WORLD WAR II
ACTIVATION AND TRAINING IN THE U.S.
he 357th Infantry was reactivated at Camp Barkeley, Texas on March 25, 1942, as part of
the new triangular version of the 90th Infantry Division, VIII Corps, 3rd Army. The
officer cadre was obtained from the 6th Infantry Division at Fort Leonard Wood,
Missouri, and the 33rd Infantry Division at Camp Force, Tennessee. The enlisted cadre came
entirely from the 6th Division. In contrast with other units which had been activated previously,
the 357th Infantry was filled in almost entirely with recruits fresh from the reception centers. It
was felt that men who were to live together for an indefinite length of time and who were to
eventually fight together could be trained more efficiently if they were all started from “scratch”
together.
The army had scrapped the idea of mobilizing all the men from one locality into a
composite unit. Therefore, the blond haired, blue-eyed boys who came in from the middle west
and northwest gave argument to the idea that the new 90th was a 100 per cent Texas and
Oklahoma Division. The preponderance of initial recruits, however, came from the reception
centers at Camp Walters, Texas, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
The Regiment’s first commander was Colonel Edwin D. Patrick. His dynamic
personality, tactical knowledge, and conscientious effort had a great deal to do with the high
standard of proficiency gained by the Regiment during its initial training. Colonel Patrick has
never been forgotten by the original men who knew him.¹
By the end of April, the Regiment had a strength of 158 officers and 3373 enlisted men,
and basic training had gotten well under way. The eager ears of the new soldiers were now
turned toward the rumor factory which was putting out the hot dope that the Division would sail
within four months. To most, this was World War I all over again and not many gave thought to
the fact that there were no friendly shores to land on nor were there any well-defined battle lines
to slide into as there were in the last war. The soldiers in this war had to have it from the word
“go” and be able to hit the ground fighting. That’s why a long period of intensive training was to
follow before any ideas about ships and sailing were to be given any thought.
During the period August 8th to12th, 1942, a cadre consisting of 231 enlisted men and 25
officers was sent to Camp Adair, Oregon, to form the 104th Infantry Division.
Basic training was now over and the Regiment spent most of its time in the field. Stress
was always placed on physical conditioning, and road marches with full field equipment up to 15
miles were taken in their stride by the men who were just completing their first six months in the
army. Most of the men were now wearing their first army decorations – marksman,
1
Major Gen. Patrick was killed on March 16, 1945 in the Phillipines. He was commander of the 6th Infantry Division
and at the time of his death was up with his troops when struck down by a Jap machine gun.
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