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508th Returns To The States - December 1945

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

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