This Memorial Day, pay your respects to a group of World War I heroes at Red Arrow Park. The 32nd Infantry Division of the Army National Guard – made up of over 20,000 men from Wisconsin and Michigan – defeated 23 German divisions. French troops were so impressed, they gave the group of soldiers a fearsome nickname – Les Terribles.
ENTER OUR HOME & DESIGN AWARDS
We want to see your best work. Architects, interior designers, renovation experts and landscapers: Enter your residential projects in Milwaukee Magazine’s new design competition.
The 32nd pierced the German’s previously unbreachable Hindenburg line, as well as every other German line of defense it encountered. This led to the adoption of the unit’s insignia and new name – the Red Arrow. But the victories came at a heavy cost – over 2,000 Red Arrow Division men were killed in action, and more than 11,000 were wounded.
When the war ended, the men of the 32nd formed the 32nd Red Arrow Veteran Association. “The purpose is to continue the camaraderie,” says David Sands, the organization’s president.
The 32nd remains an active brigade in the National Guard. Its heroism during WWI has been lauded across Wisconsin, including at Red Arrow Park. In 1984, the red granite arrow that stands there today was dedicated to the heroic division that gave the park its name.
