US AIRBORNE

William O. poindexter

The 326th Regiment was officially activated as part of the 82nd Division under the command of Colonel John C. McArthur on August 29, 1917, at Camp Gordon near Atlanta, Georgia. Being a National Army Division, the regiment consisted of recruits. The only people actually assigned to the regiment were a small staff responsible for preparing the thousands of recruits who would soon flood the camp.

In April 1918, the Regiment was ordered to move to Camp Upton in New York in preparation for a deployment to France. The regiment arrived in France on May 17. It then sent small detachments to the front lines to get accustomed to trench warfare. On June 9, 1918, Captain Jewett Williams was killed, becoming the first casualty of the 326th. The Regiment participated in its first combat by relieving the 101st Infantry in the Toul sector. On August 4, the regiment launched its first assault. It then participated in the last major offensive of the war. After 10 days of fighting, the German defenses were broken. The Regiment distinguished itself by being one of the few regiments that was never relieved. The 326th remained in France in the Prauthoy region after the armistice was signed. It returned to America in April 1919 to be demobilized at Camp Mills, New York. It was reconstituted as a reserve unit between the two wars.

On March 25, 1942, the 326th was reconstituted under the command of Colonel Stuart Cutler. Located in Louisiana at Camp Clairborne, the regiment was still part of the 82nd.

On August 15, 1942, the 82nd became the first airborne division of the United States. The 325th and 326th became glider infantry units. In October 1942, the 82nd moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to continue the basic training of airborne troops.

In early 1943, the composition of the 82nd changed. The division shifted from two glider regiments and one parachute regiment to one glider regiment and two parachute regiments. The choice between the 325th and 326th was made by coin toss. The 326th lost and was sent in March 1943 to Alliance, Nebraska.

On March 4, 1943, the 326th arrived at the Alliance Air Base. In June, Colonel William O. Poindexter assumed command of the 326th until the end of the war. This was a very tough period for the regiment, with each exercise designed to challenge both the physical and mental endurance of the soldiers. A mock German village, called "Führerville," was even created in an old abandoned ranch to help with this conditioning. Close combat training was recognized as the hardest in the country. Demolition school, camouflage, attacking fortified positions, and mine detection were also part of the training. In October 1944, the regiment prepared for redeployment to France.

On January 13, 1945, the 326th moved to Camp Mackall, then to Camp Shanks in New York, where it boarded the ship George O. Squire.

On February 6, the ship docked at Le Havre, France. The regiment then stationed at Camp Lucky Strike.

On March 1, 1945, a reorganization took place, incorporating the 88th Glider Infantry Regiment into the 326th to form a third battalion. During this time, the 13th Airborne Division was put on alert several times for operations, but each operation was canceled.

On May 7, 1945, German forces surrendered, and the 13th and 101st Airborne Divisions were informed they would be redeployed to the Pacific Front. However, the atomic bombs dropped on Japan brought an end to the war in August 1945. In the same month, the regiment boarded two ships, the USS Cranston Victory and the USS Georgetown Victory. The 326th GIR arrived in New York on August 27, 1945, and was deactivated at Camp Kilmer.