Remembering the service of the Fifth Army’s 92nd Infantry Division

By Lori BultmanFebruary 18, 2021

Oliver W. Harrington, a New York City artist correspondent, sketches anti-aircraft section chief, Sgt. Carl K. Hilton of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, who is with the Fifth Army in Italy in1944. (U.S. Army Photo)
Oliver W. Harrington, a New York City artist correspondent, sketches anti-aircraft section chief, Sgt. Carl K. Hilton of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, who is with the Fifth Army in Italy in1944. (U.S. Army Photo) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

In honor of Black History Month, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) recognizes the 92nd Infantry Division (Buffalo) as the only African American infantry division to see combat in Europe during World War II, fighting in the Italian Campaign.

Activated Oct. 15, 1942, at Fort McClellan, Alabama, the 92nd ID was made up of primarily white officers and African American enlisted personnel and was one of three segregated African-American divisions, referred to as Colored Troops, activated during World War II, according to the U. S. Army Military History Institute. Only the 92nd served as a full division in combat.

Activated Oct. 15, 1942, at Fort McClellan, Alabama, the 92nd ID was made up of primarily white officers and African American enlisted personnel and was one of three segregated African-American divisions, referred to as Colored Troops, activated...
Activated Oct. 15, 1942, at Fort McClellan, Alabama, the 92nd ID was made up of primarily white officers and African American enlisted personnel and was one of three segregated African-American divisions, referred to as Colored Troops, activated during World War II. (U.S. Army Photo) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

After spending more than a year training together at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, the division of “Buffalo Soldiers” deployed to Italy in the fall of 1944, assigned to Fifth Army and joining the continued assault toward the Alps after the fall of Rome.

On Oct. 19 of that year, a rendezvous area near Leghorn, Italy, was designated for most of the arriving 92nd ID elements. By that time, Task Force 92, the 370th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Armored Group, was already attacking up the Ligurian coast of Italy as part of the Fifth Army assault on the Gothic Line.

A mortar company of the 92nd Infantry Division passes ammunition and heaves it toward the Germans in an almost endless stream near Massa, Italy. This company is credited with liquidating several machine gun nests in Nov. 1944. (U.S. Army Photo)
A mortar company of the 92nd Infantry Division passes ammunition and heaves it toward the Germans in an almost endless stream near Massa, Italy. This company is credited with liquidating several machine gun nests in Nov. 1944. (U.S. Army Photo) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The next five months of difficult fighting in the Northern Apennines and Italian Alps identified some genuine heroes in the 92nd ID and the strength of the men of that fighting force.

From August of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945, the division advanced more than 3,000 square miles and captured more than 20,000 German prisoners, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA. They also suffered casualties in the thousands.

The "Doughfoots” of the 92nd Infantry Division pursue the retreating Germans through the Po Valley in May 1945. (U.S. Army Photo)
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The "Doughfoots” of the 92nd Infantry Division pursue the retreating Germans through the Po Valley in May 1945. (U.S. Army Photo) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
In the newly liberated city of Genoa, Italy, the 92nd Infantry Division troops enter the Galleria Guiseppe Garibaldi, April 27, 1945. (U.S. Army Photo)
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – In the newly liberated city of Genoa, Italy, the 92nd Infantry Division troops enter the Galleria Guiseppe Garibaldi, April 27, 1945. (U.S. Army Photo) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

For their accomplishments, the 92nd earned more than 12,000 decorations and citations, including two Medals of Honor, according to the 92nd Infantry Division’s World War II association.

Medal of Honor recipient 1st Lt. Vernon Baker was one of those recognized for his actions with the 92nd ID.

On April 5, 1945, Baker’s unit was ordered to assault the mountain stronghold of Viareggio, Italy.

According to his Medal of Honor citation, on April 5-6, 1945, then 2nd Lt. Baker demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations, personnel and equipment during his company's attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain. When his company was stopped by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements, he crawled to one position and destroyed it, killing three Germans. Continuing forward, he attacked an enemy observation post and killed two occupants.

With the aid of one of his men, Baker attacked two more machine gun nests, killing or wounding the four enemy soldiers occupying these positions. He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy's fire.

On the following night, Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective.

The other Medal of Honor recipient from the division was 1st Lt. John R. Fox, who distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism at the risk of his own life on Dec. 26, 1944, in the Serchio River Valley Sector of Italy.

Fox served as a forward observer for his division and the 598th Field Artillery Battalion, and gave his life to delay German advances.

In recognition of #AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth, U. S. Army North (Fifth Army) celebrates the history, heroism and accomplishments of the "Buffalo Soldiers" of the 92nd Infantry Division who served under Fifth Army during WWII.
#SoldierStory | #BHM

After the war, 53 men from the 92nd were still unaccounted for, and in 2014, DPAA started the 92nd Infantry Project in an attempt to account for the missing. They have been able to account for three of the missing men.

The greatest challenge in accounting for the missing isn’t lack of information or the ability to correlate remains buried as unknowns with the unaccounted-for, according to DPAA, but not having the necessary DNA family reference samples for comparison in order to make an identification.

The DPAA encourages any family members of men unaccounted for from the 92nd Infantry Division to contact the Army Casualty Office at 800-892-2490 to arrange for giving a DNA sample.

Learn more about the 92nd ID at: https://www.army.mil/article/46649/bring_on_the_buffalo.