Put on your boots, boots, boots
And parachute-chute-chutes
We’re going up, up, up
And coming down, down, down
We’re All American and proud to be
For we’re the soldiers of liberty
Some ride their gliders to the enemy
Others are sky paratroopers
We’re All American and fight we will
‘Til all the guns of the foe are still
Airborne from skies of blue
We’re coming through, let’s go
Put on your boots, your parachutes
Get all those gliders ready to attack today
For we’ll be gone into the dawn
To fight them all the 82nd way
AMERICA’S GUARD OF HONOR
Where is the prince who can afford to cover his country with troops for its defense as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds, might not, in many places, do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought to repel them ?
Benjamin Franklin, 1784
The US 10th Armored Division was activated on July 15 1942 at Fort Benning Georgia and moved on June 24 1943 to the Second Army #2 Tennessee Maneuvres.
Dear Gunter, the press request 99th got had me find this which will be of interest to you and your website. You will get detailed explanation with my letters home of going into Army and joining the 99th Infantry Battalion Separate, the 99th Formation and Training. Followed by full write up the Belgian Ardenne or Battle of the Bulge done with nearly hundreds of quotes from 99ers. What follows is from my November 2007 99th Informations and Newsletter. Below are quotes from many of my Dad’s letters written during the War many and perhaps even most of your readers know of 99er letters written during the War.
Activated on Jun 1 1940 as the 4th Division at Fort Benning, Georgia the Division was reorganized as 4th Division (Motorized) on Aug 1 1940 then as 4th Motorized Division in Jul 11 1941. It moved then to Dry Prong Louisiana, on Aug 1 1941 for IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers and returned to Fort Benning Aug 27 1941. It moved then to Fort Jackson South Carolina Oct 30 1941 for the First Army Carolina Maneuvers and arrived back to Fort Benning on Dec 3 1941. On Dec 29, the 4th Division arrived at Camp Gordon, Georgia and, finally, went to Carolina Maneuver Area on Jul 7 1942. The 4th Division returned to Camp Gordon on Aug 31 1942 and moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey on Apr 12 1943 where it was re-designated to 4th Infantry Division on Aug 4 1943. Sent, then, to Camp Gordon Johnston, Florida on Sept 19 1943 for the III Corps Carrabelle Maneuvers the 4th was sent to Fort Jackson South Carolina on Dec 1 1943 and staged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on Jan 4 1944 until departed New York POE on Jan 18 1944. The Division landed in England on Jan 26 1944 and was ready to start fighting
