A Late-War Replacement in the 76th Infantry Division

Born in Snoqualmie Falls in 1921, PFC Ray J. Patrick was a dedicated educator and World War II veteran whose life was defined by leadership and service to the Pacific Northwest. After completing three years of college and beginning a career in teaching, Ray enlisted in the Army on July 6, 1944, entering combat later in the war as a replacement in the B-Company, 304th Infantry Regiment, within the 76th Infantry Division. Following his military service in the European Theater, he returned to Washington to serve as a teacher and coach in Shelton from 1945 to 1953 before rising through the administrative ranks as a principal in Buckley and eventually retiring as the Superintendent of the Evergreen School District in Vancouver. Ray passed away on January 9, 1986, leaving behind a legacy of academic excellence and civic duty that is honored today at Shelton Memorial Park.

A Service Company, 304th Regiment Bronze Star Recipient

SSgt Floyd H. H-O-R-N was born in Massachusetts in 1915. He enlisted in May 1942 and joined the 76th Division upon completion of basic training. He was one of the original cadre of the 304th Infantry Regiment’s Personnel Section and served in all three campaigns with the 76th in the ETO and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and CIB. He spent his remaining years as a banker and passed away in November of 1972. Being a “high points” man of the 76th, this jacket served as his shipping home uniform and came to me off eBay with the patches still on it. It has been painstakingly restored using all period original ribbons/insignia. 

A 302nd FA Bn / 76th Division BSM Recipient Joins the Lineup

CPT Emmett R. Nichols was born in 1910 and grew up in Massachusetts. He was a 1938 graduate of Northeastern Law School and landed a civilian career at the Prudential Life Insurance Company before entering the Army in 1942. He was first assigned to the Technical Training Command of the Army Air Forces, but was transferred to the Field Artillery when sent to Officer Candidate School. He was a member of Service Battery, 302nd Field Artillery Bn in the 76th Infantry Division where he was the Bn’s Motor Transportation Officer. 

He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and all three campaign stars the 76th received.

He passed away in 1972 at the young age of 61.

This jacket is my first khaki 4-pocket to land in the collection and I like the contrast to the sea of olive drab!

Thanks for looking and reading!

A Silver Star Medal, 385th Infantry Regiment Trunk Grouping

1LT Jack M. M-u-s-e was born in Kansas on March 14, 1923. He enrolled in Kansas State and entered in to R.O.T.C in 1941. In 1943 following the spring semester, he and his 53 member R.O.T.C detachment were shipped off to basic military training and then returned to Kansas State to await OCS. He then shipped off to Fort Benning in the winter of 1943 and was commissioned in March of 1944 (a month before my grandfather!)

He joined the 76th Infantry Division in the Anti-Tank Co, 385th Regiment in June of 1944 and ultimately landed as a platoon leader in L-Co for the units departure from the states on Thanksgiving Day 1944.

L-Co, 385th entered combat on the 28th of January with a barrage of heavy machine gun, mortar and artillery on the banks of the Sauer River in Echternach, dividing Germany and Luxembourg. The company would go on the offensive on 11 Feb into the Siegfried Line. 

On 27 February near Irrel, Germany, a mere 16 days later, 2LT M-u-s-e was subjected to an intense attack where he was wounded and was where the events took place that earned him his Silver Star Medal. (Partial citation below, full text in the photos) 

2nd Lt. Jack M. Muse, Company L ". . despite the intense fire . . continuously exposed himself in order to execute the safe withdrawal of his men . . refused medical attention until the enlisted man had medical attention first . ."

He was clinging to life with his arm hanging by (in his words) “a thread” as he made his way from field hospitals, to England, back to the U.S. 

He was still recovering in a Michigan hospital in January of 1947.

He went on to graduate with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State and lived to the age of 95 in Colorado.

This trunk grouping was discovered in a Colorado Springs military/thrift store. It is insanely complete and there are hundreds of documents in the pocket folder. 90% are from his time at OCS and include every note, test, field exercise document, map, evaluation, and order from his time there.

Especially interesting are the 76th Division items included 3x field maps from Camp McCoy with his exercise/mission notes on them.

A Laundry Marked Ike Turned into a Fully Identified 385th IR Vet!

 This uniform came to me with just the 30th Infantry Division and 76th Infantry Division patches on the sleeves and a lone laundry mark “S-4232”. 

First, I began pouring through the Queen Mary’s manifesto when the 30th ID came through New York on her voyage home. I found a match, “ Edwin L. Sullivan ASN 36824232”!!! Company A, 120th Infantry Regiment!

I was over the top excited however, I had to now find him in the 76th’s rosters. Searching the Combat Infantryman’s Badge General Orders for all three (304th/385th/417th) Regiments, I stumbled across the one and only Edwin L. Sullivan (ASN 36824232) in Easy Company, 385th Infantry Regiment! Not only my Grandfather’s Regiment, but his Battalion!

Sgt Sullivan was born in 1919 in Wisconsin and grew up in the Madison area. He enlisted in the Army on June 28, 1943 and upon the completion of basic, he was assigned to the 385th/76th at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, not too terribly far from his home!

He served in all 3x ETO campaigns as an Onaway, shipped home with the 30th for the Invasion of Japan that never took place (my grandpa was in the same boat in the 119th Regiment!) an was discharged on January 2, 1946. He passed away in Wisconsin in 2005.