Fort Riley museums and the 1st Division celebrated the 75th anniversary of the victory of Europe during World War II, or VE Day on Friday.
Fort Riley Museums Dr. Robert Smith showed KMAN some of the museums artifacts that involved the 1st Division during the war. Over 43,000 soldiers served in the Big Red One during WWII, with over 4,000 of those who were killed. Of those who served in the division, there were 17 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, 161 Distinguished Service Crosses, and over 21,000 Purple Hearts.
The 1st Division commander at the time was Major General Terry Allen and was involved with the division in Africa and Sicily. The museum has some of Allen’s military belongings such as his helmet, pistol holster, belt, and dog tag.
One of their artifacts that dates to the end of the war is a jail cell door from the Nuremberg Trials. The cell housed one of the major Nazi war criminals who were being tried for their part in the war. The trial was held from October 1945 through 1946.
Smith says they do not know who was on the other side of the door, but the door is one of two from the trial in the US. The door was donated by the US Army, who received it from the German government after tearing down the justice center that housed the trials. The other door is located at Cantigny 1st Division Museum in Illinois.
One of the aspects of the door is the small locked opening. Guards would take turns watching the prisoners 24/7 to make sure they did not commit suicide.
Smith says the door is a fitting tribute to the end of the war in that the war criminals were held accountable for their actions. He adds that Fort Riley’s very own Jim Sharp was a sergeant of the guard during the trials.
While Fort Riley did not house the Big Red One during the war, it did serve as a major training post. Over 125,000 soldiers were trained from 1941-45. Soldiers were sent to both the European and Pacific theaters since the fort served as a training and cavalry post.
Smith says those soldiers who had experience with horses were sent to China, India, and Burma to work with the Merrill’s Marauders . The fort was also functioning as a prisoner of war camp for German soldiers. POWs were sent to local farms to work and were even paid for their time.
Along with training and holding prisoners, the fort also served as a large air corp training center at Marshall Field.
