My grandfather was a staff sergeant in the 378th Infantry of the 95th Infantry Division ("the Iron Men of Metz"). I am trying to get a better idea of what he would have been doing during his time in the service.
The 378th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted on July 15, 1942 as part of the reactivated 95th Infantry Division. As the 95th was a division of the Organized Reserves, the officers were ready. The only problem was the enlisted men; men from all over the country like your grandfather, whether drafted or voluntarily enlisted, assembled at reception centers and later received their orders to report to Camp Swift, Texas. The division then trained for two years, shipping to England on August 10, 1944, and arriving on the 17th. They then moved over the Normandy beaches on September 19, 1944 and went into reserve; many members of the 95th Infantry Division (including the 378th Infantry Regiment) were "contracted" to drive trucks for the Red Ball Express in an attempt to ease the supply shortage until the port of Antwerp could be opened. The division was relieved from this assignment and went into action gradually from the 18th to the 20th of October 1944. The 378th Infantry Regiment received several awards for their service during WWII, including a Distinguished Unit Citation (2nd Battalion, 378th) for their crossing of the Moselle River on November 12, 1944 and the French Croix de Guerre (again, 2/378) for their attack on and capture of the city of Metz. The 95th Infantry Division (and by extension the 378th Infantry Regiment) is heavily associated with Patton's Third Army and the Battle of Metz. The exploits of the 95th during the Metz battles can be read about here.
The 95th Infantry Division suffered the following casualties during WWII;
| Battle casualties | Deaths among battle casualties | Killed in action | Wounded in action (died of wounds) | Captured (died) | Missing in action (died) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,591 | 1,387 | 1,205 | 4,945 (167) | 380 (6) | 61 (9) |
They participated in the following campaigns;
Northern France
Rhineland
Central Europe
And received the following awards;
| Medal of Honor | Distinguished Service Cross | Distinguished Service Medal | Silver Star Medal | Legion of Merit | Soldier's Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Air Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (S/Sgt. Andrew Miller) | 11 | 1 | 752 | 15 | 19 | 4,281 | 162 |
Depending upon his role, a Staff Sergeant could have many different responsibilities within the infantry regiment. If you know your grandfather's Specification Serial Number and corresponding Military Occupational Specialty, that could narrow it down very significantly. Your grandfather's MOS and SSN, along with very helpful other pieces of information, would be listed on his discharge form, the War Department Adjutant General's Office Form 53-55. The form can be requested from the National Archives and Records Administration. Be aware that a significant portion (80 percent) of military discharge records dating from 1912 to 1960 were destroyed in a massive fire at the National Personnel Records Center so it's possible only a fragmentary record of your grandfather's service can be assembled with what's left.
During WWII, a US infantry regiment. TO&E 7-11 consisted of;
| Unit | Staff Sergeants |
|---|---|
| Headquarters and Headquarters Company, TO&E 7-12 | 5 |
| Service Company, TO&E 7-13 | 6 |
| Infantry Cannon Company, TO&E 7-14 | 3 |
| Infantry Antitank Company, TO&E 7-19 | 11 |
| Three Infantry Battalions (each), TO&E 7-15 | 72 |
| Total Regiment | 241 |
| Attached Medical Detachment, TO&E 7-11 Med. Det. | 3 |
| Aggregate | 244 |
The potential roles of a Staff Sergeant within the units of an infantry regiment could have included the following. Keep in mind that due to casualties, soldiers of a lower rank or a different but similar MOS could have substituted.
| Unit of Regiment | Roles of Staff Sergeant (SSN) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Mess (824), Message Center Chief (674), Supply (821), Transportation (813), Wire Chief (595) |
| Service Company | Mess (824), Supply (821), Supply Assistant (821) |
| Cannon Company | Mess (824), Reconnaissance (744), Supply (821) |
| Antitank Company | Mess (824), Antitank Squad Leader (610), Supply (821) |
I include the infantry battalions separately, as there's a lot of Staff Sergeants here;
| Unit of Battalion | Roles of Staff Sergeant (SSN) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters and Headquarters Company, TO&E 7-16 | Communication Chief (542), Intelligence (631), Mess (824), Operations (814), Radio (740), Antitank Squad Leader (610), Supply (821) |
| Infantry Rifle Company (three per battalion), TO&E 7-17 | Mess (824), Platoon Guide (745), Light Machine Gun Section Leader (604), Light Mortar Section Leader (607), Rifle Squad Leader (745), Supply (821) |
| Infantry Heavy Weapons Company (one per battalion), TO&E 7-18 | Mess (824), Heavy Machine Gun Section Leader (605), Heavy Mortar Section and Heavy Mortar Squad Leaders (1607), Supply (821) |
And the attached Medical Detachment;
| Unit of Battalion | Roles of Staff Sergeant (SSN) |
|---|---|
| Attached Medical Detachment | Medical (673) |
Here are some helpful resources:
Sources:
Procurement and Training of Ground Combat Troops, by Robert R. Palmer, Bell I. Wiley, and William R. Keast (large PDF)
Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths in World War II, Final Report