of Normandy during June of 1944. Others were sent as infantry
replacements to the Mediterranean Theater, where Americans had
been in combat with the Axis since November of 1942. Many of
them would end up in the 3rd and 45th Divisions in the Anzio
Beachhead.


Following a political rumpus over the disbandenment of Floirda's
124th, it returned to existence through the expedient of
re-designating the 154th Regiment, then in New Guinea with the
31st Division, as the 124th. (It is ironic and fitting that the
154th had been Florida's assigned regiment immediately following
the end of World War I). And some Florida Guardsmen were already
in the 154th and others would find their way there. The
continuity of Florida service in the regiment would survive.


Of the nearly 4,000 Florida Guardsmen mobilized for the war,
approximately 160 are known to have been killed or to have died
during the war. Forty died of non-battle related disease or
accidents or were killed at times, places and with unit
assignments that are not part of the available records. At least
fourteen were killed while serving in the Army Air Corps and one
as a Marine. Nearly half of all fatal casualties among Florida's
Guardsmen occurred during service with a relatively small and
select group of divisions; the 30th, 3rd, 4th, 45th and 31st
Infantry Divisions and the 82nd, 17th, 101st and 11th Airborne
Divisions. Other divisions in which Florida Guardsmen who were
killed in action saw active service included the 1st, 2nd, 8th,
9th, 24th, 34th, 35th, 37th, 40th, 42nd, 63rd, 77th, 78th, 79th,
96th, 94th, 96th Infantry, and the 6th and 10th Armoured
Divisions.


If the divisions and specialist units in which surviving veterans
are known to have served are included, we could add the 7th,
26th, 43rd, 65th, 66th, 83rd, 85th 87th, 98th, 99th Infantry and
10th Mountain and 13th Airborne Divisions, the Rangers, various
intelligence and signal untis and even training detachments in
India, attached to the Chinese Army.


In short, there really wasn't anyplace Florida Guardsmen didn't
serve during the war. Their impact on the Army must have been
vastly greater than mere numbers might suggest. Florida provided
private soldier, NCO and officer leadership cadres to most of the
elite divisions in the Army and good men in many other divisions,
specialty units, and air squadrons worldwide. They made a
difference and established an enviable record, one worthy of
commemoration. This small booklet honoring those who did not
return is but a start in recognizing a long-neglected and
overlooked achievements of those "Florida Boys of 1940" to whom
Florida, and the nation, owe so much.