The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) is nicknamed the "Red Devils" or the "Red Diamond" for the simple design of its shoulder sleeve insignia. The 5th I.D., currently inactive, is a regular army division that saw service in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and Operation Just Cause in Panama.

The 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army is nicknamed the "Old Reliables." It was created during World War I as the 9th Division but was never deployed overseas. The division proved to be an important asset during World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War. During the pre-war buildup for World War II, the 9th Infantry Division was constituted on August 1, 1940, at Fort Bragg, NC. The Old Reliables were among the first U.S. troops to enter combat in WWII.

About eight miles west of Wallace we stumbled across a monument dedicated to the Sunshine Mine Disaster that occurred May 2, 1972. The monument includes a statue of a miner and the names of each worker who died in the tragedy. I had never heard of this event. On May 2, 1972, there were 173 workers inside the mine. At 11:40 am a fire started in the mine and an evacuation was ordered 23 minutes later when the location of the fire could not be determined...

4 simple steps to researching your ancestor's military service. Where to look for more info than is provided on your family member's DD-214.

Much of the history of the 509th PIB has to be pieced together by the use of veteran narratives and some work by a few "history detectives".

Diego Cancelli owns and operates Il Casale di Giulia a working farm, & B & B. This was the 509th Command Post during the battle of Anzio...