The 34th Infantry Division Band is an Army National Guard band stationed in Rosemount, Minnesota. The unit is currently assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard. The mission of the 34th Infantry Division Band is to provide music throughout the spectrum of military operations to instill in soldiers the will to fight and win, foster the support of citizens and promote the national interests of the United States at home and abroad.
History
Early years (Mexican Expedition and World War I)
The 34th Infantry Division Band traces its lineage to the 1st Infantry Band (Minnesota National Guard), organized on 30 April 1900 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.34th Infantry Division Band Lineage During the early 1900s the Minnesota National Guard fielded 4 bands in addition to the 1st Infantry Band to include: the First Field Artillery Band (St. Paul, Minnesota), the Second Infantry Band (New Ulm, Minnesota) and the Third Infantry Band (Duluth, Minnesota).U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1914 http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/U.S._Army_Order_of_Battle
With the approval of the National Defense Act the 1st Minnesota Infantry Band was mustered into federal service on 30 June 1916 for service in the Mexican Expedition. The unit was stationed at Camp Llano Grande, Texas where National Guard units were utilized to conduct border patrols and discourage raids as part of a "show of force" gesture.Harris, Charles (2015) "The Great Call-Up: The Guard, the Border, and the Mexican Revolution" The 1st Minnesota Infantry Band returned home and was discharged from federal service on 14 March 1917 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
The 1st Infantry Band was later mobilized as part of the Minnesota National Guard in support of World War I as a part of the newly formed 34th Infantry Division in 1917. Shortly after the unit was redesignated the 135th Infantry Regiment (United States) Band and sent to Camp Cody, New Mexico for training. Although the 34th Infantry Division arrived in France in October 1918, with the signature of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 the division was of limited use.US Army Center for Military History The 135th Infantry Regiment Band was demobilized 18 February 1919 at Camp Grant, Illinois and returned to Minnesota.
The interwar years saw several administrative reorganizations of the 135th Infantry Regiment Band; however the unit remained an organic part of the 135th Infantry Regiment.
World War II
1941
The 135th Infantry Regiment Band was again mobilized on 10 February in anticipation of the United States' entry into World War II. As part of the 34th Infantry Division, the band received several months of training at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana before participating in the Louisiana Maneuvers from August to September 1941. Shortly after the 07 December attacks on Pearl Harbor and subsequent declaration of war, the 135th Infantry Regiment and Band were assigned a coastal defense mission in New Orleans, Louisiana as the United States prepared for the coming conflict.WOJG David Hamm "WWII History of the 34th Infantry Division Band"135th Infantry Regiment History Part I http://www.34infdiv.org/history/135inf/135inf_rr4102.txt
1942 On 1 January the 135th Infantry Regiment Band was relieved of its coastal defense mission and transported to Fort Dix, New Jersey to await deployment. The 135th Infantry Regiment Band departed New York Harbor 30 April on the RMS Aquitania arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 11 May under cover of night and finally disembarking in Londonderry on 13 May.United States Army Forces in Northern Ireland The unit was stationed in at Camp Cromore, Portstewart, Northern Ireland where further training was conducted. Despite rigorous training the 135th Infantry Regiment Band found time to perform for US personnel and in doing so earned the distinction of being the first American military band to perform on European soil during World War II. The 135th Regimental History goes on to record:
The unit left their station in Northern Ireland on 11 December. After a short stay in Liverpool, England the 135th Infantry Regiment Band boarded HMS Orontes with other Division troops on 23 December 1942, en route to join the 34th Division in Algeria to participate in the North African Campaign.
1943
The 135th Infantry Regiment Band arrived in Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria on 3 January and was quickly transported to a camp in the vicinity of Negrier for additional training through the end of the month. On 2 February the unit moved East as part of the 135th Infantry Regiment, eventually occupying the Pichon area of Tunisia between 10 and 14 February.
The band experienced its first combat while participating in engagements at Sbiba Valley, El Ala, Fondouk el Okbi and the Battle of Hill 609 during the Tunisia Campaign from February through May as the regiment conducted operations against Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and his German and Italian forces. Although a musical unit, it was common for organizational bands like the 135th Infantry Regiment Band to take on many non-musical tasks as described in A History of US Army Bands:
The 135th Infantry Regiment Band sustained several casualties during the Tunisia Campaign, including one soldier killed during an aerial attack and one killed while participating in operations as a member of the "Ward Force".135th Infantry Regiment History, Iowa Gold Star Museum http://www.34infdiv.org/history/135inf/135inf_gs4102.pdf The unit also lost their musical instruments and sheet music to a bomb blast early in the campaign.135th Infantry Regiment Band, Stars and Stripes Article https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:135th_Infantry_Regiment_Band_Stars_and_Stripes_Article.jpg
With the unconditional surrender of all Axis troops in the area of operations on 9 May the Tunisia Campaign came to an end and the 135th Infantry Regiment Band was moved to a division bivouac area near Chouigui.135th Infantry Regiment History Part II http://www.34infdiv.org/history/135inf/135inf_rr4304.txt
On 15 September the 135th Regiment Band was transported across the Mediterranean Sea to participate in the Allied Invasion of Italy. After passing the coast of Sicily the sea convoy dropped anchor in the Gulf of Salerno and the unit was moved by landing craft to a beach near Paestum and the Sele river.135th Infantry Regiment History May–October 1943, Iowa Gold Star Museum http://www.34infdiv.org/history/135inf/135inf_gs4309.pdf The Band accompanied the 135th Infantry Regiment as they participated in a series of engagements throughout Southern Italy, providing security for the regimental headquarters and assisting the medical detachment as litter bearers. Eventually the unit arrived in Sant'Angelo d'Alife in December where they remained through the end of the year.
1944 At the onset of World War II the 34th Infantry Division fielded the 133rd and 168th regimental bands in addition to the 135th. While all 34th Infantry Division bands had experienced combat during the African Campaigns, the soldiers of 168th Infantry Regiment Band had sustained catastrophic losses during the battle of Faid Pass in February 1943 in which all but 3 of their assigned personnel were killed in action or captured by Axis powers.COL Drake Memorandum, 02 April, 1945 http://www.34infdiv.org/history/168inf/4212-4303DrakeRpt.pdf The remnants of the 168th Infantry Regiment Band were reassigned to the 133rd Infantry leaving only the 133rd and 135th Infantry Regiment bands remaining by 1944.1SG John Jackson http://www.34ida.org/images/34ida_newsletter_2014_fall.pdf
As part of an Army wide reorganization directing the consolidation of regimental bands into a single division band, 133rd and 135 Infantry Regiment bands were combined into the 34th Infantry Division Band on 1 January (the first known appearance of the name "34th Infantry Division Band"). While in Piedemount D’Alife the newly formed 34th Infantry Division Band quickly reorganized unit personnel and repaired equipment while performing concerts for division troops for the first time in nearly 9 months. 34th Infantry Division Band leadership divided personnel between the "Ambassadors of Swing" and "Rhythm Majors" dance orchestras and several smaller "jam" groups.
During January, the 34th Infantry Division Band continued to move with the division before being assigned guard duty for the division stockade in Campangnola. While there the Band found time to perform for the 38th Evacuation Hospital, 36th General Hospital and units of the 34th Infantry Division when not performing guard duties.
While the 34th Infantry Division was engaged at the Battle of Monte Cassino in February, the band was called into action and attached to the 1090th Medical Battalion to serve as litter bearers. Warrant Officer David Hamm recounts:
The 34th Infantry Division was relieved mid-February and reassigned near St. Angelo and Benevento for rest and reorganization. Without delay, the band began performing concerts for the battle weary soldiers of the 34th Infantry Division and providing musical support for battalion and regimental parades.
On 5 April the 34th Infantry Division Band was moved by LST to a desolate beachhead for participation in the Battle of Anzio. With the battle in full swing, the unit acted quickly to dig fortified positions and secure unit equipment.
The 34th Infantry Division Band continued to move with the division throughout the Italian Campaign both performing concerts and assuming their combat duties when required. Notable events during this time include performing for a massive review of British and US 5th Army forces by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a concert featuring NBC Orchestra conductor Andre Kostelanetz and renowned singer Lily Pons for audience of over 8,000. Although during this time the 34th Infantry Division Band was utilized primarily in a musical capacity, the unit was attached to the 109th Engineering Battalion from September to October to assist in road maintenance within the division sector.
1944 ended with the "Ambassadors of Swing" assigned to a rest center at Cavallina and the "Rhythm Majors" performing for dances in Montocatini.
1945
The 34th Infantry Division Band continued to perform numerous concerts and dances throughout Italy until war in the European Theater of Operations came to an end on 3 May. Both the 34th Infantry Division and the 34th Infantry Division Band were rotated to the United States and officially inactivated on 3 November at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. After 4 years and nearly 9 months of federal wartime service, the soldiers of the 34th Infantry Division Band returned to the US.
As the 34th Infantry Division Band was created in 1944 with the consolidation of the 133rd Infantry Regiment Band (Iowa National Guard) and the 135th Infantry Regiment Band (Minnesota National Guard), the unit was divided back into its pre-war Iowa and Minnesota components.
Shortly after World War II, the 135th Infantry Regiment Band was reorganized in Minneapolis, Minnesota as part of the Minnesota National Guard and the 34th Infantry Division Band was reorganized as an element of the 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard until the deactivation of the division in 1963.
Cold War
In accordance with post World War II national defense planning, the 47th Infantry "Viking" Division was created with units from the Minnesota and North Dakota National Guard on 10 June 1946 to support calls for a larger Guard force.The 47th "Viking" Infantry division http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/history/assets/47ID.doc As a result, the 135th Infantry Regiment Band was reconstituted in August 1945 and redesignated the 47th Infantry Division Band on 15 September 1946.