Company E - 1941

Photograph taken at Camp Bowie in Brownwood Texas - 1941. Company E, which was comprised of soldiers from El Paso, Texas, mostly from the Segundo Barrio and Bowie High School. An original National Guard unit out of El Paso Texas, the unit was training out of Camp Bowie in Brownwood Texas before December 7 1941. At the break of WWII the 36th Division moved their training to Camp Blanding Florida, they participated in the Carolina Maneuvers before starting amphibious training at Camp Edwards Massachusetts. The T-Patchers as the 36th was known arrived in North Africa in April of 1943 where they continued amphibious training. The 36th Division was attached to the 5th Army and spearheaded the landing at Salerno Italy on September 9 1943. Company E would go on to fight in some of the most horrific battles of the Italian Campaign, including the disastrous Rapido River Crossing where the 36th Division lost over 2,000 men. http://www.legiontown.org/ownwords/2927/bonded-heroes

Area: Out of Area / Out of Area

Source: Ruth Romo

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History