VIPs

   Slide 8

William W. Eagles

WILLIAM WILLIS EAGLES (1895-1988)
commanded the 45th Infantry Division from Dec. 1943 to Dec. 3, 1944 succeeded by Maj. Gen. Robert T. Frederick. Eagles served as assistant commander of the 3rd Division from 1943 until his appointment to the 45th Division. Eagles served as Commandant of the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Fort Hood in Texas from 1945-46. Eagles retired from the military in 1953.

The 45th (Thunderbird) Division was organized from the four states of Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico in 1923. The division landed in North Africa, saw action in Sicily, landed at Salerno and fought to Monte Cassino.

The 45th landed at Anzio in February, 1944 to augment the beachhead forces. The Thunderbirds participated in its fourth assault landing on August 15, 1944 in Southern France. The division spearheaded the drive for the Belfort Gap passing through Grenoble; strongly defended Epinal; crossed the Moselle River and entered the western foothills of the Vosges; taking Rambervillers; and crossing the Mortagne River on October 23.

After a brief rest, the 45th cracked the forts north of Mutzig and pushed through the Maginot defenses. From January 1945, the division fought defensively along the German border, withdrawing to the Moder River. The 45th smashed at the Siegfried Line in March 1945, taking Homburg and crossing the Rhine between Worms and Hamm on March 26. The 45th advance to Nuremberg, crossed the Danube river aiding in the capture of Munich and liberated 32,000 captives in the Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945.

The 45th Infantry Division found controversy during the invasion of Sicily in 1943, when 100 German prisoners were allegedly executed in what is known as the Biscari Massacre. Two soldiers were accused of murder. Later in April 1945, the division was implicated in the execution of SS guards at Dachau prison.

The number of POWs taken by the 45th Division during its almost two years of fighting totaled 124,840.

During World War II, the 45th Division fought in 511 days of combat awarding eight Medals of Honor. Over 20,000 soldiers in the Division were killed, wounded or missing in action.