45th Calvary Recon Troop - Oklahoma City, OK - World War II Memorials / Monuments on Waymarking.com

This gray grante monument sits in a grassy area to the east of the 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City, OK

The monument shows a large replica of the 45th's Thunderbird insignia. Beneath that are crossed swords.

The inscription reads:
"45th
Calvalry Reconnaissance
Troop
World War II
In honor of those who served"

A website lists the contact person for this unit as:
45th Cavalry Recon Troop (WWII)
Mr. Edmund Grzywna
53 Boll Street
Buffalo, NY 14212-2210
(716) 895-9656

On a website of the First Allied Airborne Association is this poignant letter from a solider to his parents back home:

"Dear Ma and Pa

It’s been many weeks since last I wrote, I don’t know where the time has gone, we seem to be forever on the line. The month spent resting off the line in France seems so long ago and I wish I were back there now. Since then we have lost so many more good men.

The war in finally coming to an end here in Europe and I hope that it will not be long until I am home and working on the farm again.

I have often wondered why we were in this war, but a few days ago we liberated an extermination camp, I cannot begin to tell you what we saw it was hell on earth Pa! I now know why I have fought from Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Southern France and now into Germany.

I am looking forward to returning home, I am tired of this war, I have seen so much. My old Cavalry Unit it seems are always up ahead of the Division and we don’t see anyone but people from our own troop and of course Jerry! It seems sometimes we are on our own, and only hope our Mortars and Artillery are there to support us if we get into trouble and have to hightail it out, we hear them but never see them!

I have enclosed some pictures of the guys in the Troop; I cut them out from the Stars and Stripes magazine a few days ago. We had this reporter guy with us, a civilian in Uniform, boy was he crazy, he didn’t have to be there but he was right up there with us on this dismounted mission, with no gun just a camera and some film. I tell you these guys are brave SOB’s Pa.

Well I better close now I got the Lieutenants jeep to get ready, were back up on the line tomorrow.

Your loving son,

Jon Mawer
PFC
45th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop
45th Infantry Division"
(Source: (visit link)

Property Permission: Public Access instructions: On the grounds of the 45th Infantry Div. Museum, 2145 N.E. 36th Street, Oklahoma City, OK. Hours: T - F 8-4:15, Sat 10-4:15, Sun 1-4:15 Location of waymark: 2145 N.E. 36th Street Oklahoma City, OK USA 73111 Commemoration: Those who served in the 45th Calvary Reconnaissance Troop Date of Dedication: Not listed Access times: Not listed Website for Waymark: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Include a photo containing, at minimum, the monument and your GPSr. We'd prefer a photo containing YOU at the monument, but we understand that some people are camera-shy.
Also include a bit about your visit here.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   06/21/2016 The Snowdog visited it 09/28/2014 KidWrangler visited it 11/27/2010 Max and 99 visited it 08/03/2010 G.I.Jared visited it

View all visits/logs