News, Notes, and Updates
Current Forces News
The 'Ryder Brigade Combat Team' - otherwise known as the 2-34th BCT of the 34th Infantry Division and the Iowa National Guard - is NOW preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. Two of its units you well remember from World War II: the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry and the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry. The name, "Ryder Brigade", has been chosen to honor Maj. Gen. Charles "Doc" Ryder who commanded us in combat from Oran in Algeria, November 1942, to the Arno River near Florence, July 1944.
The monthly Ryder Dispatch newsletter collection is now accessible online. Current news releases from the brigade are also online, with a link to the archive of all releases.
A Facebook weblog has been set up, but you cannot read beyond the "Wall" chatter unless you register and are known as a Facebook user. 
2010.SEP
Gold Star Military Museum
Our 2010 national reunion will include a visit to the greatly expended museum of the Iowa National Guard at Camp Dodge on September 11th. A description of some of the changes awaiting us are found in their Cobra Installation PDF file.
The museum is also the office of our 34th Infantry Division Association. 2010.SEP
Red Bull Veterans Search Forum
The message forums which supported searches for our veterans have been taken offline. It has become an impractical task to proper edit and organize entries for such a search directory in this one-man operation. 2010.JUN
Newsletters
The Summer 2010 National Association Newsletter is now online and downloadable as a PDF file. It includes the membership form and registration/program information for the 9th-12th September reunion in Iowa. 2010.MAY
You will also find below new sections of information for the Council Bluffs Chapter and Des Moines Chapter and registration/program information for the 12th-16th July Tri-State Chapter Chapter reunion. 2010.JUN
Featured Items
135th Infantry Regiment in World War II
A new collection of the 1941-1945 histories of the 135th Infantry Regiment is now online and presented in our history section. 2010.JAN
168th Infantry Regiment in North Africa
A report by Col. Thomas Drake, commanding the 168th Infantry Regiment in Tunisia, was recently uncovered at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum. This was his official report of the actions leading up to the capture of much of the Regiment in February 1943. It is now available here as a PDF file, 6.5 MB, Tunisian Operations, 168th Infantry.
In accepting Col. Drake's report, Major General Charles Ryder wrote on 1 May 1945:
"Knowing the conditions, I can only marvel at the gallantry
of the 168th Infantry and yourself in the face of overwhelming
odds. You and you alone were fighting the entire German
armored force of General Rommel and the delay you caused saved
the Allied Forces in Southern Tunisia from disaster. Both of
you wrote a page in American history for which you can be well
proud. The blame for your defeat can only be layed on the
shoulders of those who completely failed to come to your support
as had been planned."
Taps, Again: Troops in Harm's Way
Too many of our own soldiers - the 34th Infantry Division "Desert Bulls" - have died in the U.S. Central Command theater. We know, from our own experiences in World War II, what it means to lose a fellow Red Bull. To their families, their friends, their comrades of this generation, we present this small remembrance in their honor, in your honor.
We have 'tuned' a prior listing of the casualties of our 1st Brigade Combat Team in Iraq 2006-2007, and added information on the losses within or assigned to our Division Headquarters in Iraq 2009 while in command of the Coalition Force's MultiNational Division South at Basra.
That latter webpage uses text and images from a former website of Div HQ while it was deployed in Iraq.
"May they have no more hills to climb,
nor cold, nor rain, nor mud, nor enemy fire,
and may they now rest in Peace."
• Summer 2010 Newsletter (PDF File) 2010.MAY
• Winter 2010 Newsletter (PDF File)
• Fall 2009 Newsletter (PDF File)
• Winter 2009 Newsletter (PDF File)
• Fall 2008 Newsletter (PDF File)
• April 2008 Newsletter (PDF File)
• January 2008 Newsletter (PDF File)
• November 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• May 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• April 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
The association's postal address is:
34th Infantry Division Association
Iowa Gold Star Museum, Bldg A-9
7105 NW 70th Avenue
Johnston IA 50131-1824
This chapter, with about forty members, does not publish bulletins. Their members meet at monthly luncheons or dinners. They also host an annual Christmas Dinner.
The chapter's postal address is:
Council Bluffs Chapter
34th Infantry Division Association
208 Sylvan Dr
Council Bluffs IA 51503
• 2010-2011 Meetings Calendar (MS Word file)
• June 2010 Meeting Announcement and Report (Text file)
• April 2010 Meeting Announcement and Report (Text file)
• March 2010 Meeting Announcement and Report (Text file)
• February 2010 Meeting Announcement and Report (PDF file)
• 2010 National Reunion Assignments (MS Word file)
The chapter's postal address is:
Des Moines Chapter
34th Infantry Division Association
7105 NW 70th Ave, Camp Dodge
Johnston IA 50131-1824
• 2010 Reunion (PDF File) 2010.JUN
• 2010 Membership (PDF File) 2010.JUN
• March 2009 Newsletter (PDF File)
• April 2008 Newsletter (PDF File)
• December 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• August 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• June 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• May 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• March 2007 Newsletter (PDF File)
• Standing Rules of the Chapter
The chapter's postal address is: 2010.JUN
Tri-State Chapter
34th Infantry Division Association
3439 Midvale Ave
Philadelphia PA 19129-1405
Principal Directory of Contents
If you have problems using these 'pull-down' menus, please let the Webmaster know; you may find it easier to use the SiteMap at the top of this page.
This Directory section is being redesigned, so don't expect perfection ... yet. Thanks.
Who Were We?
WW II Order of Battle - 34th Infantry Division
- Headquarters, 34th Infantry Division
- 133rd Infantry Regiment
100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) [assigned Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno]
- 135th Infantry Regiment
- 168th Infantry Regiment
168th Commandos
- 442nd Regimental Combat Team [attached Rome-Arno]
442nd Infantry Regiment
100th Infantry Battalion
232nd Engineeer (Combat) Company
442nd Medical Detachment
522nd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
- 34th Division Artillery
34th Division Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
125th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
(normally in support of the 133rd Inf. Regt.)
151st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
(normally in support of the 135th Inf. Regt.)
175th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
(normally in support of the 168th Inf. Regt.)
185th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
- 34th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
- 109th Engineer (Combat) Battalion
- 109th Medical Battalion
- 34th Division Special Troops
Headquarters, Special Troops, 34th Division
34th Infantry Division Headquarters Company
34th Infantry Division Band
Military Police Platoon, 34th Division
34th Counter-Intelligence Detachment [attached]
34th Quartermaster Company
34th Signal Company
734th Ordnance (Light Maintenance) Company
- Jewish Infantry Brigade (attached Occupation)
- A Company, 2nd Chemical Warfare Battalion (attached Naples-Foggia)
- 35th Quartermaster War Dog Platoon (attached North Apennines)
- 38th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon (attached Occupation)
- 72nd Signal Company (Special) (attached Naples-Foggia)
- 84th Chemical Mortar Battalion (attached North Apennines)
- 100th Chemical Mortar Battalion (attached North Apennines, Po Valley)
- 105th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (Self-Propelled) (attached Naples-Foggia)
- 107th Coast Artillery Battalion (AAA Automatic Weapons) Battalion (attached Tunisia)
- A Company, 191st Tank Battalion (attached Naples-Foggia)
- 2nd Battalion, 351st Infantry Regiment (attached North Apennines)
- 432nd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (attached North Apennines)
- 435th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (Self-Propelled) (attached Anzio)
- 443rd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (Self-Propelled) (attached Tunisia)
- 751st Tank Battalion (attached Tunisia)
- 752nd Tank Battalion (attached Rome-Arno, North Apennines, Po Valley, Occupation)
- 753rd Tank Battalion (attached Rome-Arno)
- 757th Tank Battalion (attached North Apennines)
- 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached Naples-Foggia)
- 804th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached North Apennines)
- 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached North Apennines)
- 813th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached Tunisia)
- 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached Rome-Arno)
- and still other units which remain to be found, confirmed, and listed here.
Special Notes
The 100th Infantry Battalion (Nisei)(Separate), which stood in for the 2nd Battalion, 133rd Infantry, from September 1943 through May 1944, and the 442nd Infantry Regiment (Nisei) which was attached to our Division from June 1944 through August 1944, have an especially honored place in our memories and history. We are pleased and likewise honored that many of their veterans have come to look upon the "Red Bull" as their 'home' division. That Battalion is now deployed to Iraq!
The 1st Ranger Battalion, though not a part of the 34th Inf Div, was activated in 1942 with 80% of its personnel coming from this Division.
I'm delighted to report that I'm finding references to more units which were attached to the Division as I'm transcribing our narrative history documents; they all get recognized above. Please be aware, though, that attachments were often for periods of days or weeks, not for an entire campaign.
PDF (Portable Document Format) files may require Adobe Acrobat software for viewing.
Please click on the image to the right if you need to load it on your system.
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Updated 2010 September 1.
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for the 34th Infantry Division Association.
For further Website information, contact Pat Skelly, Webmaster.
For further Association information, contact Russ Bierl, Secretary.
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