Comments on: 81st Infantry Division

By: Jim Terry

Jim Terry — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:50:22 +0000

My father James Robert Terry served with the 81st in WWII. I have a book “The 81st Infantry Wildcat Division in WWII” that gives a very good overview of the divisions activities during the war.
I see there is a youtube video now that talks about the division in WWII, a short look at the campaign mostly on Angaur. Is there a place where I can look up what RCT and company he was in?

By: Dr J

Dr J — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:23:39 +0000

Hello! I have the honor of being the historian for the 81st Regional Support Command — today’s Wildcats. We still host a reunion for the 81st WWI and WWII families, veterans and friends. Look us up at 81stwildcatassociation.com for information. We will meet in Nashville 8-11 August 2013 this year. Please join us. Thanks !!! Dr. J. Boyd

By: Brad Henderson

Brad Henderson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:50:22 +0000

My Grandfather, William C. Myrick, Sr. was a veteran of WWI. His tombstone indicates he was a Corporal and a member of the 324th Infantry, 81st Infantry Division. However, I had been told by my uncles, his sons, that he volunteered as an ambulance driver and made his own way over sometime in early 1917.

The campaign bars on his Victory Medal are: Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Defensive Sector.

I know that he was gassed in one battle and wounded by shrapnel in another. My understanding is that after his second wounding, he met some friends from his hometown of Laurel, MS that were in the 81st and he got himself moved there as a replacement.

I was given his military momentos which included his uniform with all patches and ribbons intact and the following 5 medals: Distinguished Service Medal, Purple Heart, WWI Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal and French Croix DeGuerre with a Star on the ribbon.

My uncles told me that the DSM and Purple Heart were presented to him sometime in the 1930′s by a Mississippi Congressman.

Does anyone have any idea how I can sort through this mess and get some accurate information?

Thanks,
Brad Henderson

By: J. Winkler

J. Winkler — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:01:22 +0000

I found what appears to be a military issued pocket bible with the name Marion F. Wyatt,% Headquarters Company, 322nd Regiment, 81st Division-1917 in a box of books from my parents estate. I do not recognize the name, but would like to find out if their was a connection to my family.

By: Mike Durdovic

Mike Durdovic — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:31:38 +0000

My father, Paul Durdovic, was in Company H of the 321st RCT in World War II. He died in 1962 at age 46. I was 13 at the time and never had an opportunity to talk with him about his war experience. I would be very grateful to hear from anyone who may have known him. Or from the sons or daughters of those who served with him.

By: Paul M. Hendricks

Paul M. Hendricks — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:46:13 +0000

My grandfather was also a member of the 81st Div. His records indicate he was in Co. I, 324 Inf until Oct 14, 1917. He served in France from Oct 1918 until April 1919. His name was Caulie Hendricks and he was from Jacksonville, Florida.

By: Jim Knowles

Jim Knowles — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:51:44 +0000

My grandfather was Clifton J. Knowles of Wallace, N.C.
He was born January 25,1894 in the town of Long Creek, Pender County ,North Carolina. His parents were Bryant B. and Lula Underwood Knowles.
When WWI broke out , he enlisted in the U.S.Army on December 17,1917 at Warsaw,N.C. and was in the first group to leave from Duplin Co.. They sent him to Camp Jackson,S.C.near Columbia, for basic training and then assigned him to Battery “B” ,317th Field Artillery Regiment,156 Brigade , 81st (Wildcat) Division. This group sailed from New York on August,7,1918 for Liverpool , England .After 12 days at sea and 5 days in England ,they finally reached LeHarve, France .A few days later, they arrive at the Meuse-Argone forest area .Since he was a sergeant, he was responsible for one of the 75mm cannons. Mules were widely used to position these cannons. One day one of those recalcitrant beast decide to kick him which resulted in a broken shin bone. He was sent to a hospital in England thus ending his active participation in the actual fighting. After several months of convalesce, he returned to Camp Jackson to be honorably discharged on May 10 ,1919. His commanding officer wrote on his discharge the word EXCELLENT to describe his character. They paid him a bonus of $157.62.

By: Woody McMillin

Woody McMillin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:51:31 +0000

The 81st Infantry Division participated in the third of seven large-scale U.S. Army maneuvers conducted in Tennessee during the World War II years. The 81st was involved in simulated combat across 22 counties of middle Tennessee from April 26 to June 20, 1943. Other units in this particular maneuver include VII Corps, the 5th Armored Division, the 79th Infantry Divsion and the 101st Airborne Division. I spent two years researching and writing a book on the WWII Tennessee maneuvers and I am delighted to share info and talk with vets and their family members. My email is woodyair@comcast.net; my phone is 615-353-1890. The name of the book is “In The Presence Of Soldiers,” and it has very detailed information about every exercise in each maneuver, including composition of opposing forces, when/where simulated combat occurred, objectives, umpiring, air support and other information. There are also details about recreation centers and interaction with civilians.

By: Joe Lokey

Joe Lokey — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:49:02 +0000

I am a family historian trying to piece together the military history of my grandfather, George Alvis Lokey, who was with the 81st in France. He bacame very sick after the war and died in 1933 supposedly from complications caused by being gassed (mustard) during his tour in France. If anyone has any records of the 81st fighting in a chemical environment, I ‘d love to here about it. Thnaks in advance.
Joe Lokey
Woodbridge, VA

By: Clem'Son

Clem'Son — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:21:37 +0000

I am looking for information about Captain John H. Lightsey, Company G, 322nd Infantry Battalion, 81st Division, Killed in action September 28 on the Island of Angaur, Palau. Captain Lightsey was a 1940 graduate of Clemson College.

His web page is http://cualumni.clemson.edu/page.aspx?pid=1531 Captain Lightsey was a 1940 graduate of Clemson College. I can be reached at scrollofhonor@clemson.edu