The University of Michigan has made the book, Historical and pictorial review of the 28th Infantry Division in World War II, available for view online. It is a somewhat rare book that includes great history regarding the 28th Division fight across Europe in WW II.
Join us for vignettes of history on the 28th Infantry Division with Dr. Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr. SGM (R) as he shares stories that are not in the history books with stories from the archives.
Episode 1
Frances Y. Slanger (born Friedel Yachet Schlanger, 1913 – Oct. 21, 1944) was an American military nurse of Polish Jewish birth. The only American nurse to die due to enemy fire in the European theatre of World War II, she gained posthumous recognition for a letter she had written regarding the sacrifices of American soldiers which was published as an editorial in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. Her unit was treating 28th Infantry Division troops at the time of her death.
Episode 2
The Hampton Battery saw significant action in the Civil War to include Gettysburg, most notably in the Peach Orchard on July 2. The 28th Infantry Division's 107th Field Artillery traces its linage to this historic Pittsburgh unit.
Episode 3
The Colmar Pocket was the area held in central Alsace, France, by the German Nineteenth Army from November 1944 to February 1945. The 28th Infantry Division would take part in operations to clear the Colmar Pocket.
Episode 4
Join historian Dr. Walter Zapotoczny for a 3:41 min runtime about the 108th Machine Gun Battalion, its origins, lineage and heroic acts in WW I.
Walter has had a distinguished career in both civilian consulting and military service. His expertise spans military history, with a focus on the Battle of the Bulge, comprehensive Holocaust studies, and the analysis of events that extend beyond the boundaries of individual states, regions, and cultures.