This color and black & white, silent home movie footage shows life in an Army training camp during (and possibly after) World War II. It appears to show members of the 38th Infantry Division (“Cyclone”) training for combat, most likely at Camp Shelby, Mississippi or Camp Atterbury, Indiana, or possibly both. The Division included National Guard drawn from Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and went on to serve in combat in the Pacific starting in early 1944. In recognition of their contributions in clearing the Philippines, the 38th Infantry Division received the nickname “The Avengers of Bataan”. Post-war, after the Division was re-activated, the 38th Infantry Division force structure was allotted entirely to Indiana, and based at Camp Atterbury, 4 miles west of Edinburgh, Indiana.

Opening: U.S. soldiers walk; sit around, their bags are all ready to go (:06). A huge line of tents. At (:15) is a water bag. Officers look over papers and strategize in one of the oldest ways they can — in a sandbox (:29). Serviceman cleans his mess kit, a fire burns nearby (:47). A soldier digs a ditch, possibly for a latrine (1:04). Men sit by a campfire (1:10). Half dressed soldiers sit around in tent barracks, get their rifles ready (1:27). Formation: soldiers are lined up in groups; Army marching band (1:33). Servicemen march in formation (2:03). Flag at (2:09) appears to say 158, possibly 158th Infantry Regiment. Soldiers lay on the ground with their rifles drawn doing an exercise (2:51). Mortar squad. A group of three soldiers rush and set up equipment to launch mortars at the enemy; they then dismantle it and leave (2:57). Men rush in slow motion to set up equipment to launch ordnance at the enemy (3:28). Soldiers lay on the ground with their rifles drawn doing an exercise at dusk; they crawl along the ground (4:27). Soldiers walk hunched over in a trench, crawling under barbed wire (4:46). Soldiers shake hands and laugh with one another (4:50). Soldiers crawls along the ground and goes into a foxhole in the ground (5:10). Servicemen stand next to one another (5:20). A soldier sits inside a moving train, asleep holding his stuffed teddy bear (5:32). Tracer ammunition lights up the sky at night (5:37). A soldier fires off 50 caliber machine gun rounds from a turret on a truck, as another loads the ammo (6:07). Plane in the sky way on the distance (6:20). Soldiers fire off machine gun rounds; some soldiers then hold up rounds of ammunition (6:28). A soldier puts powder onto another soldier’s bare back (6:45). Athletic competition. Soldiers form a crowd to watch other soldiers run sprints on a track (6:54). A soldier attempts to jump over a pole; running on a track; soldiers play shot put (7:16). Men run a relay race (7:52). Soldiers do a tug of war with a rope (8:04). A soldier smiles at the camera, removes his helmet; an Officer does the same (8:27). Servicemen walk and smile at the camera (8:52). The patch visible at 8:59 is the insignia of the 38th Infantry.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com