This simple grey marble monument with a plaque honoring the WWII service of the men of Company M, 142nd Regiment of the 36th Infantry Division stands proudly on the south grounds of the Wichita County Courthouse in downtown Wichita Falls TX.
The plaque reads as follows:
"To the men of Company M, 142nd Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, Texas National Guard,who entered Federal service from Wichita Falls on November 25, 1940, and who served their country valiantly from 1940 through 1945 in World war II in North Africa, Italy, France, Germany, and Austria
[List of names]
Dedicated November 11, 1990"
From the Texas Military Forces Museum, some more detailed history of this unit: (
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"WORLD WAR II: The unit was mobilized at Fort Worth, Texas, on November 25, 1940. After federalization, the regiment trained at Camp Bowie, Brownwood, Texas. Training continued in Florida and North Carolina in 1942 and the regiment moved to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts, in August, 1942. The 142nd then staged through the A. P. Hill Military reservation in March, 1943, arriving at Fort Dix, New Jersey on March 17, 1943. The regiment sailed from New York on April 1, 1943, arriving in North Africa on 13 April.
FIGHTING IN ITALY: With the 141st in line, the regiment made an amphibious assault at Paestum near Salerno, Italy on 9 Sep 1943, the first landing by U. S. forces in Europe. led to fighting in the Naples-Foggia campaign, marked by an assault on Mount Sammurco on December 26, 1943. Merry Christmas, 142d. While attached to the 34th Inf Division, the 142 captured Manna Far, 31 Jan 44, and suffered heavy loses in close combat trying to storm Albaneta Farm, 11 Feb 1944.
With the 141 and 143, the 142 made a second amphibious landing at Anzio, reinforcing the Fifth Army on 22 May 1944. Participating in the breakout from Anzio and the capture of Rome, the unit was moved back to Paestum for retraining in July, 1944.
SOUTHERN FRANCE: The 142d Regiment made a third amphibious assault, Southern France, August 15, 1944, and on the 28th surrounded Livron and blocked Highway 7, closing the Montelimar trap. Driving towards Lyon, the regiment and the division stood aside to allow the French II Corps liberate the city on 2 Sep 44. Later in that month, the 142 captured Remiremont on the Moselle on the 23d.
THE VOSGES AND THE DOOR TO GERMANY: The regiment battled through the foothills of the Vosges Mountains includng the Battle for Bruyeres in October, the Foret Domaniale de Champ in November and entered the Alsatian Plains by forcing Ste Marie Pass on 25 Nov 44. The 142d Infantry fought the battle of Oberhoffen 1-12 February 1945, and later crossing the Zintzel River at Mertzewiller against determined German resistance. Mopping up pillboxes and strongholds west of the Rhine in March, the Regiment reached the Rhine itself on 24 Mar 45.
THE END OF THE WAR: With the 141st, the 142d led the division's attack across the Lecht River in the Danube plain in April 1945 and then followed in the wake of the 10th Armored Division from Landsberg to take Bad Toelz on 1 May with the 141st in the lead. It ended the war in the Kufstein area of Austria when hostilities were declared ended on 7 May 1945. The unit was returned to the United States through Hampton Roads, Virginia, on December 15, 1945 and was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, on that date.
WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGNS: Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe."