How are you progressing in this digital archives project? Which records are being digitized first?
My plan is to begin with the infantry regiments (317, 318, 319) and begin with the September 1944 Morning Reports. In other words, I'll digitize the September Morning Reports for the 317th, then the 318th, then the 319th. Then I'll proceed to October 1944 and so on. However, I do peridically receive Records Requests, in which I'll research the particular veteran and when found, I'll digitize that entire microfiche. So, while there is a plan to proceed, there will be periodic months that appear to be randomly digitized.
How do I start looking for information about a specific veteran of the 80th Division?
The Morning Reports are organized first by Company, then by Month. You need to know what company the veteran was assigned. Then simply click on the PDF icon (the number next to the icon indicates the number of pages) to download the entire month of digitized Morning Reports.
My dad was killed in action (KIA) and I've found information about him from the American Battle Monuments Commision web site, indicating the Infantry Regiment and the date he was KIA. How can I found out what company he was in?
Send me an email (adkins@80thdivision.com) with all the information you have on your dad. I can then search through the microfiche records and try to locate his name on the Morning Report. I search through all Morning Reports from the KIA date for all companies in that regiment. Usually there will be two Morning Reports -- the first reports the veteran MIA (missing in action); the second, usually a few days to a few weeks later, reports the veteran KIA. When I find these reports, I digitize the entire microfiche at one time and if you'd like, I'll send you the Morning Reports of interest. Keep in mind that the Morning Reports also provide a "Record of Events" of that day, so I usually also digitize the date the veteran was KIA, so you have an idea of what the company was doing that particular day.
Are there any other sources of information about the 80th Division?
There are several books available, each with a different aspect. These include the regimental histories (317th, 318th, and 319th), the 80th Division Operational History and Stories of the Men of the 80th Division from Bob Murrell, 80th Division Veteran's Association Secretary. Pike Military Research had produced several reports involving the 80th Division activities which include many historial accounts, after action reports, and interviews of battlefield commanders right after the battle. Major Dean J. Dominique wrote a historical account of the 317th Infantry Regiment for his master's thesis, which is available online. Also, the book I published from my dad's diary, You Can't Get Much Closer Than This: Combat with Company H, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division. For a more complete listing visit the 80th Publications link on the 80th Division web site.
How do I interpret Morning Reports?
Morning Reports were created each morning for every company in the infantry. These reports include information on individuals who are not "Present and Accounted for." Among the reasons for being listed on a morning report are:
- Promotion or demotion
- Being killed, wounded, or missing in action
- Being assigned to a unit or leaving a unit
- Going to a hospital for treatment, or to another activity for training
Every day of World War II, whether in training or during the most explosive warfare, a 3 1/4" by 7" Morning Report was issued from each company to higher headquarters. They are still preserved at the National Archives in College Park, MD.
Morning Reports (click here for an example) list the unit location, killed-and-wounded in action, sometimes brief wound descriptions, evacuations to hospitals as a result of combat or weather-related causes; the captured, as well as missing in action, plus new assignees (known as replacements, or after January 1945, reinforcements); promotions and transfers to and from other units with their rank and other information. All this plus the soldier’s Army Serial Number and MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) were packed into the report.
Morning Reports were written with certain abbreviations. For a list of commonly used abbreviations, click here.
