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508th Returns
To The States - December 1945
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| In December
1945, many men of the
82nd Airborne
Division returned to Camp Shanks, old "Last Stop USA" as it had been
known when the 508th had last seen it in December 1943. Now the
nickname was perhaps better termed as "First Stop Home". After
two long, terrible, years of warfare for those men who had been trained
at Camp Blanding, their feet were back on U.S. soil. At Camp Shanks
the Division prepared for its role in a massive parade in New York City
New York and the nation was waiting to see their men in one last flash
of pride. |
|
 P.
G. Throws Farewell Party
A tearful but rousing "Bon Voyage" for
the departing 508th P.I.R. is planned for tonight, Oct 9, when the
Palmgarden Red Cross Club throws a Farewell starting at 1930 hours.
The "Jazz Pirates", the all-Negro GI band strictly on the solid
side, will play for dancing. Refreshments will be served
during the evening. The Invitation is cordially extended to
all Paratroopers whether they are on the very first shipment or the
last.
[Source: The Occupation Chronicle, 9 Oct 1946 |
 Major
Edmund Sayre
commander of the 508th's famous Third Battalion listens to Col Owen
Summers Headquarters Commandant, USFET.
Major Sayre will be followed to the states by his entire battalion
this week.
[Source: The Occupation Chronicle, 9 Oct 1946 |
 U.S.
Bound
Sixteen men of the 508th are headed home, none are identified
but they may be from Company A
(courtesy Rex Combs collection) |
|
 Bigger
is Better
as George Schairer stands by a stack of life rafts. Capable of
holding up to 15 men, they were constructed of
balsa wood (genus Ochroma) wrapped in
muslin. The rafts also had a wood lattice platform floor.
Specifications called for
the outer wrapper
to be "a spirally wound covering of No. 10 cotton canvas having a
width of 8 inches wrapped in waterproof glue with an overlap of 4
inches on each wrap. The canvas cover shall be given one coat of
light gray canvas preservative paint."
(courtesy Arthur Rottier)
|
 Pfc
Joseph P. Thornton
(Co F) carries his helmet in hand as he shoulders his duffle bag in
Chartres, 1945. Note the 2nd Battalion lightening streak logo
on the helmet
(courtesy of Mike Mitchell) |
|
 Lt
Gordon Wahto
poses behind the USAT Zanesville Victory.
Apparently the last (at least alphabetically) of 218
Victory ships named after U.S. cities, this one commemorated
Zanesville, Ohio.
With the war over the light armament of the Victory class no longer
mattered and Doug Wahto probably didn't know his ship was a whopping
4 knots faster than a Liberty ship. He just knew he was
finally heading home! |
 Shipping
Out
Lt Gordon Wahto (r) and an unidentified trooper stand before
a sign reading "GATEWAY TO AMERICA, GOD'S COUNTRY" as they wait for
their embarkation call.
This
ship, the USAT Zanesville Victory, was Hull Nr
626 and was
classed as a VC2-S-AP2/WSAT (1597)/USAT (see details at far right to
deciphering these designations. Built by Bethlehem
Steel, Fairfield, Baltimore MD it was a fairly
new ship with its keel having been laid on November 18, 1944.
The ship hit the water two months later on January 15, 1945 and was
commissioned on February 12, 1945. It had not made too many crossings
before this photo was taken.
Read more about
Liberty Ships |
