11-22-18 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

First All-Black Comabt Division

Staff Sgt. Mozell Ware instructing Pvt. Howard Hall during rifle range training at Fort Huachuca for the African American 93rd Infantry div.


Location: Fort Huachuca, AZ, US

Date taken: 1943

Photographer: Charles E. Steinheimer



Awards: DSC: 1; DSM: 1; SS: 5; LM: 5; SM: 16; BSM: 686; AM: 27.

Leonard E. Dowden

While on Jolo on 17 July 1945, a patrol from the 368th was ambushed by a Japanese force three times its size. When the firefight began, Sergeant Leonard E. Dowden moved his squad to within 30 yards of the enemy. He then crawled forward alone to assault a machine-gun position with grenades, despite being gravely wounded. He would be killed by a burst of fire as he was about to throw a grenade. The patrol was able to fight off the enemy attack with only 18 casualties. For the extraordinary heroism that cost him his life, Staff Sergeant Dowden received the Distinguished Service Cross. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Staff Sergeant Dowden was the only member of the 93rd Infantry Division to earn the DSC during the war


Casualties
Total battle casualties: 133
Killed in action: 12
Wounded in action: 121

Information

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[CINDERS]

Hmm Pic#1 the Ol' Staff Sgt belts a little loose and not central! The higher you go the more scutinised you get....I will never have that problem....!

[matthanne1]

Buffalo Soldier Memorial also stands at Ft Huachuca, although the barracks were torn down long ago, with Hospital portion one of the last to go in the 1980s. On their many former ranges (and a few still active), I found brass casings all the way back to .45-70 when it was the Cavalry fort fighting Apaches.