The Ordinary Extraordinary Soldier: The Letters and Journey of WW2 Mechanic Staff Sergeant George Henderson 80th Infantry Division

By Brandon H Bakke

The war story of one WW2 80th Infantry Division mechanic by way of his personal letters home to his wife. 

How did George Henderson fit into the big

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brandon Bakke
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9780578943176

Brandon H Bakke

Brandon Bakke is a high school principal in Washington State. He earned his BA in History from Fresno State University and was a high school history teacher prior to becoming a school administrator. He resides with his wife Sherrie in Puyallup, Washington and has two children.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Team

Say this Battery of the Army that I am in is the best in the Division. We are in the Headquarters Battery.

—George Henderson, August 11, 1942

The 80th Infantry Division would go down as one of the most impactful and effective divisions during WW2, and these men could sense, even then, that they were a part of something truly special. Understandably, the doughboys—the infantry—often gets the bulk of the attention, but WW2 was won by soldiers with different jobs, from different branches, working together with expert coordination:

While the spotlight is focused primarily on the tankers and doughs [infantry], and rightly so, these same men were the first to recognize the important role of supporting units. There was supreme confidence in the engineers who cleared minefields and roadblocks to permit rapid penetration through enemy lines, in the artillery who so often broke up enemy attacks and dropped a protective blanket of fire in advance of the explosive forces, in the signalman who kept the lines of communication functioning under adverse conditions, in the ordinance which repaired or replaced their vehicles.²

—Lester Nichols, Historian

The infantry on the front line would not have lasted long without the entire division working collectively. Indeed, George Henderson was a part of a team. Understanding his story means understanding how the individual elements of the army fit together. Where and how a soldier like George fits into the big picture of WW2 is generally more complicated than a cursory glance might indicate. To understand the larger view, it helps to have a simple snapshot on how the puzzle is put together:

The Team

Army Group

An Army Group was, just like it sounds, a group made up of at least two armies. In Western Europe, the forces under General Eisenhower were arranged in three Army Groups. The 21st under the command of General Montgomery, the 6th, under General Devers, and the 12th under General Omar Bradley in Central Europe, George Henderson’s army group.

Armies

An army, a sub-group of sorts, was essentially a tactical headquarters that had troops specifically assigned to it for strategic reasons. The 3rd Army, itself made up of many different divisions, was part of the larger 12th Army Group and had the tactical objective of pushing the Nazis out of France. General George Patton was given the command and was assigned the task of ensuring this goal was met. George Henderson was a part of the 3rd Army, and as such, his job was to help make this goal a reality as well.

Corps

Often two army divisions were paired together for an initiative or campaign. In such cases this grouping was referred to as an Army Corps. For a few weeks during the war George’s unit was temporarily assigned to the XX Corps; they fought to protect the south flank of the U.S. Third Army in Northern France.

Divisions

Ground armies were organized into divisions and non-division units, and by March 1945, there were 2.7 million members in the ground forces with 1.2 million of them assigned to divisions. Ninety-one divisions were formed by the U.S. Army, with each division composed of approximately 15,000 troops. Combat troops of the U.S. Army were classified by the weapons and methods used in battle. There were five types of divisions: airborne, armored, cavalry, infantry, and mountain. Of the ninety-one divisions formed in WW2, sixty-eight of them were infantry divisions. George Henderson was a member of the 80th Infantry Division.

The WW2 infantry division was transformed into a triangularized division, a relatively new concept in military tactics at the time. The idea with its creation was to make a division capable of supporting itself by not having to rely on specialization from other parts of the military. It was most definitely a concept that promoted teamwork, because it provided each division with its own supporting cast of soldiers with their own expertise.

Artillery

The main support for WW2 infantry troops was the artillery— the soldiers who worked with large mobile cannons called howitzers that fired projectiles at a great distance. Each division contained smaller units of soldiers known as battalions, some of which were dedicated to the artillery. Artillery battalions each consisted of approximately 500 men. Three artillery battalions in the 80th Infantry Division had the responsibility to manage the light artillery weapons made up of 105mm howitzers. There was also one battalion of medium artillery (155mm howitzers). A light artillery battalion using a 105mm howitzer, could fire a 33-lb high explosive projectile to a range of about 7,000 yards. George Henderson was a member of the 905th Field Artillery Battalion, which manned these 105mm howitzers. Many people do not realize the impact of the American artillery on the battlefield, but General Patton did:

I do not have to tell you who won the war. You know our artillery did.³

—General George Patton

The 905th

The 905th Field Artillery Battalion (FABN) operated in direct support of the infantry. It had three firing groups or batteries: Batteries A, B, and C, each supporting the infantry with their large guns. It was common for an artillery battalion to be assigned regularly to a particular infantry regiment creating a close relationship between infantry and artillery units. The 905th Field Artillery Battalion spent much of the war in support of the operations of the entire 80th division, but often was teamed specifically with the 319th Infantry, one of the most decorated infantry battalions. The pair saw heavy combat together, with the 905th supporting attacks on positions, defending bridges, and stopping enemy advances. The 80th Infantry Division’s Colonel William Taylor, stated,

At the time I joined the division, it was conducting regimental field problems, and the 319th was actually in the field on one of these when I reported for duty. I recall on this exercise, as well as others that followed, the 905th always worked with us so closely and so well that we in the Infantry considered them as much a part of the regiment as the Infantry units. This same fine support and close relationship continued during combat right up to the time I was wounded.⁴

Rounding out the Team: The other Batteries

A Field Artillery Battalion was directly supported by its own set of support units: Headquarters (HQ), medical, fire-direction center, machine gun section, and a service group. These groups or batteries included many different kinds of soldiers including radiomen, wiremen, instrument operators, cooks, drivers, mechanics, and a survey team.

The jobs assigned to soldiers in support batteries varied. They provided food, payroll, mail, the news, and other administrative duties critical for maintaining order and the morale of the soldiers. The machine gun section was responsible for guarding the perimeter and transporting ammunition. Many of the communication and survey specialists were part of forward observation teams, teams who ventured out beyond protection to locate enemy positions and ensure firing accuracy for the howitzer batteries. Forward observation teams also conducted land surveys to identify ideal firing or observing positions. Upon arrival at a position, soldiers using special equipment would survey the land, set up massive guns making sure they were working properly while adjusting the specifications like factoring in distance and elevation.

It is not easy understanding how the team fits together. Here is how George tried to explain it to Genevive while at the same time trying to relieve her worry:

August 19, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dearest Genevive,

"Well, I will try to write you a longer letter. There isn’t much to write, but I will write all I can. About the car battery— Those fast charges are alright if they are given right, but if they are not, it’s hard on the battery. And, say, Honey, about going here and there and driving the car home to eat, just use your own judgement about it. You know I don’t care what you do because you will do what’s right.

You asked me about field artillery. It’s the firing of big guns. They can fire from 1 mile to 15 miles. But I am in Headquarters Battery, and we are not a Combat Battery. Our duties are to make sure communications are going through the other 3 batteries that are firing, and we use radio to do this and telephone. Then there are the Survey Crews who survey and [there are] the Truck Drivers. In other words, we are like a human body. We are four limbs which represent the Combat Batteries, and we are supposed to be the brains to keep those arms or Batteries clicking right. Here is the way we will go into battle:

Fighting Line (infantry)

B Battery

C Battery

A Battery

Headquarters Battery

So, you can see that we are in the last spot of all the other Batteries…"

The Headquarters HQ Battery

The 905th Field Artillery Battalion, like all howitzer batteries, contained a headquarters, service battery, a firing battery of four howitzer groups, and an ammunition section. George Henderson was in the 905th Headquarter Battery (HQ), which at the onset of combat had 110 enlisted men and nine officers. Without a doubt, there was danger for the troops directly firing on the enemy, but though George downplayed the risk in his letter to his wife, most of the non-firing batteries also faced extreme danger. The HQ Battery had soldiers handling communications, for example, who’s job of laying and repairing telephone lines placed them constantly at risk of being spotted by the enemy. Risk aside, George was proud and thankful to be a part of the HQ Battery:

Say, this Battery of the Army that I am in is the best in the Division. We are in Headquarters Battery. The others are in the Combat Division. Our Battery is to keep communications open and make sure the rest of the Batteries are running right, so maybe it won’t be so bad. We sure have good officers. They never yell or cuss at you. That makes it pretty nice.⁵

He would soon learn first-hand that no matter the unit or assignment, all soldiers were in harm’s way. The 905th HQ Battery suffered casualties all throughout their war journey, and another Field Artillery HQ Battery in the 80th, a mirror-image of his own, was completely destroyed during a German assault in France.⁶

Maintenance Platoon

Within each battalion were even smaller subgroups of approximately 25-50 soldiers called platoons, and George was a mechanic in the maintenance platoon. Maintenance platoons played a key role as part of an HQ battery. Their main responsibility was keeping the battalion vehicles operational. A major advantage for the American artillery was that it was fully motorized and highly mobile, and the entire artillery battalion relied heavily on trucks and jeeps. Vehicles were not just for troop movement, or course; the movement of everything relied on every vehicle being fully operational. All 105mm howitzer battalions, both men and equipment, were transported by trucks. The standard prime mover was a two-and-one-half ton truck for the 105mm guns. The even bigger guns relied on tractors to move them, including the M4 thirteen-ton prime movers, and the M5 eighteen-ton hi-speed, full-track heavy prime mover.

Trucks were integral in getting men and materials to and from staging areas, but it’s necessary to realize they were incredibly important assets in battle and during live action as well. Soldiers would haul ammunition to firing teams, each vehicle carrying between 50 to 60, 36 pound, 2 1/2 foot-long shells per trip. The fuses were shipped in crates inside the trucks, about 25 per box. Fuses and ammunition had to be carefully shipped separately to avoid accidental explosions during transport which was known to happen. The task was extremely dangerous but critically important; moving guns while keeping them supplied with ammo was a battle-winning necessity.

To keep everything in motion and this armada of trucks in operation was the job of the mechanics in the battery. Mechanics like George Gilbert Bert Henderson, a Staff Sergeant who supervised a group of 32 mechanics and drivers, who together worked tirelessly to keep the division moving. His division’s motto reflected their commitment to the importance of their work: "The 80th only moves forward." George’s very job was at the core of the division’s purpose.

Staff Sergeant George Henderson

12th Army Group

3rd Army

80th Division

905th Field Artillery Battalion

HQ Battery

Mechanic

George’s official notice that he would soon be reporting for duty.

80th Division’s insignia representing the Blue Ridge mountains of Pennsylvania.

The Henderson family c.1922. From Left to right, Wilbur, Georgia, Floyd, George (standing front) James, and Elaine.

George and Genevive’s wedding day, July 3, 1941.

Chapter 2

Welcome to Camp Forrest

July 15, 1942—August 24, 1943

The 80th Infantry was known as the Blue Ridge Division, a nickname derived from the mountains of Pennsylvania where most of the 80th’s original WW1 soldiers originated. The unit’s logo was adopted in 1918 and consists of three blue mountain peaks representing these mountains. Their motto, the 80th only moves forward was a perfect choice for this division, foreshadowing exactly what they would accomplish during WW2: few divisions traveled further, pushed harder, or accomplished as much.

The roads traveled by the 80th Infantry Division began at Camp Forrest in Tullahoma, Tennessee, when, on July 15, 1942, the division was once again reactivated. The camp was one of the largest training bases in the United States, with 85,000 acres and ten square miles. It was home to approximately 70,000 troops stationed there between 1942-1944, with 81 different divisions on site at one point or another.⁷ The camp felt massive; a sprawling city of barracks with 1,300 buildings. At one point during the war, it would become one of the largest cities in Tennessee.

George’s Journey to Camp Forrest

George’s journey to Camp Forrest began much earlier. He was born September 17, 1919 to James and Georgia Henderson. James was a logger, a self-made man who was known for the rare combination of being a fun-loving father who also stressed discipline.

George was one of eight kids in his family, five boys and three girls. He was born in Bellingham, Washington, and the Henderson family lived in the small farming community of Everson, 100 miles north of Seattle. The Hendersons lived a fairly typical rural, middle class life in George’s early years. He attended tiny Goshen Grade School where he graduated from the 8th grade in 1933.

Like so many families in the early 1930s, the Hendersons and their large family were struggling financially from the impact of the Great Depression. To help ease their financial pressure, the Hendersons made the tough decision to send George and his brother Floyd to live with his aunt on a farm in Stockton, California. He lived and worked there for three years while attending Stockton High School where he graduated in 1937. George was grateful for his time in California. He was treated well there, and he always felt a strong connection and appreciation for this part of his life journey.

In the Summer of 1937, George began preparation for his post high school career, enrolling in classes at the Palmer School of Chiropractic in San Jose. As tensions in Europe began to escalate, George sensed the United States entry into this budding war was inevitable. Danger was drawing near, and wanting to get time with his family while he still could, George made another tough decision. In 1938, he stopped attending school and returned to his family home way up in the northwest corner of Washington State near the Canadian border. He soon found a job as an auto-body apprentice at the Mades Motor Company. He also worked at a nearby farm where he met and became good friends with Dwayne and Bob Dunlap, two brothers who lived close by in a picturesque little town named after the Nooksack Valley in which it was nestled.

The Dunlap boys immediately liked George, and decided to introduce him to their kind yet fiercely independent older sister, Genevive. It didn’t take long before love was in the air, and little over three years later on July 3, 1941, just a few months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the young couple was married. Genevive beamed with joy as young brides often do as the dream of starting their life together became reality. They soon moved to a rented 970 square-foot, two-bedroom house on Iron street. Built in 1921, the older home provided an opportunity for George and Genevive to work together repairing and decorating. Iron Street was a quaint, tree-lined, residential area near downtown Bellingham just two miles from the campus of Western Washington College of Education (now Western Washington University). It was an ideal setting for the young couple to begin their life together.

As the American war preparations expanded, George, like so many others, felt a call to duty. In March of 1942, he made yet another difficult decision: 23-year-old, newly married George Henderson enlisted in the Army of the United States. The Hendersons now were in a race against the clock, shoring up their home while trying to anticipate the house work and vehicle maintenance amongst the many tasks they’d need to accomplish before George’s departure. George also began mobilizing their surrounding family and friends who’d be able to help support his young wife who would be forced into new responsibilities, like finances, for the first time in her life.

The timing of the decision to enlist was difficult, but delaying meant risking being drafted. Drafted men had no choice in their military assignment, and they were placed by the military to the areas of most need, usually to bolster the more dangerous infantry units or with the Marines—something George felt he couldn’t risk. Men who enlisted still had some limited choice in the branch of service, and he wanted to stay as safe as possible for his new wife. So it came to be that on July 18, 1942, George traveled 136 miles to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, where he reported for the Army, a process that became finalized on July 31:

August 1, 1942

Ft. Lewis, Washington

Dear Genevive,

Well, I am in the Army now. We got here at Fort Lewis at 2 PM. Got two shots in the arm already, smallpox and typhoid—my arm is a little sore. We didn’t get anything to eat until 4:30 p.m. Boy, was I hungry! Have been laying around on our bunk ever since. Not anything to do here. We have to get up at 5:45 AM, sure is early for me. Keep your chin up.

Love, Bert

XOXO

George spent the next few days at Fort Lewis, waiting for word about his military assignment and impending departure. He admittedly was getting bored:

August 4, 1942

Fort Lewis, Washington

Dear Genevive,

Well, we are still at Fort Lewis. Sure getting tired of eating and sleeping—it sure gets tiresome. I think we will move tomorrow or the next day. I sure hope so. We have been mopping barrack floors all day today. Everything is OK—missing you.

Keep your chin up.

Love, Bert

He was right. The next day Private George Henderson and the other new recruits boarded a train made entirely of coaches and departed for various military camps all across the country. George’s train arrived on August 10, 1942, at Camp Forrest in Tennessee, he was now officially a member of the 80th Infantry Division. Trains arrived day and night, and often soldiers’ first glimpse of the base was of rain and mud. George’s initial impression of the camp was not good, an impression that wouldn’t change much during his time in Tennessee. When he stepped off the train, he was hit with a rush of heat and humidity, a stark contrast from cool, crisp north western Washington State. He walked on a wooden pathway constructed to help soldiers navigate the usually muddy grounds to the office where they began the long litany of paperwork and physical examinations. Upon arrival, George was quickly assigned to the HQ Battery of the 905th Field Artillery Battalion along with 85 other enlisted men:

August 9, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dear Genevive,

I am writing to you from Camp Forrest, Tenn. We’re about six miles from Tullahoma, Tenn—just 4,000 miles* from home and you. I am in the Headquarters Division of the 905th Division of Field Artillery. It is quite a large company. This is sure a muddy country. It rains one minute and sunshines the next minute. We got here at seven o’clock this morning. It sure was a long ride to get out here. This is a new Company and Division. I don’t know if I am going to like it or not. I didn’t want to be in this kind of division, but it looks like you take it and like it. It sure is comical to listen to these Southerns talk. They sure have some drawl! Coming out here, we went through Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. We sure covered a lot of states for that distance. Well, there isn’t much to say, so I will close.

With Lots of Love and Kisses.

Your husband, Bert

Keep your chin up

My address will be

P.V.T. George G Henderson

HQ B.T.Y. 905th F.A.BTN.

Camp Forrest Tenn.

Army Post Office No.80

*George’s estimate was exaggerated by 1500 miles

The first week in camp was spent simply trying to figure out the Army worked while trying to solidify business back at home. He discovered after just the first few days that he really liked his officers:

August 15, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dearest Genevive,

Well, my first week in the army is over, and sure wish I was with you instead of here. I signed my payroll yesterday and found out about the allotment for you. They take $22.00 out of my check, and the first of Nov. you will get $150.00 cash. It makes it kind of tough for you, but you will have to do something for money. You can sell my tools if you want to—or anything else to raise money to make our payment. Go to Dad, and I think he can get money for you somewhere.

We sure have a bunch of swell officers down here. If the boys don’t ruin it for themselves, after a while, it won’t be so bad. I am going to church tomorrow and maybe a show tonight. [Shows] only cost 10 cents, so that isn’t bad entertainment. I wish they would start feeding us better here. You are hungry one hour after you eat. My money is holding alright so far, so don’t you start worrying about me. Will have to close for now. There isn’t much to write about here. Keep your chin up.

Love and Kisses, Bert

Like the 80th Infantry Division, the 905th traced its roots back to WWI when it was called the 305th Ammunition Train. In January of 1942, it was re-designated as the 905th Field Artillery Battalion. The 905th’s new arrivals like Private Henderson had moments when the seriousness of their new life really set in. One of those moments for him was when he was being fitted for a uniform and shoes. George was handed two buckets of sand weighing about thirty-five pounds each. His feet were then measured holding this load to more accurately reflect the size his feet would expand when in the field. George and his fellow soldiers were given many different uniforms for all kinds of weather, not all of them fitting as well as they would like:

September 28, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dearest Genevive,

Honey, another day is gone and another one without you. It’s sure terrible, Honey, to be so far apart. Well, Honey, I guess we are going to change into our winter uniforms pretty quick now. They had us try on our uniforms tonight to see if they would fit. I got quite a good fit on mine, but some of them were some awful fits.

Well, Honey, there just isn’t anything to write about. I wish there was because I would like to tell you. We are not allowed to tell anything about the camp anymore, so it doesn’t leave much to say. Honey, I can sure keep telling you that I love you and am looking forward to the time when we will be together again, and, Honey, I don’t think it will be so awful long. I am praying that it won’t, and I think the good Lord will fix it so it will be.

Lots of Love and Big Big Kisses and more Kisses,

Your Husband, and Sweetheart, Bert

The Barracks

George’s living quarters were in the barracks. All Camp Forrest barracks were two stories. Inside the main room were lines of cots with footlockers at the foot of each bed, and each pair of men shared a wardrobe providing a spot for hanging clothes. An outside staircase allowed access to the upstairs bunk areas. At one end of the downstairs room was a day-room which had comfortable chairs and tables more suitable for gathering. Magazines and games like ping-pong would be available here along with some recreational equipment.

August 19, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dearest Genevive,

… you asked about our place to sleep. We sleep in barracks, two story buildings with 69 men in them. I sleep on the top floor with 35 men, and I am sleeping quite well. You are so tired when you get through training at night you really want to go to bed. They took the whole Division, that is all the Batteries, A, B, C and Head Quarters, out this afternoon to a lake to train everyone to swim. We have to be able to swim 100 yards before they will stop taking us. We will be going every Wed. afternoon. But I won’t have any trouble doing that. It is about as far from the house to the road out at my folks place. So that isn’t so far, I haven’t found anyone to chum around with yet, except that fellow from Seattle. Harold Burke is quite old, but a swell fellow... And Tenn. is one heck of a state. Hot and rainy, about 110 degrees when it isn’t raining.

While the barracks were relatively comfortable, at times there would be so many soldiers stationed at Camp Forrest many of them would have to be housed in bivouacs. Bivouacs were an organized collection of small tents that soldiers would often sleep in when moving through a combat zone. The officers felt the difficult conditions of tent life would better prepare them for what they were about to experience when deployed.

Regardless of where they slept, soldiers were expected to maintain a well-groomed appearance at all times and were subjected to frequent inspections. Sinks for grooming were found in each building while latrines were located in a facility outside the barrack. Showers were at a central location as well. When it worked, a water radiator heated the barracks with one boiler for every two buildings. Barrack life was quite an adjustment for George and these new soldiers:

September 27, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dearest Genevive,

Honey, oh, I miss you today. Yesterday and today I just can’t keep from being lonesome. I went to church this morning, and it helped a lot. I felt an awful lot better afterwards. Something happened yesterday that sure surprised me. There were seven or eight of us laying around on our bunks talking and finally got talking about this Bible. Then I got out my Bible, and we had quite a discussion on it. For about an hour, we read different scriptures and discussed them. It was really interesting.

About a week ago [officers] moved all of the fellows around in the barracks. And these boys that were up there yesterday were the ones that were moved in, and it sure makes it a lot nicer. You don’t hear all of that dirty talking all the time.

Last night a funny thing happened, but sure was nice. When we all went to bed, it was warm and we [each] just had one blanket over us, and one of the fellows that was moved up yesterday came in about 11:30 from writing letters in our day room. It had started to get cold. So, he went around every bunk and put a comforter over every one of us, and then [he] went to bed himself. Sure made me take a liking to him. It sure was a nice thing to do. He is from Oklahoma, and he is a heck of a swell kid. We are all going to go and see a show together this afternoon.

Genevive, Honey, I heard today that we are going to get furloughs for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they are going to let the married men have preference over the single ones. Also, the distance will make a difference in the length of the furlough. So, I am looking forward to being home, if nothing comes up that will change it. Honey, it’s sure terrible to be so far away from you and not knowing when I will get to see you. Two of the fellows have their wives here, and it made me lonesome to see them together when we can’t possibly do it. It is hard to take.

It sure is cold here today, just about freezing and no heat in the barracks. It’s too cold to stay up there, so I am down in the day room writing this letter. They have a fire heater, and it is crowded with fellows. Some [are] reading, playing ping pong, singing and writing. Well, Honey, I can’t think of anything more to write about only to tell you that I love you and always will. I miss you terribly, Honey, and am praying every day for the day when we will be together again.

Lots of Love and Kisses

Your Husband, Bert

The experiences of the men of the 80th Infantry Division at Camp Forrest were fairly typical of other soldiers around the country. The beginning of their induction into military life started with thirteen weeks of basic training where they learned the fundamentals of being a soldier.

October 8, 1942

Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Dearest Genevive,

This is the first day I haven’t got a letter from you for quite a while. I usually get one every day except on Saturday and Sunday. I usually get three on Mondays, I don’t know why, but that’s the way they come. I sure look forward to getting them.

We sure got some exercise this morning. We started out at 7 o’clock and walked at a fast pace for about 10