Before the Front: Waiting in the Ardennes

Part 8: Waiting in the Ardennes

An image created by ChatGPT

Soldiers spent months training before being sent to the front lines of World War II. During my research using morning reports, I began to see just how extensive that training was. These records reveal how infantrymen trained, the skills they practiced, and how the Army prepared them for combat.

This post is part of a series titled Before the Front. The series follows the training of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. My dad’s journey begins with his first days at Fort Custer and continues through Camp Hood and Hendrix College, then to Camp Maxey, and on to embarkation for Europe, shipboard drills, and final preparations in England. Together, these posts highlight the training soldiers completed before entering the war in Europe.

Early November 1944 shows that Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division had crossed into Europe and moved beyond their training and travel days.The long journey was over, but what lay ahead was something no one could imagine, it was something different.

On November 5, the company departed the Paris area by truck convoy, traveling toward Belgium. The next day they arrived near Aubel, bivouacking in an orchard before moving into barns. Four days later they were on the move again, this time toward Rocherath, a small village near the German border.

For the first time, they were no longer on the move. They were where there training had led them, closer to combat.

From Movement to Position

There was little time to adjust before everything changed for the company. On November 10, Company G arrived at Rocherath under cold, wet conditions. The company moved into defensive positions as rain and snow fell. They relieved the 39th Infantry at midnight. Their training would be tested in the weeks ahead.

The routines they settled into were not what one would normally expect. The men dug in and improved their positions. Six-man patrols were sent out twice daily. Equipment was constantly cleaned and maintained.

A Memory of the Line

In my father's autobiography, he described this time in a way that morning reports could not capture. 

We were there (Piddlehinton) the better half of a month and then shipped to France and up to the front lines where we were entrenched in the Ardennes Forest and a lone unpaved country road was the dividing line between Belgium and Germany.

Every day about one o’clock, a machine gun would cut loose from one of the many pill boxes the Germans were entrenched in about half a mile or less from our fox holes at the edge of the forest. We called him ‘Happy Hans’ and could almost set our clocks by his fire. We could hear the bullets spraying the leaves in the trees above us.

Life in the Line

Morning reports from mid-November show a steady pattern. Patrols went out in the early morning and again in the afternoon. They ranged from six- to twelve-man patrols. Most returned with negative reports, finding no direct engagement with the enemy. Even without contact, they were not safe. Rocket bombs consistently flew overhead during the day, and heavy artillery fire from friendly troops continued at night. It is also during this time that morale, which had consistently been recorded as ‘excellent,’ was noted as ‘superior.’

The company worked continuously to improve defensive positions. The reports also show that the unit was now fully part of the Army’s command structure, assigned to the 12th Army Group under General Omar Bradley, as part of the First U.S. Army under General Courtney Hodges, and attached to V Corps, which controlled their section of the line. V Corps was the larger command overseeing several divisions, including the 99th Infantry Division, in this area of the front.

The company moved between reserve and front-line positions, where moving closer to the line increased their exposure to danger. One report notes the company leaving a battalion reserve position and moving forward about two miles to relieve Company F on the line, where one man was lightly wounded.

Even when patrols returned without contact, the danger remained. Reports show multiple patrols returning safely with negative results, while at the same time men were being wounded, one receiving a Purple Heart, as rocket fire continued overhead and snow fell across their positions.

The Enemy Just Ahead

Although large-scale combat had not yet begun, the presence of the enemy was never in doubt. Patrols occasionally drew sniper fire. Mortar fire struck near their positions. Not all patrols returned without incident. In one instance, a seven-man patrol encountered a booby trap that wounded the patrol leader, but the men continued their mission, establishing a listening post behind enemy lines and locating enemy mortar and 88mm gun positions before returning.

Moments of Normal Life

A soldier’s field pack with C and D rations beside a traditional Thanksgiving meal, reflecting the brief return to normalcy my father described before heading back to the front lines.

One moment stood out both in the records and in my father’s memory. On Thanksgiving Day, the company was served a traditional meal with turkey and trimmings.

One memorable event was Thanksgiving where we were still dug in and outside of Happy Hans everything seemed to be at a standstill. During this lull, each company in the front lines was trucked back a few miles and served a complete Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings.

Up to this time we had a steady diet of C rations, very cold concoctions in cans, and D rations, a special type of candy bar, that was supposed to be chuck full of vitamins and other energy packed nutrients.

So, it was safe to say that 90% of the soldiers that were returned to their fox holes on the front lines that night regurgitated most of their meal including ‘yours truly’ but we did enjoy the meal for a while at least.

Waiting and Watching

As November turned into December, the pattern continued. Patrols went out and returned. Defensive positions were strengthened. The company shifted between front-line positions and reserve.

They were ready. They had trained for this. They had crossed an ocean for this. And now, they waited.

In the days just before the fighting began, the company moved into an assembly area in preparation for an offensive movement. They advanced forward but were soon halted under enemy artillery fire and ordered to dig in just a few hundred yards from enemy positions, where they waited for further orders.

Although the reports place them only a few hundred yards from enemy positions, the wooded terrain and defensive positions meant the enemy was often heard more than seen. The danger was constant, even when direct contact was limited.

The Days Before

The men of Company G did not know that in just a few days, the German army would launch a massive offensive through this very region. They were in place. They had trained for this and were ready. They had settled into a routine of patrols, cold weather, and holding the line. The full weight of it had not yet arrived.

A Personal Note
As I worked through these morning reports and compared them with my father’s memories, I found myself thinking about how little he ever said about his service. He was part of events that would become history, yet he never presented himself that way.

Reading these records now, knowing where he was and what was coming, I feel a mix of pride and humility. Pride in what he and his fellow soldiers did, and humility in how quietly he carried those experiences for the rest of his life.

Before the Front: Preparing for War on English Soil

Part 7- England Training

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This blog series, Before the Front, follows the training journey of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division as seen through morning reports. Beginning with my father’s induction into the Army through basic training at Camp Hood, and the college training program he attended at Hendrix College, these records trace the steps that prepared him and his fellow soldiers for war. From additional training at Camp Maxey, Texas, to shipboard drills and final preparations in England, the morning reports reveal the many stages soldiers experienced before reaching the European front.

Arrival in England: No Time to Rest

The arrival in England did not mean that Company G's training was over. The closer they got to combat, the more focused and demanding it became. The soldiers built upon the training they had in the United States and continued preparing for combat.

Company G arrived in Southampton, England, on October 11, 1944. No time was lost upon arrival. The company quickly boarded a train and traveled forty miles before transferring to trucks for another five miles to their final training area in Piddlehinton, Dorset, England.

Training in the English Countryside

American troops used rural training areas such as Piddlehinton in 1944. The countryside near Dorchester provided the space needed for marches, exercises, and unit training away from major population centers.

Sharpening Skills for Combat

The first couple of days were spent in orientation lectures, housekeeping duties, policing of the company area, doing calisthenics, and cleaning equipment. The first of many five-mile marches was completed in rainy, damp, and cool weather. Each task prepared the soldiers for what was to come.

Throughout October, Company G's training intensified. Five-mile marches became ten-mile ones. Bayonet training began. Many of the skills learned in the United States continued here. Gas mask drills, care and cleaning of equipment, and rifle inspections ensured the men and their equipment were ready. French lessons were part of the routine, preparing the soldiers for their time in a foreign country. Repetition ensured that each drill and movement was practiced until it became second nature.

Additional training, beyond routine exercises, included an overnight bivouac five miles from camp, where the company marched from their camp to a training area. The company spent the night in the field under conditions similar to what they would face in combat. Living in the field meant carrying everything they needed on their backs, from extra clothing to essential gear. They kept their weapons near. No camp cooks were there to cook their food, and meals came from field rations. The weather in Southern England at this time of year was cold and damp, and staying dry was a challenge. Guard duty, marches, drills, and constant movement filled their days and nights. The rigid training of the past was no longer present, and routine was no longer part of daily life. All of this was to prepare the soldiers for combat. The training began to resemble combat conditions.

Back at Camp: Final Preparations

Once back at camp, the physical demands increased. There were organized athletics, foot inspections, and lectures, including one given by the division commander. Equipment was turned in and reissued. Men were occasionally sent to the hospital, and replacements arrived. The reports reflect a unit that was constantly adjusting, maintaining readiness, and preparing for movement.

In the 66 days between their arrival in England and the beginning of what would become the Battle of the Bulge, Company G trained almost continuously. The records carefully document each march, each drill, and each inspection. They show an increasing intensity and steady progress toward combat.

A Soldier’s Memory vs. the Record

My dad did not write much about his experience in England, and he remembered it a little differently.

We finally arrived at Southampton and were immediately transported to Chester, a large city located close to the border of Wales. Its main claim to fame is that it is a well-preserved walled city that dates to the Middle Ages. We were there the better half of a month.

While the records capture the structure of daily life, his memory reflects the experience of being there. Throughout all this training, he remembered the history of Chester, but not Piddlehinton.

Leaving England: The Last Calm

November 3, 1944, was the last day of training in England. The company left Piddlehinton by truck and arrived in Dorchester. From Dorchester, they traveled by train approximately 70 miles and arrived in Southampton, England, where they boarded the SS Mecklenburg and departed seven hours later en route to Le Havre, France. This day of travel happened over eighteen and a half hours, marking the last hours of what I imagine was the final calm they would feel for a while.

Within weeks, they would find themselves in Belgium, moving toward the German border and into conditions far different from the fields of southern England. The company would need to trust their training and their fellow soldiers, because no training can prepare them for conditions they have never seen. In the next post, I will follow Company G as they leave England behind and enter the final days before the Battle of the Bulge, where preparation gave way to combat.

AI Disclosure

This blog post was created with the assistance of ChatGPT artificial intelligence (AI) tools. While the content reflects my own research, interpretation, and writing, AI was used for grammar, style, and organizational suggestions. All content has been reviewed and edited by the author.

The image used in this post was created using artificial intelligence (AI) based on prompts written by the author. It is intended to enhance the reader’s experience and illustrate the topic.

Before the Front: The Journey Overseas to WWII Europe

Part 6- Crossing the Atlantic

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Before my father reached the front lines in Europe, there was a journey that prepared him for what lay ahead. It was a time of training, movement, waiting, and uncertainty, long before the realities of combat began.

In this series, I follow that journey through the morning reports of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, alongside his own memories. The records provide the details, while his words bring those moments to life.

Together, they tell the story of what happened before the front.

AI-generated illustration representing a World War II troop transport at sea, reflecting the crowded conditions experienced by soldiers traveling overseas to Europe.

Embarkation and Departure

On September 29, 1944, Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, boarded a troop transport at the Boston Port of Embarkation. The morning report identified the vessel as Army Transport 917, a transport designation used by the Army to track the movement rather than the ship’s actual name. That morning at 0945, they embarked for overseas duty. The transport departed at 2100, or 9:00 in the evening, under the cover of darkness to reduce the risk of enemy detection as they began their journey across the Atlantic. They were bound for England and whatever lay ahead.

After boarding that morning, the men remained aboard for nearly eleven hours as the ship was loaded and prepared for departure. Company G, with 174 men present, was only a small part of the thousands of soldiers filling the transport. Troopships of this kind often carried between 3,000 and 5,000 men, as multiple companies and units were brought together for the journey overseas. During those hours in port, equipment was stowed, bunks were assigned, and final preparations were made before the ship slipped out into the Atlantic that evening.

This marked a turning point. The months of training in camps across the United States were behind them. Ahead was war.

Training at Sea

The morning report covering September 29 to October 11, 1944, provides a structured account of the journey. Even at sea, training continued. The reports document supervised calisthenics, close order drill, fire drill, boat drill, abandon ship drill, and gas mask drill. French and German classes, along with care and cleaning of equipment and interior guard duty, complemented the physical training and drills. Lectures included military courtesy, sex hygiene, and sanitation. The report concludes with their arrival in England at 1400, morale excellent.

A Ship Filled with Soldiers

Troop transports during World War II often carried several thousand soldiers at a time, filling every available space. Ships designed for comfort were transformed into crowded vessels with rows of stacked bunks and shared facilities. Company G, with 174 men present, was only a small part of the thousands aboard.

While the records present an orderly and efficient movement across the Atlantic, my dad’s memories reveal what the journey was really like.

Life Aboard Ship

On Sept 30, 1944, we shipped out of Boston to Southampton, England, a voyage of about 6 days. Many of the soldiers became seasick on the trip over. The guy above my bunk after the first two days never got out of his bunk except to go to the bathroom. He had me bring him a sandwich or something when I went to eat.

You would go into the bathroom aboard ship and there were about 20 stools lining each side of the room and ¾ of them would be occupied with men on their knees spitting their guts out.

I don’t know why, but I escaped the seasick syndrome and enjoyed the voyage and the food on board. I remember listening to a ball game on the ship radio the first day out which was the final day of the season, and the American league went down to the final out. I believe the old St. Louis Browns ended up victorious.

His memories bring the voyage into sharp focus. The crowded conditions, the constant motion of the ship, and the widespread seasickness stand in contrast to the simple phrase recorded in the morning report, “morale excellent.”

The St. Louis Browns did not win the World Series that year, the St. Louis Cardinals did, but it is not surprising that he remembered the game. Sports played a huge part in his life.

Across the Atlantic

The journey took longer than a typical Atlantic crossing. The morning report records their arrival in England on October 11, 1944, nearly twelve days after departing Boston. However, my dad's memories describe the ocean voyage itself as lasting about six days. 

Traveling in convoy for protection, these ships carried thousands of soldiers across the Atlantic, moving entire units closer to combat.

Arrival in England

Arrival in England did not mean rest.

We finally arrived at Southampton and were immediately transported to Chester, a large city located close to the border of Wales. Its main claim to fame is that it is a well-preserved wall city that dates to the Middle Ages. We were there the better half of a month and then shipped to France and up to the front lines where we were entrenched in the Ardennes Forest and a lone unpaved country road was the dividing line between Belgium and Germany.

Within weeks, they would move from England to the European continent and into one of the most significant battlefields of the war.

While the morning reports provide a detailed account of Company G’s movements and training in England, my dad remembered the experience a bit differently. He recalled being transported to Chester, a historic walled city near the Welsh border, and spending several weeks there before moving on to France. The records instead place the company in Dorset, including Camp D-6 and later Piddlehinton, where they continued training. This difference likely reflects the way memory preserves meaningful places and experiences, while the records document official locations and daily activities. Together, they offer a more complete picture of this time in England.

The Point of No Return

This journey across the Atlantic was more than just a movement from one place to another. It was the moment when training gave way to reality. Packed aboard crowded ships, surrounded by thousands of other soldiers, and leaving home behind, they were on their way to the front.

In the next post, I will follow Company G as they continue their preparation in England before crossing into France and moving toward the front lines.

AI Disclosure

This post was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT tools were used to help organize research, refine grammar and clarity, and provide a direction for this post. Any images included that are identified as AI-generated were created to represent historical scenes when suitable public domain images were not available.

All historical records, interpretations, and final content have been reviewed and edited by the author.

Before the Front: The Journey to Embarkation

 

Part 5- Journey to Embarkation

Image created by ChatGPT

Soldiers spent months training before being sent to the front lines of World War II. During my research using morning reports, I began to see just how extensive that training was. These records reveal how infantrymen trained, the skills they practiced, and how the Army prepared them for combat.

This post is part of a series titled Before the Front. The series follows the training of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. My dad’s journey begins with his first days at Fort Custer and continues through Camp Hood and Hendrix College. Now the unit is traveling to their embarkation destination. Together, these posts highlight the training soldiers completed before entering the war in Europe.

The Journey Gets Real

After nearly fourteen months of training that began at Fort Custer in July 1943, the journey was no longer about preparation, it was about departure. The long months of instruction, field exercises, and movement from post to post had led to this point. In early September 1944, as Company G left Camp Maxey, the reality of what lay ahead began to take shape. They were no longer training for war. They were on their way to it.

He later described this part of the journey in his own words:

     In early September we were sent to Camp Robinson outside of Little Rock in Arkansas on our way to the East Coast and shipment overseas to the European theater.  We were only there for a few days and then on a troop trip to Fort Dix outside of Boston.  While there I remember we had an opportunity to take in a professional football game at Fenway Park between Boston and I believe Brooklyn.  I have no idea of anything else about that game other than I was in attendance.  On Sept 30, 1944, we shipped out of Boston to Southampton, England, a voyage of about 6 days.  

Reading his words today, it is hard not to feel a sense of unease. He remembered the movement, the camps, even a football game. But the morning reports tell another story, one of constant preparation for dangers he could not yet see.

In those final weeks before departure, the Army was not just moving men overseas. It was doing everything possible to prepare them to survive what lay ahead.

What the Morning Reports Reveal

The morning reports have shown the extensive training these soldiers received in the months leading up to their departure from Camp Maxey, but their preparation was not yet complete. 

Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, left Camp Maxey, Texas, on September 10, 1944, beginning their movement toward combat. The company consisted of 1 Captain, 3 First Lieutenants, and 2 Second Lieutenants, for a total of six officers.

The enlisted ranks included 4 Technical Sergeants. Also included were 16 men in the grade of Staff Sergeant (Technicians Third Grade), 15 men in the grade of Sergeant (including Technicians Fourth Grade), and 10 men in the grade of Technician Fifth Grade. The remainder of the company consisted of 76 Privates First Class and 62 Privates. In total, 175 enlisted men were present for duty, with an additional 12 assigned to the company but not present. The morning report noted that morale was excellent.

En Route: A Journey Without a Destination

As Company G departed Camp Maxey by rail on September 10, 1944, the morning reports began documenting their movement east. Each day recorded miles traveled, weather conditions, and morale, but one detail was consistently left blank: their destination.

This was not unusual. During wartime, troop movements were often recorded without specific locations for security purposes. The men themselves may not have known exactly where they were headed, only that they were moving steadily closer to the next phase of their service.

What the reports do reveal is the rhythm of the journey. On September 11, the company traveled approximately 450 miles, with a 30-minute delay in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for calisthenics. The following day, another 425 miles carried them through the South, with brief stops in Montgomery, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia. Even during these short breaks, the men were not at rest. The reports note thirty-minute stops for calisthenics, a reminder that training continued even in transit.

By September 13, after traveling nearly 900 miles in a single day through rainy conditions, the pattern remained the same: movement, a brief stop in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, for physical conditioning, and then onward again. Morale, consistently recorded as excellent, suggests a unit that was disciplined, conditioned, and prepared to meet the demands placed upon them.

Then, on September 14, after days of travel with no recorded destination, the reports finally place the company at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, following a 350-mile journey in rainy weather.

The journey across the country was complete, but their movement was far from over.

Library Lounge, North Service Club for enlisted men, 

Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts.
Source: National Archives, Record Group 336, Records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation, Series, Administrative Records, 1942–1946.

Their time at Camp Myles Standish was spent receiving typhus vaccinations, attending a War Bond rally, and participating in a series of lectures. Topics recorded in the morning reports included censorship, personal affairs, military security, gas mask usage, sanitation, evasion, escape, and resisting enemy interrogation. Other activities included inspections of individual clothing and equipment, instruction on how to abandon ship, a film on African American soldiers, organized athletics, calisthenics, and the care and cleaning of equipment.

By the end of their time at Camp Myles Standish, the number of enlisted men stood at 174 present, with 12 not present. The composition of the unit had also shifted, with 100 Privates First Class and 38 Privates, compared to 76 Privates First Class and 62 Privates at the time of departure from Camp Maxey.

Final Preparations Before Departure

In the days leading up to embarkation, the morning reports continue to document a unit still in motion, both administratively and physically. Between September 28 and October 4, 1944, the company was listed under APO #449, care of the Postmaster in New York, a clear indication that they were in the final stages of processing for overseas movement. During this time, five men were transferred out of the company and three joined, reflecting the last adjustments before departure.

On October 5, the reports note that 25 enlisted men were appointed to the rank of Private First Class, bringing the total to 100 Privates First Class and 38 Privates. Even in these final days, the structure of the unit was still being refined and strengthened.

From October 6 through October 10, the reports record no change, a brief pause in the administrative record, but not in activity. Behind that simple notation was a unit waiting, preparing, and standing ready.

The summary report dated October 11 captures what followed. On September 29, 1944, Company G embarked aboard Army Transport 917, departing the United States that evening for overseas service. Their journey now turned to the seas.

Closing Reflection

From their first days at Fort Custer to their departure from the United States, these soldiers underwent more than a year of continuous preparation. The morning reports make it clear that training did not end when they left Camp Maxey. It followed them every step of the way.

Long before they reached the front lines, they had already been shaped by months of training, movement, and routine. The Army was preparing them not just to fight, but to handle whatever lay ahead.

AI Disclosure

Artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT, was used for grammar suggestions, editing assistance, and title ideas while preparing this post. AI was also used to create a graphic for the Before the Front series. All research, interpretation, and final content decisions are my own.

Before the Front: Camp Maxey Training

Part 4- Camp Maxey Training

Image created by ChatGPT

Soldiers spent months training before being sent to the front lines of World War II. During my research using morning reports, I began to see just how extensive that training was. These records reveal how infantrymen trained, the skills they practiced, and how the Army prepared them for combat.

This post is part of a series titled Before the Front. The series follows the training of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. My dad’s journey begins with his first days at Fort Custer and continues through Camp Hood and Hendrix College, then to Camp Maxey, and on to embarkation for Europe, shipboard drills, and final preparations in England. Together, these posts highlight the training soldiers completed before entering the war in Europe.

Camp Maxey Training

Men as young as 18 arrived at Camp Maxey, Texas, one of the Army’s major infantry training camps during World War II, where they would eventually be assigned to Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. My dad was one of these young men.

By the time he arrived at Camp Maxey, he had already completed earlier phases of his training, including basic training at Camp Hood and a period of specialized instruction at Hendrix College through the Army Specialized Training Program.

According to the morning reports, he was transferred from ASTP Unit 3889 at Hendrix College to the 99th Infantry Division at Camp Maxey in March 1944.

Training at Camp Maxey focused on building endurance and discipline while introducing soldiers to Army life. Days were filled with a wide range of activities, including physical conditioning, weapons training, field exercises, and classroom instruction. These activities went far beyond basic fitness. They taught soldiers how to function as a unit, moving together, responding to commands, and operating effectively under pressure.

The variety and scope of this training can be seen in the activities recorded in the morning reports. The table below summarizes the different types of training Company G participated in during their time at Camp Maxey, offering a closer look at how the Army prepared these men for service.

Source: Morning Reports, Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division; Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (Record Group 407), National Archives and Records Administration.  Compilation and graph creation by the author.

The table below compiles the training activities documented in the morning reports for Company G during their time at Camp Maxey, offering a detailed look at how this training was structured.

Table: Training Activities at Camp Maxey

The training recorded in the morning reports shows just how structured and comprehensive preparation at Camp Maxey was. Soldiers were trained in multiple skills during their time there. Physical endurance, weapons proficiency, tactical problem solving, and field skills were developed together, creating soldiers who could apply these skills in combat.

What these records do not show are the individual experiences of the men who completed this training. The long days, the physical demands, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead were part of daily life, even if they are only hinted at in the reports.

For my dad, this period at Camp Maxey marked the final stage of training before leaving the United States. The preparation he received here, combined with everything that came before it, would soon be put to the test.

In the next post, his journey continues as he and his fellow soldiers travel by train across the country to Boston, making stops along the way and continuing their training even as they moved closer to embarkation for Europe.

Before the Front: Army Specialized Training Program at Hendrix College

Part 3- ASTP at Hendrix College

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This post continues the Before the Front series, following my dad’s training as his journey took an unexpected turn from the training fields of Camp Hood to the classroom at Hendrix College through the Army Specialized Training Program.

Representative image of Army Specialized Training Program soldiers

 on a college campus, created with the assistance of ChatGPT.

From Classroom to Combat: Hendrix College and the ASTP Program

After weeks of basic training and reassignment through multiple training battalions, my father’s journey took an unexpected turn in the fall of 1943.

According to the morning reports, on November 3, 1943, he and dozens of other soldiers were transferred from North Camp Hood, Texas to Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, as part of the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).

Instead of heading directly into advanced combat training, these young men were sent to a college campus. There, they became part of ASTP Unit 3889, assigned to the 1st Student Training Company.

The Army Specialized Training Program had been created to develop soldiers with technical and academic skills needed for the war effort. Colleges across the country, including Hendrix College, were transformed into military training sites where enlisted men attended intensive courses while continuing their military discipline.

For a brief time, my father’s wartime experience took on a very different rhythm, one that replaced the training field with the classroom.

At Hendrix College, these soldiers were organized into units just as they would be in the field. My father was assigned to ASTP Unit 3889, 1st Student Training Company, where military discipline remained a constant part of daily life.

The Army Specialized Training Program was designed to prepare soldiers for specialized roles that required technical knowledge. Coursework was often intensive, and the pace was fast. While the classroom replaced the training field for a time, the demands placed on these soldiers were no less rigorous.

In His Own Words

The records provide structure, but my father’s own words offer a much clearer picture of what this period of training was like.

Instead, some of us were shipped off to little Hendrix College for a special Army Training program for what I have no idea. I was there for about 3 months in which we lived in college dormitories and attended class like any civilian student there. Some of the courses we took were mostly in the mathematical fields such as trig, geometry and the toughest course I ever took in my life analytical geometry. I don’t know if it was my stupidity or the ineptness of the instructor who was involved in a government project of weighing sunbeams but had trouble adding two and two on the board. He could come up with the answer on the most difficult mathematical problems, but sure couldn’t explain it so I could understand it.

It was while at Hendrix College that I acquired a couple of bad habits: namely beer and cigarettes. I don’t remember any of my army roommates, but we use to hit the bars on Saturday night and have a few beers, play pool, and table shuffleboard. I never dated while at Hendrix, but it was co-educational and there were a good number of southern belles in attendance. I don’t remember any of the guys dating as there seemed to be a separation of the military students and the civilian students. I don’t think there was any mandate on either party to avoid the other, but it seemed to work-out that way.

A Brief Trip Home

Even within this structured environment, there were moments that connected these soldiers back to home.

In January 1944, my father was granted a seven-day furlough, allowing him to return to Hazel Park, Michigan.

It is a small note in the records, but one that speaks volumes. After months of training and transition, he was able to step away briefly from military life and return home, if only for a short time.

The Program Ends

The Army Specialized Training Program was never meant to last unchanged. By early 1944, the needs of the Army shifted. The demand for infantry replacements grew urgent, and many ASTP soldiers were reassigned.

The classroom phase of his training had come to an end. As the Army’s needs shifted, my dad and others in the program were reassigned, leaving behind the routines of college life for a return to field training. The next stage of his journey would take him to Camp Maxey, Texas, where training intensified and preparation for combat became the focus.

AI Disclosure

AI was used to assist with titles, headings, and grammar,  including structuring paragraphs for clarity and flow. AI was also used to create the representative image included in this post. All research, interpretation, and final editing are my own.

Before the Front: From “Attached Unassigned” to Basic Training

Part 2-Attached Unassigned

Image created by ChatGPT

This post continues the Before the Front series, following my dad’s early training after his arrival at Fort Custer. From the reception center, his journey moved into the first stages of Army training, a period often recorded simply as “attached unassigned,” but one that marked the beginning of his transformation into a soldier.

From Reception Center to Training Status

Official Army photograph of my father taken early in his training, 

likely at Fort Custer in 1943.

After processing through the reception center at Fort Custer, the next phase of a soldier’s journey is not always as clearly defined in the records as we might hope.

The morning reports show that on July 24,1943, 137 enlisted men, including my father, were listed as unassigned and joined from Headquarters at Fort Custer.

Two days later, Special Orders #172 placed him in a status that appears frequently in World War II records but is often misunderstood: “attached unassigned.”

At first glance, this phrase can seem vague. It does not name a specific training course or location, and it does not describe what a soldier was actually doing day to day. However, this status was an important part of the Army’s training system.

What “Attached Unassigned” Really Meant

Soldiers listed as “attached unassigned” were temporarily placed with a unit, in this case Company D, 135th Training Detachment Battalion, while awaiting further assignment. This did not mean they were idle.

In reality, these men were actively engaged in the early phases of military training. They were learning discipline, adjusting to Army life, and beginning the physical and mental conditioning that would prepare them for what lay ahead.

My father (front row, left) wearing an armband, likely indicating a temporary leadership or training role during basic training.

The Missing Piece: A Soldier’s Experience

This is where my father’s words help bring the records to life.

While the morning reports document him as “attached unassigned,” he remembered the reality of those early days of training. The long days, the constant instruction, and the physical demands were already shaping the soldiers they were becoming.

The morning reports provide only a brief description of this period, but my father’s own words offer a much clearer picture of what training was really like.

In His Own Words

My father during his early training period, photographed while on leave in Hazel Park, Michigan, likely at his family home on Reynolds Street.

“It was the last week in June 1943 when I arrived at Camp Hood to begin an intensive 13 weeks of basic infantry training, and it was ungodly hot, with temperatures continually reaching the 100s most days. I was probably in the best condition of my life at this time, and it is a good thing I was because of the intense physical activities. We completed 25-mile hikes with 25-pound or more full field packs on our backs, nine-mile forced marches that practically required you to jog the entire distance, and physical fitness obstacle courses that included scaling 10-foot walls and crawling under barbed wire with machine gun bullets whistling overhead. We trained in bayonet and hand-to-hand combat and even crossed a stream about 20 yards wide by hand over a rope 10 feet above the water with smoke bombs going off below.

I felt sorry for many of the older fellows in training because many of them had held office or non-physical jobs and had a difficult time performing the many activities expected of them. I weighed 140 pounds when I began training, and 13 weeks later I weighed 173 pounds, mainly because I ate like a hog in the mess hall each day. Most veterans I know had nothing good to say about Army food, but I thrived on it.

Another memory I have of basic training was our sergeant who was a little wiry guy from West Virginia with a filthy mouth and an IQ too low to measure (my opinion, not fact).  He seemed to get a particular pleasure out of coming in the barracks at five each morning putting on the lights and yelling out … I was trained as a BAR man.  BAR stands for Browning automatic rifle, which carried a clip of 20 bullets and could be fired in a very few seconds. We were also trained in rifle, bayonet, and hand-to-hand combat.  I think in the 13 weeks we got one overnight pass off the post which I didn’t take advantage of as they had a post commissary store and a movie theater which showed the newest of movies.  Ping Pong and Pool were two of my favorite activities when time allowed, which was not very often.  During training we wondered where we would end up.  Would we be sent to the Pacific to fight the Japs or to Europe to battle the Nazis "

Training was not just about learning skills. It was about endurance, discipline, and adapting to a completely new way of life.

His words fill in the gaps left by the records, giving us a clearer understanding of what “attached unassigned” truly meant for the soldiers living it.

A Familiar Name

My father (right) with his high school friend William H. Fisher during their early Army training. Although the exact location is unknown, this photograph was likely taken before they were assigned to different units.

The records also reveal a personal connection. Listed alongside my father is William H. Fisher, a high school friend who would later become a prisoner of war.

These small details remind us that these were not just names on a page, but young men moving through the same system together, sharing experiences that would shape the rest of their lives.

On to the Next Phase

My father with his father, Harry Glover, photographed while on leave in front of their home on Reynolds Street in Hazel Park, Michigan.

This period of “attached unassigned” status was only the beginning.

From Fort Custer, my father’s journey continued to North Camp Hood, Texas, where the structure and intensity of Army training became even more defined. The records provide the framework, but his memories reveal what those days truly felt like.

Together, they show that long before soldiers reached the front lines, they had already been tested, shaped, and prepared for what lay ahead.

This early phase of training laid the foundation for everything that followed. From Camp Hood, his journey would take another unexpected turn, one that led from the training field to the classroom.

AI Disclosure

Portions of this post, including assistance with titles, headings, photo captions, and some writing support, including organizing content and structuring paragraphs for clarity and flow were created with the help of ChatGPT. All research, interpretation, and final content decisions are my own.

 

Before the Front: Fort Custer, the First Stop for Michigan’s World War II Soldiers

Part 1-Fort Custer Reception Center

Image created by ChatGPT

Introduction: Tracing a Soldier’s Training Through Morning Reports

Morning reports are used by genealogists to track a soldier’s movements, but they can reveal much more than dates and locations. In my recent series on my father’s morning reports, I was able to follow his unit’s movements across the United States and later in Europe. Those same records also offered clues about the months of training he completed before ever reaching the front lines. By examining these reports, I could see how soldiers trained, what skills they practiced, and how the Army prepared them for the war in Europe.

This blog series, Before the Front, looks at the training journey of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division as seen through morning reports records. Beginning with my father’s induction into the Army and the college training program he attended afterward, these records help trace the steps that prepared him and his fellow soldiers for war. From training at Camp Maxey, Texas, to shipboard drills and final preparations in England, the morning reports reveal the many stages soldiers experienced before reaching the European front.

Reception Center at Fort Custer near Battle Creek, Michigan. During World War II, thousands of newly inducted soldiers from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula began their Army service here with several days of processing and orientation before being sent to training camps across the country. 

Postcard from the collection of the Fort Custer Historical Society.

Fort Custer: Michigan’s Reception Center for New Soldiers

Before Army soldiers were assigned to their World War II companies, they first reported to a place that marked the beginning of their military experience. For thousands of young men from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, that place was the Fort Custer Reception Center near Battle Creek. Having already been inducted, the soldiers arrived by train or bus to begin four or five days of orientation to the Army.

During the war years, Fort Custer served as the primary reception center for Army inductees from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Every new recruit passed through a short but important period of processing before being sent on to a training camp somewhere across the country. While the stay was brief, usually only a few days, it was packed with activity and new experiences.

First Days in the Army: Processing and Assignment

At the reception center, soldiers received their first real introduction to Army life. They were issued initial equipment, given a series of medical examinations and vaccinations, and took aptitude tests that helped determine where the Army might place them. The results of these tests could influence whether a soldier was assigned to the infantry, field artillery, armored forces, or another type of unit.

In my father’s case, the process eventually led to an assignment in the infantry. His brief stay at the Fort Custer Reception Center marked the beginning of a training journey that would carry him from Michigan to training camps across the country and eventually overseas.

Introducing Soldiers to Army Life

"Welcome to the Fort Custer Reception Center" booklet

 Replica of a welcome booklet given to newly inducted soldiers arriving at the Fort Custer Reception Center near Battle Creek, Michigan. Materials like this introduced recruits to the reception process and their first days of 

Army life during World War II. 

Collection of the Fort Custer Historical Society.

New soldiers were also introduced to the practical details of military life, often through materials like the welcome booklet issued at the Fort Custer Reception Center. Briefings explained how soldiers would be paid, how insurance and allotments worked, and how they could communicate with family members back home. They learned where to report for sick call, how the post exchange operated, and what recreational opportunities were available on the base. Religious services, Red Cross assistance, and other support services were also explained. In a very short time, the Army attempted to prepare these new recruits for the transition from civilian life to military service.

Finding Your Way Around the Reception Center

Map of the Fort Custer Reception Center showing the locations of key buildings mentioned in the Welcome to the Fort Custer Reception Center booklet. 

 Collection of the Fort Custer Historical Society, Battle Creek, Michigan.

After arriving at Fort Custer by train or bus, new recruits were quickly introduced to the layout of the reception center. The welcome booklet included a simple map of the Fort Custer Reception Center to help soldiers find their way around the installation. During their brief stay, recruits needed to report to several different locations for processing and orientation. Buildings such as the headquarters, dispensary, Red Cross office, post exchange, and chapel were all part of the first days of Army life. The map provided a quick reference so soldiers could locate these important services while completing the many steps required before leaving Fort Custer for their next training assignment.

A Soldier’s Memory of Fort Custer

One of the soldiers who passed through the Fort Custer Reception Center was my father. He had just graduated from Hazel Park High School in early June 1943. His memories capture how quickly civilian life could change during wartime:

The first week in June 1943 a class of 131 seniors, including myself, graduated from Hazel Park High School. Graduation ceremonies were held at the Presbyterian Church in town because that was the only place large enough to handle it. Graduation was on a Thursday night and the next day, Friday, I was bused to Detroit and sworn in as a private in the Infantry of the United States Army. I was given two weeks furlough at home before reporting for duty at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan.

When the furlough ended my brother Hank drove me to Detroit where I boarded a bus with many other recruits to begin my Army career. I spent about four days at Fort Custer, and it seemed that three and a half of those days were spent doing    K-P, commonly known as Kitchen Police. I never saw so many pots and pans to be washed and cleaned in my life. Thankfully this was only for briefing and orientation, shots, and basic processing. Soon I was on a troop train headed to Camp Hood, Texas.

Leaving Fort Custer for Training

For most soldiers the reception center was a whirlwind introduction to Army life. Within only a few days they moved from paperwork and vaccinations to train stations and troop trains heading across the country. Many were sent to large training camps in places such as Texas, Oklahoma, or the Carolinas. Only after leaving Fort Custer did their real military training begin.

This post introduces a short series that begins with the first steps of a soldier’s military journey. In the posts that follow, morning reports and other records will help trace the training journey of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division as the soldiers moved from initial training to preparation for combat overseas.

AI Disclosure

Artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT, was used for grammar suggestions, editing assistance, and title ideas while preparing this post. AI was also used to create a graphic for the Before the Front series. All research, interpretation, and final content decisions are my own.