been a veracious reader since a very early age and naturally
would read all the WWII histories I could digest. Then of course it was
the era of first generation WWII movies and TV shows, after all the war
had only been over less than 15 years! An uncle who was a Marine Corp 3rd
Division Veteran of Iwo Jima gave me his cherished k-bar that he carried
on that hell hole for 21 days until he was wounded and that was it. I
was now a collector at age 10 and it still has not stopped.
Then at 16 years of age my
own personal military service began. I enlisted with moms signature
into a naval program called Kittie Cruise that sent me to a boot camp
and class while on high school summer vacations, then to sea on a WWII
destroyer. I spent lots of nights on board fantasizing what it must
have been like for the crew off of Okinawa in spring of 1945. That very
ship had sustained a Jap suicide hit killing five crew members.
After completing that
program and briefly seeing what was to be my generation’s war, I decided
to enlist n the Army after 2 months of driving a truck for a family
business. I saw my war close up which left me with a profound respect
for soldiers of all wars and all countries.
My historic research and
collecting only intensified. A college degree in history and
poly-science came in the late 1970’s. All during this time I had
maintained my military career with service in various army reserve and
NG units.
In the late 1980’s I had
become familiar with Civil War history and by extension Civil War
re-enacting, attending and enjoying many of these events. I was at
times tempted to re-up in a Civil War unit but my main interest was
still the 1940’s, probably due to my early interest and my still ever
growing collection of WWII weapons, uniforms and all manor or gear.
About this time I was
introduced to the WWII Living History movement at a local gun show.
WWII Living History was still a relatively new comer but growing fast.
After attending a few events with some like minded friends they came to
me with the idea of “let’s participate” and instead of joining an
established unit, to form our own, they then suggested that I organize
and command it. Thus fellow history buffs: Joe Solari, Ron Koller, his
son Karl, Andy Tally and I founded the 78th. All four of us
had served in the military at some time so we started with a core of
some experience. The question of which unit to represent was left to
me. Capt. Tally along and I are still active charter members of the
unit.
From the beginning I had
decided to choose a regular line infantry unit to represent the average
citizen soldier who fought and suffered and won WWII. That is not to
diminish the special service performed by the Elite Units: Paratroopers,
Rangers, UDT, Marines, etc. These fine units I had noticed are very
well represented in the re-enacting community. I felt that our unit
should honor the average US Soldier who as it turned out was far above
average and still is!
During my service in the
reserve components I had served for some time in Bravo Co, 2 Battalion,
309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division.
I knew that this unit which has historic ties to this region originally
activated with 4 Infantry Regiments at then Camp Dix, NJ in 1917. The
Division fought on the western front in 1918 in all the major campaigns
with distinction. The Division with 3 Infantry Regiments 309, 310 and
311 was reactivated and again squared off against its old adversary in
north west Europe in 1944 and 1945, once again with outstanding
performance, earning 3 Presidential Unit Citations, not bad for average
Infantry! The “Lighting Division” as it is known, was a perfect fit.
From the beginning the
mission of this unit has been to first honor the service and sacrifice
of all 78th Division Veterans of both wars by preserving as
best as possible a living representation of this unit in its WWII form.
In doing so we become, secondly, a vehicle of education and living
memory of our nation’s military heritage; a living link to our past so
this unit shall not die. As long as she lives, so do her Veterans.
Also from the beginning it
was the goal of this unit to be as much as possible a unit of doers,
members with a mission. The 78th, unlike some other
re-enacting units, is a unit of soldiers who soldier! An Infantry unit
that works together, marches, drills, sets up tents, learns small unit
tactics, performs a hundred and one camp chores and even salutes! If
you want the Infantry experience without pay, this is a home for you!
The unit has grown to the
size and quality that it is today due entirely to the kind of soldier
possessing the kind of character that makes up our membership; they have
done an outstanding job. I commend them all!
As the present Commanding
Officer and founder of this organization, I believe that every soldier
who has ever worn the Lighting Patch can be proud of the job these
volunteers have done to keep the 78th alive and well
represented.
Col. Robert Krauss
78th Infantry
Division Living History Association
Former NCO 78th
Infantry Division
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