July-August - Air Defense Artillery

145th AAA AW BATTALION (SP)
HOMESTEADS IN HOKKAIDO
ME~IBERS of the Famous Fortyfifth
Infantry Division, Oklahoma National
Guard, are following in the footsteps
of their forefathers who blazed
trails in Oklahoma and Indian Territory
as the western part of that state was
known in early days. This proud outfit
which covered itself with battle honors
in World War II, beginning with the
landing in Sicily, is now pioneering in
the wilds of Hokkaido.
Again their mettle will be tried as they
work and adapt themselves to this
sparsely populated, coldest, most northerly
of the four large islands which constitute
present Japan. Even today the
primitive Ainu people of this region still
celebrate their annual bear dances using
live cubs from the mountains.
The 145th AAA A\V Battalion was
acti\'ated as an organic part of the 45th
Division in March 1949 and attended its
only summer camp that year. It was
called to active service at Camp Polk,
Louisiana, September 1, 1950, where
basic training was completed. The AAA
battalion was later sep'!rated from the
division, going to Fort Bliss, Texas, for
specialized training and service practice.
While at Fort Bliss the Thunderbirds
were attached to the 102d AAA Brigade
and received added support from the AA
Center. Thus the battalion was able to
get in much valuable experience. The
men from the 145th did well on the
desert ranges north of Bliss and returned
with good scores for a unit having had
no previous antiaircraft firing.
\Vhere are the boys from? Headquarters
and Headquarters Battery come from
Pawhuska, Oklahoma-located in the
Osage Indian Nation which is famous
for its oil and cattle production. Baker
Battery is from Fairfax, also in the Osage
0Jation. Able hails from Nowata, Charlie
calls Vinita home and Dog from
Miami. The latter three batteries named
are from what is known as the Grand
JULY-AUGUST, 1951
By Col. Riley E. McGarraugh, Arty.
Lake area of Northeastern Oklahoma.
Present new men who have been added
come from \'arious parts of the United
States.
The battalion is commanded by Lt.
Co!. John S. Wilkes, a regular army
officer who spent four years in the Pacific
Theater during \Vorld v\Tar II. The
executive officer is i\lajor John B. Spence
of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Battery commanders are: Headquarters
Battery-Capt. John L. Dahl of
Barnsdall, Okla. Battery A-1st Lt. Donald
\V. Duncan from i\liami. Battery B
-1st Lt. Earl \V. Lamb of Nowata. Battery
C-Capt. Clell W. Babler from
Vinita. Battery D-Capt. Joseph Breaune
of ~Iiami.
Near the end of February 1951, the
Thunderbird Division, commanded by
Major General James C. Styron, received
alert orders for overseas. This alert
caused th