HISTORY OF D COMPANY

By

M/Sgt E. L. Marso

Company D, 196th Infantry Regiment received it's federal recognition as a heavy weapons unit of the South Dakota National Guard at Vermillion SD on 5 Mar 47.   The total complement at that time consisted of one officer and 23 enlisted men.   At the time of mobilization there were but five of these original men on the company's roster.  They were: Cpt Elmer Caddes, the original CO, 1st Lt Guy Harding, 1st Lt Jerome Limoges, Sgt Edward Losacker and Pfc Lester Williams.  Sgt Losacker and Pfc William had both been members of the 147th FA Bn during World War II.

Following are the original members of Co D: Cpt Elmer Caddes, T/Sgts George Blando, Guy Mitchell, William Srstka, S/Sgts Marian Barton, Edward Carlsen, Roland Gilbaugh, Guy Harding, Harold Henrichson, Jerome Limoges, Lloyd Mahan, Howard Munger, Daniel McNeil, Harold Nelson, Frederick Swisher, and Maurice Wagner.  T/4 William Bloenbaugh, Cpls Lewis Miller and Donald Wooldridge.  T/5s Frank Chaussee, Lester Williams and Pvt George Coleman.

The first encampment was at Camp Rapid, Rapid City, SD from 13 June to 27 June 48.  Two officers and 28 enlaced men from Co D attended.  The training covered that of the individual and small unit and conceited of close order drill, range firing of small arms, drill with the crew-served weapons, and demonstrations of them under various conditions.

The second encampment that the 196th Inf Regt participated in was held at Camp Ripley, MN from 11 through 26 June 48.  Four officers and 63 enlisted men attended.  The facilities at this camp were considerably better than had been at Camp Rapid although the troops were still housed in tents.  The mortar platoon went on the range for actual firing for the first time, and did very well.  The men also had their first taste of specialist's training at this encampment.  There were schools set up for cooks and bakers, mechanics and unit caretakers, communications men, company clerks and men who trained for the job of loading and unloading airplanes.

The regiment had a well-rounded sports program set up at the summer camp.   The men participated in softball, volleyball and boxing.  Co D with the pitching of Lt Jerome Limoges and Sgt William Lorentson catching, won the SDNG softball championship but they were defeated in the final game by an organization from the Minnesota National Guard and did not receive the honor of being Camp Champions.  Pfc Marvin Rist was the unit's only boxing entry and won the bout that he fought.

The last summer camp that the organization attended before being called to active duty was at Camp McCoy, WI where Co D turned out with five officers and 47 enlisted men.  The training there lasted from 11 to 26 Jun 50 and was on the platoon and company level.  It involved night problems during which the battalion was utilized in the attach and withdrawal, range firing of the machine guns, mortars, and small arms and demonstrations and basic training.

The range firing was excellent at this camp and the platoons either fired or watched their weapons being fired by demonstration.  Four men from Co D were placed on the cadre list for the training of the entire regiment's 81mm mortar men.   They were SFC Dale Morman, Sgt William Howard, Cpl Joseph Dawson and Cpl Eugene Wertman.  When the gunner's tests we conducted with the mortar, they rated high in the regiment.  Three of the unit's machine gunners also ranked highest in the regiment with their scores on the thousand inch machine gun range.  A demonstration of an infantry regiment's fire power was conducted during the encampment and showed how the riflemen move upon an area in the attack and assault.

Fifth Army Headquarters, 7 Aug 50, by direction of the President of the United States and General Order 119, issued an order to all units to increase their drills to three each week.  The men had until 1 Sep to get their affairs in order prior to their activation into the Army.  From 1 through 7 Sep, the men were given the same caliber of training that they would have received had they been at any Army post.   Through this period the men were fed at the Armory by the regular kitchen personnel, with the men pulling KP as they would at a regular station.  Another main duty was the detail of packing all the equipment for movement to Camp Carson, CO where the unit was to be stationed.  Forms had to be filled out and all of the men were given physical examinations at the home station before they were inducted.

The motor convoy, led by Lt Gage, departed Vermillion the morning of 7 Sep enroute to Winner, SD where they joined the rest of the convoy from the First Battalion for movement to Camp Carson.  The main body of troops left Vermilion by train the next evening.  There was a large turn out at the station, with several bands, numerous organization from the town and many friends and relatives to bid the men farewell.  The company left as a relatively well trained outfit with many of the men (27 percent) having served in the Armed Forces during World War II.  

A few days after their arrival at Camp Carson, the troops were divided into two groups; those men with sufficient training to act as instructors, and the balance who still required basic training.  The cadre were sent to classes where they learned how to prepare, what to take up and points to watch for, in lectures.  This developed into a class where the crew-served weapons were discussed and  how classes on them should be conducted.  The basic men, in the meantime, were learning many of the Army fundamentals and other information that they would have to know to progress.

On 31 Sep the cadre from the regiment were highly honored by the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Lt Gen J. Lawton Collins, who gave them a talk on the "Duties of Non-Commissioned Officers."

The first filler personnel arrived on 13 Oct 50 and were assigned to the 75mm recoilless rifle platoon.  On 14 Oct Cpt Elmer Caddes was transferred to the battalion staff to act as First Battalion's intelligence officer.  He was succeeded by 1st Lt Guy H Harding of Pierre, SD who had been the executive officer of Co D.   The company received the remainder of it's fillers from FT Leonard Wood,MO during the early part of November.  All of them were from the Midwest with the largest representation from Minnesota.  These fillers were assigned to the various platoons.   They were on their advance training in rifle squad tactics when many of them were called upon to report to the part of embarkation of Ft Lawton, WA.

Enlisted reserves who were assigned to Co D to assist with the training were: M/Sgts John Lynn and Lester Harvey, SFCs Sheldon Bond, William Dailey, Tedaus Jarosz, and Howard Walker, Sgt Lloyd Milner and Cpl Myron Pontius.  These Reservists served as excellent instructors since they had the practical application of their training during World War II.  WOJG John Goff was assigned to the company 2 Jan 51.  Sgt Edward Losacker had been the unit administrator up to that time.

Early in the month the older men of the company went through the various phases of rifle and heavy weapons tactics.  During this training they became more accustomed to the crew-served weapons to which they were assigned.  Six men from Ft Riley, KS reported to be trained by Provisional Battalion on 23 Mar 51.  They were joined on 26 Apr by others from the regiment and started their basic training which was similar to that received by the other men soon after they arrived.  SFC Joseph Dawson and Pfc Leonard Anglin were assigned to act as control and instructional cadre.

On 10 Apr 51, 1st Lt Dale Gage, who had just returned from a refresher course at Ft Benning, GA, was transferred from Co D to Co A to act as their executive officer.