932nd Field Artillery Battalion
31st Infantry Division
12/26/2012

We never got one of these. We went directly from Basic Training in place to T. O. & E of the Division and began getting TO&E equipment for each company we were in. I was in H Company which was heavy weapons so we got a few jeeps with Recoilless rifles mounted, we got 81mm mortars and we got 30 cal water cooled machine guns. We then trained on these weapons. We also got trucks so there was no more marching places, we rode.


I remember that our day to live fire the 81 mm mortars on the range that it was so cold and snow that it froze the bubbles on the mortars so we could not properly fire the mortars for accuracy. We then were told that we couldn't leave the field until we had fired off the ammo. there was a big fire pit with logs in it. We figured out that if took the range charges that attached to the fins off and took them over to the fire pit we could get warm for a while. These were accelerator tabs like cheese slices and they would flare up when thrown into the fire to dispose of them. We started firing the mortars by holding the tube with our gloves. It was a wonder that no one got injured as our intent was only to get that ammo fired off so we could get the hell out of there. I don't think I have ever been that cold.
 

John Bowen
Source: Certificate sold on eBay 12/2012. Comments from John Bowen, former 31st Infantry Division.
Page last revised 12/26/2012
James D. West
www.IndianaMilitary.org