![\"Officer's](\"http:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/CampGrayling1940X.jpg\")
<\/a>Preparation for World War II was in full swing by 1941, but the 5th Squadron was not the only group training at Camp Grayling. \u00a0Many regiment and battalion sized elements trained at Grayling in the years before World War II including the 337th Infantry Regiment, the 125th Infantry Regiment and the 126th Cavalry Regiment. \u00a0The 107th Engineer Battalion also trained at Camp Grayling during the summers of 1937-1939 and this is part of the 107th Engineer Battalion posing for a picture in 1937.<\/p>\n The battalion was starting to gear up for the United States inevitable entry into World War II.\u00a0 National Guard units were being mobilized around the country and in Michigan, it was no different. \u00a0 The National Guard training base, Camp Grayling, was beginning to prepare\u00a0to take the incoming troops and prepare them for war.\u00a0 The environment at Camp Grayling was quite similar to many areas in Europe and would provide an adequate simulation environment for the fighting and movement that would occur in Europe. \u00a0The climate, foliage, and terrain of central Michigan are all very similar to Europe and helped commanders understand early what types of movement and maneuvering would be necessary. \u00a0As the battalion entered Grayling they would see this entryway.<\/p>\n As one of the largest National Guard training bases even then, there was more than enough space for multiple separate groups to train.\u00a0 Infantry groups could practice maneuvers and marksmanship at different ranges around the camp while the pilots were\u00a0still flying. \u00a0Camp Grayling was large enough that artillery and cavalry groups could\u00a0train and perform live fire drills safely. \u00a0However, the vast majority of the training and\u00a0maneuvering and firing practice. \u00a0On the left is\u00a0one example of an infantry group practicing marksmanship at one of the many ranges at Camp Grayling. \u00a0On the right is a machine gunner team practicing for setting up and spotting.<\/p>\n Camp Grayling acted primarily as an infantry training camp before WWII, but there were also cavalry groups that trained there as well as the 126th Cavalry Regiment. \u00a0All the space was utilized at Grayling in the years before World War II, both in the barracks and out in the training fields, whether that be for tanks to move through the woods or a battalion of troops to set up a camp or planes flying overhead.<\/p>\n This image shows two soldiers looking out over the area from the back of an M4 Sherman Medium tank.\u00a0 Tank training occured at Grayling as well, with plenty of space for movement and tactics training as well as areas for live fire training of the tanks.\u00a0 Before the war, there was quite a bit of training for tactics and logistics, however during the war, there was some training and testing of new tanks such as the M24 Chaffee which saw production during the war and pictured below.<\/p>\n This image shows a Chaffee training at Grayling for quick maneuvering.\u00a0 Many different groups trained at Camp Grayling, before, during, and after World War II.\u00a0 The 107th Engineer Battalion still trains at Camp Grayling on occasion and now Camp Grayling is even larger and accommodates more people and types of\u00a0training than it did in the 1940’s.<\/p>\n The\u00a0126th Infantry Regiment was mobilized and sent to the Pacific Theater of the war and participated in the Battle of Buna-Gona. \u00a0The 126th had the most casualties of their division, the 32nd Infantry Division, and had less than a full battalion left after the battle. \u00a0The 32nd Infantry division logged more days of combat than any other US Army Division totaling 654 days of combat.<\/p>\n The 337th Infantry Division participated in the Mediteranean theater of the Italian Campaign and was part of the main force that took part in Operation Diadem. \u00a0The regiment helped take Castellonorato, Terracina, Monte Artemision and Lariano before breaking through the German’s Gothic Line.<\/p>\n The 107th Engineer Battalionwas part of the invasion of Normandy and also was part of the force that pushed the German’s out of Paris. \u00a0The Battalion fought through France and participated in the Battle of the Bulge and helped cross the Rhine River into Germany.<\/p>\n Since World War II, Camp Grayling has grown larger and trained many more soldiers. \u00a0The camp helped train soldiers before both the Korean and Vietnam wars and the wars in the Middle East to a lesser degree. \u00a0I also have a personal connection with Camp Grayling. \u00a0Near the beginning of this year, 2015, I traveled to Camp Grayling with Michigan tech Army ROTC and we conducted a Leadership Development Exercise, LDX, with Northern Michigan Cadets where we conducted multiple ambush drills using air soft weapons and convoy security drills using the Army’s Virtual Battle Simulation software. \u00a0Camp Grayling is simply huge and the number and variety of training simulations and drills is quite impressive. \u00a0Hopefully Camp Grayling will continue to train and hone future soldiers for years to come.<\/p>\n All of the images were taken at Camp Grayling.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n 4. “Grayling.<\/a>” Grayling<\/i>. Michigan National Guard, n.d. 12 Oct. 2015.<\/p>\n 5. Stanton, John. “Camp Grayling.<\/a>” – FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts<\/i>. 26 Nov. 2015. 12 Dec. 2015.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0Ivie, Thomas G., and Paul A. Ludwig. “Activation and Training.” Spitfires and Yellow Tail Mustangs: The 52nd Fighter Group in World War II<\/i>. Print.<\/p>\n 7. “Camp Grayling.<\/a>” Wikipedia<\/i>. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Aug. 2015. 12 Oct. 2015.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Primary Sources<\/h3>\n
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Secondary Sources<\/h3>\n
Tertiary Sources<\/h3>\n