Nate Massion
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Nate Massion served in World War II in the European Theater in the U.S. Army.
He went to boot camp at Camp Roberts, California, and trained at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, at Army Administration School. He was assigned to the 125th Field Artillery, 34th (“Red Bull”) Infantry Division, one of few Californians to be assigned to this Minnesota unit.
His unit was sent to Northern Ireland to train with the 1st Armored Division, where he received British commando training. They trained in preparation for service in North Africa and subsequently in Italy. His rank was Artillery Sergeant.
Mr. Massion was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He died in 2001.
Source: Veteran’s account (see below) provided by family
“Mr. Massion, born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was a member of the Red Bull 34th Infantry Division, 125th Field Artillery Battalion, of the U.S. Army during WW II. One of few Californians assigned to the National Guard unit from Duluth, Minnesota, Nate served with his artillery battalion for fire control as an Artillery Sergeant in the 5th Army under command of General Mark C. Clark.
“From Camp Roberts, California, Nate went to Army Administration School, trained on WWI vintage French 75mm canons, and at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, he was promoted to sergeant and shipped overseas to North Ireland (Ulster County) to prepare with the 1st Armored Division where he received British commando training. Nate was assigned to the 125th's anti-tank platoon with a command of a section (fifteen soldiers) and two 37mm anti-tank guns. They shipped to North Africa to participate in the Invasion landing in Oran, Algeria, under British General Montgomery.
“After landing at Salerno and Anzio at the American invasion of Italy, Nate’s battalion fought at Monte Cassino. He received the Bronze Star and other miscellaneous honors and flew home as a VIP via Naples, Italy, Casablanca, Dakar (Africa), British Guiana, and Brazil. In Miami, Florida, he was put on a Civil War troop train arriving at Fort MacArthur, California. Discharged in June 1945 as a technical sergeant. His father Himon met Nate at the Fort Gates after four years of separation and drove him home.”
As a senior citizen, Nate talked of his years in the Army during World War II with great pride. He was married to Rivi Ourin Massion for fifty-four years. They had three children. The above was directly from Nate prior to his death in 2001.
