Army song, Minnesota, 18th Regiment, The Fighting First, 1st Battalion, July 4, 1945, Company A

*update on 11/15/16- more photos added to bottom of page*

I wasn't sure where I should post this- on our blogs or just in our personal family history. Given it has other names of those who served in the military and the song is something others might have sang in the military/heard from their loved ones who served, I decided it should be shared with others. There are two parts to this post:

1) The song- This was something my grandfather reminded me of when he was in the hospital dying- we reminisced on stories of the past. He actually brought this up asking if I recalled him singing this to me when I was a child. Per my father, grandpa always use to sing his war songs at the cabin in the morning while smoking cigarettes. His name was Ellsworth Gunderson of Minnesota. He was in the Army. Here is the song...

We’re captain snyder raider,

Raider of the night,

Dirty little bastards

Who’d rather pluck than fight,

Heidi, deity, Christ almighty, who are we,

Whiz wham god damn,

We’re the infantry.

2) The pamphlet with transcription at bottom.

Here is the transcribed pamphlet:

THE FIGHTING FIRST

18th Regiment, 1st Battalion, A Company

Schloss Schwarzenberg (under photo)

July 4th 1945

DUTY FIRST

To the members of Company 'A' who have lived, fought and marched together; I heartily commend the fine spirit of cooperation and loyalty which you have shown toward one another. I think you are the finest group of fighting men in the U. S. forces.

Be thankful that we can celebrate this 169th anniversary of Independence Day without the sound of battle in our ears; and remember to pay tribute to those who gave their all so that we might enjoy, just this.

CLEMENT C. VAN WAGONER,

Capt. 18th Inf.

Commanding.

JULY FOURTH NINETEEN FORTY FIVE

MENU

Breakfast

French Toast with Honey

Fried Eggs

Whole Wheat Cereal

Grapefruit Juice Sweetened

Coffee, Milk, Sugar

Dinner

Southern Fried Chicken

Potatoes, mashed with butter

Gravy Brown

Creamed Sweet Peas

Fruit

Vanilla Ice Cream with Cake

Bread, Butter

Coffee, Cream, Sugar

Suppper

Meat

Escalloped Potatoes

Creamed Gravy

Combination Salad

Spiced Salami

Sweet Pickle Relish

Butterscotch Pudding

Bread and Butter

Lemonade

OUR OFFICERS

Lt. Col. Henry G Learnard Jr. Battalion Commander

Major Robert E Murphy Battalion Executive Officer

BATTALION STAFF

Capt. Harry F Carey S-1

Capt. Robert L Bowers S-3

1st Lt Alfred J Kiekbush S-2

1st Lt John B Poole S-4

COMPANY OFFICERS

Capt. Clement C Van Wagoner Company Commander

1st Lt Nathan H Nordin Company Executive Officer

1st Lt Orville W Overmoe 2nd Platoon

1st Lt Walter H Burt Jr. 3rd Platoon

1st Lt Robert N English 1st Platoon

2nd Lt Eugene Musial 1st Platoon

2nd Lt William Hale Weapons Platoon

2nd Lt Lawrence H Murphy 2nd Platoon

COMPANY HEAD QUARTERS

1st Sgt Santora, Edward F.

Communications

Sgt Wier

Cpl Olson

Pfc Knueve

T/5 Kelleher

Pfc Plastini

Pfc Barclay

Pfc Manci

Pfc Pasciac

Pfc Dubow

T/4 Baker

Supply

S/ Sgt Reaume

S/ Sgt Connor

Pfc Rhodes

Pfc Lamprecht

Kitchen

S/Sgt Metts

T/4 Anderson

T/5 Varpness

Pfc Davis

Pfc Kirchner

Pfc Zaverl

Pfc Dorsey

Cpl Anderson

Cpl Moore

Cpl Watkins

Pfc Freshwater

Pfc Godbehere

Pvt Hurley

Pfc Argenti

Pfc Niederfringer

S/Sgt Skorupa

Sgt Schmit

FIRST PLATOON

Platoon Hq

T/Sgt Raymer

S/Sgt Boser

Pvt Bennett

Pfc Williams

1st Squad

Sgt Smith

Pfc Byrom

Pfc Acuna

Pfc LaVigne

Pfc Vecchione

Pfc Hester

Pfc Case

Pfc Lazure

Pfc Chichester

Pfc Miller, Benjamin

Pvt Giles

Pvt Davis, Pearl

Pfc Parr

Sgt Beck

2nd Squad

S/Sgt Dunkin

Pfc Hutson

Pfc Haywood

Pfc LeBlanc

Pvt Mlcek

Pfc Hosterman

Pfc Rients

Pfc Bird

Pvt Counts

Pfc Lombardi

Pvt Jeanes

Pfc Stevens

Pvt Slocum

Pfc Adams

Sgt Ashcraft

3rd Squad

Sgt Magnani

Pfc Fulco

Pfc Campbell, Wm C

Pfc Gordon

Pfc Cewe

Pfc Weber

Pvt Peet

Pfc Underwood

Pfc Pischl

Pfc Cox

Pfc Veague

Pfc Wahl

Pvt Kiess

Sgt Kessler

Pfc Pitt

Pfc Fish

Pvt Spampinato

Pfc Carter

SECOND PLATOON

Platoon Hq

T/Sgt Adams

T/Sgt Schmidt

S/Sgt Spain

Pfc Jones

Pfc Prickett

T/3 Tipton

1st Squad

S/Sgt Hogya

Pfc Kyriazes

Pvt Guereca

Pvt Campbell, Wm H.

Pfc Longwell

Pfc Hile

Pfc McNeill

Pfc Christensen

Pfc Landry

Pvt Morris

Pfc Hager

Pvt Foster

Pfc Cowan

Sgt Wiseman

2nd Squad

S/Sgt Farley

Pfc Smith, R. J.

Pfc Cohen

Pfc Hiland

Pvt Tucker

Pfc Reed

Pvt Shifflett

Pvt Mohler

Pfc Bakken

Pfc Thompson

Pfc Stertzell

Pvt Elwyn

Pfc Hintz

Cpl Harris

3rd Squad

S/Sgt Llewellyn

Pfc Penner

Pfc Falkner

Pfc Liles

Pfc Backus

Pfc Call

Pfc Ham

Pfc DiMauro

Pfc Huckins

Pfc Koenig

Pfc Barry

Pvt DeLoggio

T/4 Shipman

THIRD PLATOON

Platoon Hq

T/Sgt Parfitt

Sgt Foust

Pfc Homrich

Pfc Haggerty

1st Squad

S/Sgt Phillips

Pfc Shute

Pfc Allen

Pfc Martin

Pvt Diaz

Pfc Was

Pfc Garrison

Pfc Miller

Pvt Blair

T/5 Herrin

Pvt Miller, Andrew

Pvt Carter, James H.

2nd Squad

Sgt Craven

Pfc Kaufman

Pfc Riley

Pfc Austin

Pfc Golden

Pfc Hunt

Pvt Harper

Pfc Farrell

Pvt Hopkins

Pfc Surber

Pvt Brosmer

Sgt O’Callaghan

Pfc Griffith

Pvt Curatolo

S/Sgt Blankenship

3rd Squad

S/Sgt Stewart

Pfc Hensen

Pfc Taylor, Roy

Pfc Quillin

Pvt Lamothe

Pfc Bauer

Pfc Mugg

Pvt Mayer

Pfc Rumpf

Pfc Ruyle

Pvt Miller, Andrew B.

Sgt Alexander

Cpl Eisele

Pfc Taylor, H. L.

Pfc Huskins

Pfc Casaburi

Sgt White

Pfc Crews

WEAPONS PLATOON

Platoon Hq

T/Sgt Sullivan

Pfc Hughes

60 mm Mortar Section

S/Sgt Loviglio

Pfc Hughes

1st Squad

Pfc House

Pfc Ferris

Pfc Mullen

Pfc Hunt

Sgt Sarosy

Pfc Feest

2nd Squad

Pfc Johnson

Pfc Dekker

Pvt Zapico

Pfc Vandever

Pvt King

Pfc Brunner

3rd Squad

Sgt Gabrys

Pfc Vaccarello

Pfc Ealy

Pfc Kasabian

Pfc Helt

Pvt Duberstein

LMG Section

Sgt Sperando

Sgt Crull

1st Squad

Sgt Howdyshell

Pfc Pickett

Pfc Gunderson

Pfc Ritchhart

Pvt Friesenhahn

Pvt Putnam

Pfc McGill, J. C

Pvt Herman

Pfc Rogness

2nd Squad

Sgt Stanley

Pfc McGill

Cpl Harrell

Pfc Augino

Pvt Mason

Pfc Bryant

Pvt Holsonbake

Transportation

Pvt Chesnut

Pfc Conner

Pfc Burns

Pfc Anderson

Pfc Kosky

Pfc Welsh

Original Woodcuts by ELLY JUENGLING-WIESNER

Printed by FR. HOFMANN, NUERNBERG, now SCHEINFELD

The two pages above are wallet size copy of our grandfather's service records. They are exactly like the larger ones we have. Yes, hard to read since they were in his wallet.

 The First Division Monument, May 20, 1946

This is a certificate for a pistol he brought home. This is no longer in our possession. Not sure where it ended up.

Below are what we think are certificates for more gun/s he brought home.