The 34th Infantry Division has brought great pride to the nation of the United States due to its service in the World War I and World War II apart from other international conflicts. The National Guard created the 34th Infantry Division in the year 1917 and comprised of units majorly from Iowa and Minnesota, and also from North Dakota and South Dakota. The division continues to be in service even today with most of its battalion from Minnesota and Iowa National Guard having soldiers about 6500 and 2900 from these places respectively. Apart from that, it has 300 soldiers from Nebraska National Guard and 100 from various states. Though the 34th Infantry Division has been in service continuously, it was deactivated in the year 1945 and being replaced by the 47th Division. However, it was redesignated again in the year 1991. In 2001, the division got employed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and hence played a greater role in taking care of the homeland security services of the country.
One of the remarkable efforts of the 34th Infantry Division is its role in the World War II. It was one division that was always ready for service with its units especially from Iowa, Minnesota and North and South Dakota. The soldiers of the division had undergone rigorous training including maneuvers. In fact, the 34th Infantry Division came to be one that was well-prepared, disciplined and high in spirits that they participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers something that popular before the World War II period. During World War II, the 34th Infantry Division got reorganized to a triangular form, and it included three kinds of regiments namely 133rd, 135th and 168th Infantry Regiments. It was a part of the Eastern Task Force and was put into combat in 1942 in French Algeria. The segments of the 34th Infantry Division comprising of infantry regiments, the infantry battalion, commandos, regimental combat team, field artillery battalion, military police, medical and combat battalions, etc. took part in various engagements that happened in Tunisia during the WWII (World War II). With the division’s efforts and role, the Battle of Tunisia became a victory causing the Axis forces to surrender.
The 34th Infantry Division played a major role by not taking part in the Operation Husky during 1943 and chose to undergo intensive training for the capturing of the Italian Mainland. The division did provide as a backup for the 151st Field Artillery Battalion that charged on the D-Day. Not limited to that it engaged the enemy at one end while leading the VI Corps to invade the four peaks after assaulting Monte Pantano, Italy. The division’s performance in the mountains during WWII is one of the finest feats of arms when compared to any other soldiers or division in the U.S. Army. The way it took defensive and offensive positions to take the Italian Capital, Rome is quite notable. Its feats are one of the reasons why it gained the honor to be in front-line combat for 516 days. The 34th Infantry Division is so popular in the U.S. Army that it earned the nickname Red Bulls during the WWII and was known as Sandstorm Division during World War I.