37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

🗓 ON THIS DAY//FEBRUARY 9, 1945: Pfc. Joseph Cicchetti of Company A, 148th Infantry and Pfcs. Cleto Rodriguez and John Reese Jr. of Company B, 148th Infantry earn the Medal of Honor for their actions during fighting at the Manila Gas Works and Paco Railroad Station in Manila. Cicchetti and Reese would both receive the medal posthumously.

🎖 HALL OF VALOR//FEBRUARY 5, 1945: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant Robert M. Viale, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 5 February 1945, while serving with Company K, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division, in action at Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Forced by the enemy's detonation of prepared demolitions to shift the course of his advance through the city, he led the 1st platoon toward a small bridge, where heavy fire from three enemy pillboxes halted the unit. With two men he crossed the bridge behind screening gr***de smoke to attack the pillboxes. The first he knocked out himself while covered by his men's protecting fire; the other two were silenced by one of his companions and a bazooka team which he had called up. He suffered a painful wound in the right arm during the action. After his entire platoon had joined him, he pushed ahead through mortar fire and encircling flames. Blocked from the only escape route by an enemy machinegun placed at a street corner, he entered a nearby building with his men to explore possible means of reducing the emplacement. In one room he found civilians huddled together, in another, a small window placed high in the wall and reached by a ladder. Because of the relative positions of the window, ladder, and enemy emplacement, he decided that he, being left-handed, could better hurl a gr***de than one of his men who had made an unsuccessful attempt. Grasping an armed gr***de, he started up the ladder. His wounded right arm weakened, and, as he tried to steady himself, the gr***de fell to the floor. In the five seconds before the gr***de would explode, he dropped down, recovered the gr***de and looked for a place to dispose of it safely. Finding no way to get rid of the gr***de without exposing his own men or the civilians to injury or death, he turned to the wall, held it close to his body and bent over it as it exploded. Second Lieutenant Viale died in a few minutes, but his heroic act saved the lives of others.

🗓 ON THIS DAY: FEBRUARY 4, 1945: Elements of the 148th Infantry liberate American POW's at the Bilibid Prison in Manila.

“I am an American Soldier of the 37th Division, we’ve come to free you.” Was one Soldiers response to a prisoners request for identification.

Read more about the liberation here: “https://www.ong.ohio.gov/oharng/units/148th_inf_regt_1st-bn/history/19450109-hh-liberation-of-billbid-prison.html

The liberation of the Bilibid Prison On Feb. 4, 1945, elements of the 148th Infantry Regiment liberated 800 service members and 450 civilians who had been interned for the past three years by the Japanese military at the Bilibid Prison in Manila, Philippines.

81 years ago, Jan. 9, 1945, the 37th Infantry Division landed at Lingayen Gulf and spearheaded the American drive to Manila.

🗓 ON THIS DAY//JANUARY 9, 1945: The 37th Infantry Division is one of four U.S. Army divisions to land at Luzon’s Lingayen Gulf as part of the Sixth Army’s operations to liberate the Philippines. The Buckeye Division then led the month long drive to the capitol city of Manila where it took part in vicious urban combat to defeat the Japanese forces in the city.

📷 THROUGH THE LENS//JANUARY 9, 1945: Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler, commanding general of the 37th Infantry Division, discussing tactical situation with members of his staff, Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands.

🎄Happy holidays from the Ohio National Guard! 🎄

We wish all our Soldiers, Airmen, civilian employees and families a Merry Christmas.

16th Engineer Brigade | 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade | 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team | 28th Division Sustainment Brigade | 73rd Troop Command | JFHQ Ohio Army National Guard | 121st Air Refueling Wing | 178th Wing | 179th Cyberspace Wing | 180th Fighter Wing

🎖HALL OF VALOR//DECEMBER 18, 1943: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Otis Earl Hawkins, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company E, 145th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division, in action against the enemy at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on 18 December 1943. Sgt. Hawkins courageously carried a serverly wounded comrade on his back for a distance of eighty yards under direct and heavy enemy fire.

Happy anniversary to Company G, 237th Support Battalion! 151 years of distinguished service!

🗓 ON THIS DAY//DECEMBER 10, 1874: Company G, 237th Support Battalion is organized in Findlay, Ohio as the Findlay Guards. The company perpetuates the lineage of Lima, Findlay and Van Wert, Ohio through various consolidations of units over the years and is credited with campaign credit from World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. During World War II, as Company C, 148th Infantry, it earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its achievement during the campaign to liberate Manila in February-March 1945. This 1916 photo shows members of Company A, 2d Infantry Regiment at Camp Willis, Ohio near Upper Arlington, prior to the unit's mobilization to Texas for Mexican Border Service. (Photo courtesy of the Hancock Historical Museum)

Read more about the unit history here:https://www.ong.ohio.gov/oharng/units/237th_spt_bn_co-g/historical-sketch.pdf