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28th Infantry Division
Keystone Division
Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please email me (webmaster).

Division History

Organization

109th Inf Regt

110th Inf Regt

112th Inf Regt

628th Tank Bn

The 28th Infantry Division patch is a Red Keystone. The Keystone has been worn by elements of the Division since the Civil War, although divisional shoulder emblems did not become official with the Army until 1918.
Related Links
 
Division History
1950s
(Source: "Roll On 28th," 28th Inf Div Yearbook, 1952)
In September 1950, the 28th Infantry Division was called to active federal service (due to the hostilities in Korea) and started training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The Division embarked for Europe in November 1951 to become part of the NATO forces undergoing training in Germany.


 
On 5 November 1951, a Division Rally was held (at Camp Atterbury, Indiana). Major General Daniel B. Strickler, Commanding General, addressed the troops concerning the movement to Europe and the mission of the 28th in that command.

It had been ordered by Department of the Army that elements of the 28th would conduct a parade in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (prior to boarding ship for movement to Europe.) A party was given by the citizens of Philadelphia on the evening of 11 November, at which many members of the units (participating in the parade) met their families. On the 12th, at 1400 hours, the parade was held. At the conclusion of the parade the first increment troops returned to the USS General Butner, docked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The ship sailed at 1735 hours, bearing the first units of the Division to their new assignment in Germany.

The first ship of the first increment, the USS General Butner, arrived at the Bremerhaven Port of Embarkation on 21 November. After a Thanksgiving Dinner on the ship, the troops disembarked to be greeted by General of the Armies Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Powers in Europe, General Thomas Handy, Commanding General, European Command, and Major General Withers A. Burress, Commanding General, VII Corps.  
As finally determined, the following is a list of the increments which, with the exception of the USS General Butner, sailed from Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Hampton Roads, Virginia between 13 and 26 November 1951:
UNITS TRANSPORT
First Increment - sailed 12 Nov 51
Hq and Hq Co, 28th Inf Div; 28th Div Band; Hq 28th Div Arty; Med Det, 28th Div Arty; 108th FA Bn; 103rd Engr C Bn; 28th CIC Det.		 USS Gen H.W. Butner
- sailed 12 Nov 51
28th MP Co; Hq Med Det; 28th Sig Co; 728th Ord Maint Co; 28th QM Co; 899th AAA Bn (SP).		 USS Gen Taylor
Second Increment - sailed 17 Nov 51
Service Co, 109th Inf Regt; 1st and 3rd Bns, 109th Inf; 103rd Med Bn. 		USS Gen W.G. Haan
- Sailed 18 Nov 51
Hq and Hq Co, 109th Inf Regt; Hvy Mortar Co, 109th Inf Regt; Med Co, 109th Inf; Tank Co, 109th Inf; 28th Recon Co.
 USS Gen C.H. Muir
Third Increment - sailed 20 Nov 51
Service Co, 110th Inf Regt; Hvy Mortar Co, 110th Inf; Med Co, 110th Inf; 2nd and 3rd Bns, 110th Inf.
 USS Gen S.D. Sturgis

- Sailed 21 Nov 51
Hq and Hq Co, 110th Inf; Tank Co, 110th Inf; 1st Bn, 110th Inf; 107th FA Bn.

 USS Gen R.M. Blatchford
Fourth Increment - sailed 26 Nov 51
229th FA Bn; Hq and Hq Co, 112th Inf Regt; Service Co, 112th Inf; Hvy Mortar Co, 112th Inf; 1st and 2nd Bns, 112th Inf; 28th Repl Co. 		USS Gen S. Heintzelman
- Sailed 27 Nov 51
Tank Co, 112th Inf; Med Co, 112th Inf; 3rd Bn, 112th Inf; 628th Tank Bn.
 USS Gen C.C. Ballou
 

First increment of the 28th Inf Div arrives at Bremerhaven
 
Upon arrival at Bremerhaven, personnel boarded trains and were taken to Camp Y-79, Sandhofen, near Mannheim. This staging area was the site of the reunion of units with their equipment. Theoretically, equipment would then have been loaded on the vehicles and the unit would have left, fully equipped, for their final destinations. Shipments from the Zone of the Interior were late in arriving, however, and the net result was a longer stay in the muddy tent city than was anticipated. Division Headquarters opened at Göppingen on 26 November 1951, and Camp Y-79 had been completely cleared by 17 December.

To those of the 28th who left Germany in 1945 with memories of twisted steel, rubble-filled streets and shattered buildings, the changes which had occurred throughout the country were startling. Much of the debris of World War II had been cleared away, and the German people were busy at the process of rebuilding. Shops which then were boarded up and empty, once more held a variety of consumer goods. As a part of the rebuilding program, the kasernes, or former German Army barracks, which had been damaged during the war were completely renovated to house elements of the NATO Army. Units of the 28th, after leaving the staging areas of Camp Y-79, were to occupy many of these kasernes in Southern Germany.  
 

Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image
 
After the inconveniences imposed by the conventional barracks of Camp Atterbury, the steel and masonry construction of the kasernes was a welcome change to most of the men of the Division. Large, draughty (sic) rooms were replaced by the smaller, more adaptable, and certainly more livable ones found in the huge kasernes buildings, which sometimes were three and four stories high. It was possible, in some cases, to separate individual squads and sections under the control of the squad or section leader. This created a situation extremely favorable to overall control and contributed much to individual privacy, an accomplishment which was impossible at Camp Atterbury in the latter case. For recreational purposes, most of the kasernes were equipped with bowling alleys, snack bars, theaters, and service clubs. In many cases, these were not completed until later in 1952.

In accordance with the geographical location and troop capacities of the various kasernes within the Division area, it was necessary to separate the units of the 28th over a large section of Southern Germany. This separation caused some difficulties in communication and control which were non-existent at Camp Atterbury. There, the Division was assembled on one Post, while here it required as much as three hours to establish messenger contact with one of the regiments.  
 
In all, six Area Commands were formed by the Division, each under the control of the major unit within the area. The 109th Infantry Regiment and its attached 109th FA Battalion comprised the Gablingen Area Command.

The 110th Infantry Regiment, 107th FA Battalion and 728th Ordnance Maintenance Company are included in the Ulm Area Command.

The Heilbronn Area Command consists of the 112th Infantry Regiment and the 229th FA Battalion.

At Ellwangen (Ellwangen Area Command) are the 103rd Engineer Combat Battalion and the 103rd Medical Battalion.

The Leipheim Area Command houses the 628th Medium Tank Battalion and the 28th Reconnaissance Company.

Göppingen Area Command includes Headquarters and Headquarters, 28th Infantry Division; Headquarters 28th Division Artillery; 28th Signal Company; 28th Replacement Company; 28th Quartermaster Company; 28th MP Company; 28th CIC Detachment and 28th Division Band. The 108th FA Battalion and the 899th AAA AW Bn (SP) are also included in the Göppingen Area Command, but are located in Schwäbisch Gmünd and Nellingen, respectively.

With the completion of relocation in the new kasernes, the major problem facing the Division was that of becoming combat ready. The primary mission of the 28th is to close with the enemy by fire and maneuver in order to capture or destroy him, or to repel his assault by fire and close combat. The specific mission of the Division is three-fold. First, it is to engage in a training program designed to improve its capabilities to fulfill its primary mission. Second, as a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Army, it is to help safeguard the peace and frredom of the people of Western Europe and North America, and, if necessary, to defend that freedom against any aggressor. Third, by demonstrating to the people of Germany the high standard of American moral, cultural and material life, it is to inspire them with confidence in the democratic ideals. In line with these missions and the requisite of combat readiness, a program of intensive training was launched at the beginning of the year. This training program was scheduled to last for forty weeks, and included in its scope advanced individual and squad training through Regimental Combat Team and Division Exercises.

To accomplish the training objectives for 1952, unit training areas were established near the various kasernes. In all cases, the training areas were considerably smaller than those previously used at Camp Atterbury. Many were at a considerable distance from the kasernes, requiring long foot marches which tended to decrease the time spent in actual training activities. In spite of the difficulties encountered, the training program was continued successfully, and, with the arrival of good weather late in the spring, field problems and trips to special training areas such as Hohenfels and Grafenwöhr increased the proficiency of units of the 28th.

During the first several months in Germany, a great deal of emphasis was placed on the speed with which the Division was able to load its equipment, ammunition and personnel upon vehicles and move to a tactical assembly area prepared for combat. This was a procedure entirely new to the 28th, and one which needed many hours of practice before the required degree of perfection could be attained. As the months passed, new systems for completing this movement were designed, and by the end of the summer the 28th had added another accomplishment to its objective of combat readiness.

The training program was culminated in the fall by three large scale field exercises during which the Division was tested on its mobility and communications, the ability to sustain itself, and special techniques which had been practiced during the year, such as air-ground support, river crossings, night movement and the delaying action. During the first two of these exercises, the 28th acted in the role of aggressor opposing the 43rd and 1st Infantry Divisions, respectively. In the last, the Division was faced by elements of the 1st Infantry Division attacking from the east. In all phases of these tests, the 28th proved that the training program carried on during the year had been effective, and that the Division was ready to fulfill its mission as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Army.

When the 28th Division arrived in Europe, it found that a great deal of emphasis was placed upon competitive sports by the USAREUR commander. Shortly after entering the field of competition, 28th Divisional individuals and teams made themselves known by establishing excellent records in the various sports contests. In team competition, the 109th Infantry basketball squad went unbeaten to the 1952 USAREUR championship. The 28th Division Artillery baseball team reached the finals in competition for the USAREUR baseball championship. Similarly, the 28th Division Special Troops were eliminated from football competition only after the last, championship, game. Individual sports, such as skiing, swimming, track and field were represented by 28th Division soldiers who compiled a long list of honors.

By the end of 1952, the 28th had successfully completed more than one year of service in Germany, and more than two years of active service since Federalization in September, 1950. Most of the National Guardsmen who had originally accompanied the Division to Camp Atterbury had returned to their civilian occupations in Pennsylvania. Many of the selectees who had joined the 28th shortly after it seached Camp Atterbury had also rotated to the Zone of Interior after completing their required two years of active duty. On 2 December 1952, it was announced that Major General Cortland Van Rensselaer Schuyler, former Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, was to succeed Major General Daniel B. Strickler as the Commanding General, 28th Infantry Division.
 
109th Infantry Regiment
109th Inf Regt DUI

109th Inf Regt
Gablingen
The original owner - unfortunately still unidentified - of the photo album was assigned to Hq/Hq Co, 109th Inf Regt.
  

1. 109th Inf Regt NCO Academy (KB)
2. Entrance to NCO Academy (KB)

3. Cadre look over new students (KB)

4. Academy sign (KB)
5. Ready to move out for an exercise (KB)
6. Hq/Hq Co motor pool (KB)		  

7. Sexton in front of barracks (KB)
8. Gablingen Kaserne street (KB)
9. Football field (KB)
  

10. The album owner at Hohenfels (KB)
      
 
110th Infantry Regiment
110th Inf Regt DUI
 
(Source: Email from Bill Mcdaid)
I served in the 110th Inf. from March of 1951 until February 1954. I served in A company at Hindenburg Kaserne and was mostly on tdy at the 110th Inf. N.C.O. Academy as cadre at Ludendorff Kaserne.

Reading the history really brought back a lot of memories. Thank you
Bill Mcdaid
 
(Source: author's collection)

110th Inf Regt
Ludendorff Ksn

 

1. Ludendorff Ksn, Neu Ulm, 1953 (KB)
2. Barracks at Ludendorff (KB)
3. Field inspection (KB)

4. 110th Inf Regt awards ceremony (KB)
 

5. Field inspection (KB)
6. View towards main gate (KB)
7. Post chapel, back view (KB)		  

8. Post chapel, front view (KB)
9. EM Club (KB)
10. New artillery barracks (KB)

  

110th Inf Regt
Ford Bks

 

1. View towards main gate (KB)
2. Ford Barracks, 1953 (KB)
3. Part of the installation (KB)

4. PX and Snack Bar (KB)
5. Inside the EES Snack Bar (KB)
6. Ford Bks swimming pool (KB)
  
 
112th Infantry Regiment
 
(Source: Heilbronn Eagle, October 12, 1987)
Retired soldiers returns to reminisce

By Mike Novogradac

Upon swinging through Heilbronn and Wharton Barracks after 33 years, Army reserve Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert E. Houle only remembers the things that were important to him as an infantry Private that long ago.

In November 1951, Houle's unit, the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, Pensylvania National Guard, was activated for the Korean War. His unit crossed the Atlantic and made its home at Wharton Barracks until January 1954, when they all packed their things and headed back to the Keystone state.
 
His memories of living in Building 9 (where Headquarters Company, 26th Signal Battalion is now) are simple -- and one new addition to the building caught his attention immediately. "The tile floors is what caught my eye," Houle said. "We used to have to polish the old wooden, slotted floors with steel wool and wax. We kept it looking good always."

Houle also remembers the John F. Kennedy Housing Area as it used to be. "The housing area was nothing but forest," he said. "And the big parking lot where the flag pole is now was a gravel lot for unit formations."

Another thing important to him then was family. "At that time, everyone lived on post. Very few soldiers brought their families over, except for high ranking officers and NCOs (noncommissioned officers). And of course, no one in the National Guard brought families."

During his recent tour of Germany and France on a Deutsch Bundesbahn Eurail pass, Houle made a mandatory stop at the Heilbronn train station. I didn't even recognize Heilbronn," he said. "I remembered the Rathaus with it's clock and I remembered marching down the main street in a parade.

"It's hard remembering after 33 years, because so much has changed. It all stopped me cold. Even the roof of Killians Church was still bombed out from World War II."

Houle does remember two other areas of Germany, though, but he plans on visiting only one. "Hohenfels Training Area -- I'm not going there," he said. "It's too military, and I won't even recognize it, it's been so long.

"But I do want to visit Berchtesgaden, because I skied for the 28th Division there."
All his time in Heilbronn was spent training "because the Korean War was hot and heavy." Houle was lucky never to see combat, and when he returned Stateside as a Staff Sergeant, he attended college, went on to become an officer through the Officer Candidate School, and spent 24.5 years in the National Guard. With three years enlisted time and four years in the Army reserve, he retired with 31.5 military years under his belt.

Houle is now the director of the Mount Anthony Area Vocational Technical School in Bennington, Vt.

Oh - there's one more important thing Houle remembers. When he was a young soldier in Germany, his dollar bought him DM 4.20.
 
Division Organization
 
UNIT KASERNE CITY COMMENTS
Hq/Hq Co, 28th Inf Div Cooke Bks Göppingen
28th QM Co Göppingen
728th Ord Maint Co Ulm
28th Div Band Göppingen
28th MP Co Göppingen
28th Repl Co Göppingen
28th Sig Co Göppingen
109th Inf Regt Gablingen Ksn Augsburg
110th Inf Regt Hindenburg Ksn Ulm
112th Inf Regt Wharton Bks Heilbronn
Hq/Hq Btry, 28th Div Arty Göppingen
107th FA Bn Ulm
108th FA Bn Schwäbisch Gmünd
109th FA Bn Gablingen Ksn Augsburg
229th FA Bn Heilbronn
899th AAA Bn Cooke Bks Göppingen
628th Tank Bn (Leipheim Ksn) Leipheim
28th Recon Co (Leipheim Ksn) Leipheim
103rd Engr Cbt Bn Ellwangen
103rd Med Bn Ellwangen
 
628th Tank Battalion
628th Tank Bn Pocket Patch
1952
(Source: Email from Anthony D'Auria)
I was a member of the 628th Tank Battalion in Leipheim Germany.  I have some interesting photos if you could use them.   

68th Tank Bn
Leipheim

 

1. (KB)
2. (KB)
3. (KB)

4. (KB)
5. (KB)
6. Co "C" Christmas sign (KB)		  

7. (KB)
8. (KB)
9. (KB)
  

10. (KB)
11. (KB)
12. (KB)
  

13. (KB)
14. (KB)
15. Günzburg train station (KB)		  
 
Keystone News - Some of the issues published while in Germany
May 1, 1952



 
ISSUES IN COLLECTION
DATE ISSUE HQS
  Vol. 1, No. 1-12 Göppingen missing
May 1, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 13 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 14-15 Göppingen missing
May 22, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 16 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 17-22 Göppingen missing
Jul 10, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 23 Göppingen
Jul 17, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 24 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 15-26 Göppingen missing
Aug 7, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 27 Göppingen
Aug 14, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 28 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 29-32 Göppingen missing
Sep 18, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 33 Göppingen
Sep 25, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 34 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 35 Göppingen missing
Oct 9, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 36 Göppingen
Oct 16, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 37 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 38 Göppingen missing
Oct 30, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 39 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 40 Göppingen missing
Nov 13, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 41 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 42-46 Göppingen missing
Dec 24, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 47 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 48 Göppingen missing
Jan 8, 1953 Vol. 1, No. 49 Göppingen
Jan 15, 1953 Vol. 1, No. 50 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 51- Göppingen subsequent issues missing
 
Related Links:
Letters From Deutschland - Letters written by John M. Holman while serving with Service Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, at Gablingen Kaserne, Augsburg, Germany 1951 - 1953. During these years, he has sent pieces to The Hampton Union (New Hampshire) about millitary life in Germany in the Army of Occupation. Some of these letters are now posted on a special web page of the Lane Memorial Library at Hampton, NH.