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Article Title: the Butler B Miltonberger Collection Nebraska History posts materials online for your personal use. Please remember that the contents of Nebraska History are copyrighted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (except for materials credited to other institutions). The NSHS retains its copyrights even to materials it posts on the web. For permission to re-use materials or for photo ordering information, please see: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine/permission.htm Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of Nebraska History and four issues of Nebraska History News annually. For membership information, see: http://nebraskahistory.org/admin/members/index.htm Article Title: The Butler B Miltonberger Collection Full Citation: Douglas R Hartman and Andrea I Paul, “The Butler B Miltonberger Collection,” Nebraska History 69 (1988): 199-203 URL of article: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1988Miltonberger.pdf Date: 10/03/2013 Article Summary: Miltonberger’s military career lasted more than thirty years. In World War II he commanded the 134th Infantry Regiment. His collection includes detailed and personal records of that regiment, initially comprised primarily of Nebraskans. Cataloging Information: Names: Butler B Miltonberger, Willard Brucks, Dwight D Eisenhower, Paul Baade Place Names: North Platte, Nebraska; Omaha Beach, St Lo and Nancy, France; Bastogne, Belgium Keywords: 134th Infantry Regiment, National Guard, Omaha streetcar riot, Republican River flood, Battle of Mortain, Battle of the Bulge Photographs / Images: Gen Dwight Eisenhower inspecting the 134th Regiment near Cornwall, England, in 1944 while Miltonberger, Gen Paul Baade, and Gen George Patton stand at attention; map of the path of the 134th Regiment across Europe, 1944-1945; running account of regimental activities on October 10, 1944, near Manhoue, France, in a journal maintained by the Regimental Operations Officer; inset example of German propaganda addressed to soldiers of the 35th Division; Miltonberger visiting an unidentified French town after liberation in his jeep, “Cornhusker”; Miltonberger being welcomed home to Nebraska on June 26, 1945 In May 1944 Gen.Dwight Eisenhower (left) inspected the 134thRegiment near Cornwall, England. Miltonberger(third from left) main­ tained friendships with Eisenhower, as well as with Gen. Paul Baade (second from left) and Gen. GeorgePatton (right). (NSHS-M662­ 144) U LER B. MILTO RGER L C 10 By Douglas R. Hartman and Andrea 1. Paul The Archives of the Nebraska State Platte, was born on August 31, 1897. He called into active duty during both the Historical Society holds one of the began his military career as a private in Omaha streetcar riot and the most complete research collections June 1916 when the National Guard Republican River flood. On January 9, available relating to the activities of a was mobilized during the Mexican bor­ 1938, Major· Miltonberger single­ military unit during World War II. The der dispute. During World War I, handedly captured Willard Brucks, an unit, the 134th Infantry Regiment, was Miltonberger fought with the Fourth escaped killer who had broken into the composed primarily of Nebraska Division in the Argonne, returning to Omaha armory to seize weapons. He National Guardsmen and was com­ North Platte as a first sergeant. As a was promoted to lieutenant colonel on manded by Lt. Col. Butler Buchanan civilian, he worked in North Platte as a October 7, 1940. Miltonberger. postman while also engaged in bridge America's reaction to the outbreak of Miltonberger, a native of North building, surveying, and road con­ war in Europe on September 1, 1939, struction. was to begin mobilization of National On May 12, 1923, he was com­ Guard units and intensify their train­ missioned a first lieutenant in the Ne­ ing. The 134th Regiment, "Nebraska's Douglas R. Hartman, a graduate of Ne­ braska National Guard and a year later Own," was mobilized as part of the braska Wesleyan University, served an internship in the State Archives at the Ne­ was promoted to captain. He com­ Thirty-fifth Division in December 1940 braska State Historical Society. Andrea 1. manded Company D, 134th Infantry, and assembled at Camp Joseph T. Paul is assistant state archivist at the for ten years and was promoted to Robinson, Arkansas. Nicknamed the Society. major in 1933. In 1935 his unit was Santa Fe Division, the Thirty-fifth 199 Nebraska History - Winter 1988 GERMANY BERLIN. HOLLAND PATH OF 134th REGIMENT ACROSS EUROPE 01 ® 0 0 ST LO ® ® CD ® OMAHA BEACH MORTAIN MONTARGIS­ NANCY ATTACK AGAINST BATTLE OF ROER RIVER 5-6 July'44 13-27 JUly ',,4 7-13 Aug'44 JOIGNAY 15Sept '44 SAAR ARDENNES 24 Feb- I Mar '45 22-25 Aug'44 8 Nav-16 Dec.'44 28 Dec'44­ 16 Jan'45 ® @ ® @) @ ® ® RUHR POCKET ADVANCE TO OCCUPATION OCCUF~TION REDEPLOYMENT TIDWORTH ENROUTE 26 Mar-13Apr'45 ELBE RIVER HANNOVER AREA KOBl.EN"~ AREA CAMP NORFOLK. BARRACKS TO U.S. ABOARD 13-15 Apr'45 27 Apr-17 May'45 I JUIll-;OJuly '45 12 July-15Aug'45 19Aug'45-4 5ept'45 QUEEN MARY --- 5 Sep-IOSep'45 From 134th Infantry Regiment, Combat History of World War II by Butler B. Miltonberger and James A. Huston. Gen. Butler B. Miltonberger Papers, MS 3558, State Archives, Nebraska State Historical Society (hereafter Miltonberger Papers). Infantry was comprised of men from ciplined soldier and popular leader led background in giving the men a pep Kansas, Missouri, and \ Nebraska to his rise through the ranks. talk. As Miltonberger recalled, National Guard units. For the next three years, Milton­ Eisenhower "told them that he was a At the time of mobilization, Milton­ berger led the 134th through training at Kansas boy ... and that he was very berger was attending Battalion Com­ Camp Robinson, Arkansas; Fort Ord proud of this Nebraska Regiment and manders Staff School. In February and Camp Luis Obispo, California; he souped the men up no end."! 1941,he assumed command ofthe First Camp Rucker, Alabama; and Camp The 134th was ready to join the fight Battalion and in May took over com­ Butner, North Carolina. The regiment to liberate Europe and nearly a month mand of the entire regiment. Milton­ finally departed from New York on May after D-Day, July 5, the regiment berger's promotion to regimental 12, 1944,and arrived in England fifteen landed on Omaha Beach. The first commander was extraordinary since he days later. The unit continued its train­ combat that Miltonberger's men faced was neither a West Pointer nor a ing in southern England, and during was the battle of St. Lo. On July 15 regular army man. Apparently that time it was inspected by Generals the regiment attacked the primary Miltonberger's own special credentials Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Pat­ objective, Hill 122. After four days of - he had attended four training ton, and Paul Baade. Eisenhower, in continuous fighting in which over 900 schools for officers in the 1920s and particular, was impressed with the casualties were sustained, the 134th 1930s - and his reputation as a dis­ 134th and drew upon his midwestern occupied St. Lo on July 18.In apprecia­ 200 Butler B. Miltenberger tion of the unit's tenacity and valor, the berger was forced to retire due to ill sion of the air training program of the French government awarded it the health, more than 100,000 men had guard and the development of the first croix de guerre. been enlisted or commissioned and national advertising campaign to pro­ The 134th then moved south and were receiving military instruction and mote the guard and explain its impor­ forced the Germans back beyond the training. During his one-and-one-half­ tance to the nation's security. In Vire River on August 5. After only year tenure as National Guard chief, describing his greatest accomplish­ twenty-two days of fighting, the regi­ Miltonberger also oversaw the expan- ment as head of the National Guard menthad broken through the Germans' main defensive line. Journal entries from the afternoon ofOctober 10, 1944, near Manhoue, France. Main­ Miltonberger and the 134th par­ tained by the Regimental Operations Officer (8-3), this record provides a minute-to­ minute account of regimental activities. Miltonberger Papers. ticipated in the Battle of Mortain and liberated the city of Nancy on Sep­ tember 15. The regiment was then thrust into the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne in December to relieve the 13J1S"~ TO.5. Qe?oQT hAC\<. 0;;: \I-J~. TO \>01 tV\' oor TA~6EY':,.COL.'\).~M. lOlst Airborne Division. The 134th CHe-(.K";;, ~\TuA.\\O~ wlTt\ ~0R'f '\SLuE. ib. ~Ef'OR. T held the eastern defensive line for 27 oT\-\€,.:l. ?w~ about ten days "against really tough opposition. The kids did a good job in the cold and snow - we came out with about 15 or 20 men to a company.i'<The 134th Regiment's authorized strength was 3,000 men. As injuries and deaths occurred, replacements came from liN° - '5-;< t·Me:::, f..)o REPORT; 5-3 I:; cHEC/<:.I{0C, "'lITH R&D FOr<? other units. The regiment suffered 10,000 casualties while advancing over VERI FICATfO!J. 1,500 miles in combat during its ten months in Europe. After the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945, Miltonberger was pro­ moted to brigadier general and was assigned assistant division commander ef of the Thirty-fifth Division, serving Irf50- l6I J..AI56t.J PI.AtvE 5f{oT DOkJl0 JUST .t--JOR.T~ of HAt-.). under General Paul Baade. At war's end in the European theater, General !fI~:?' f:1JE'N'-{ COI.UMl-:lfS RePoRteD \\0 HAhACou'R,'. lvtA:'.CA(:;.k?ol.. Eisenhower invited Miltonberger to VIR~c..TS T.O.T. "'I~e 010 KAl.,Ac.ouRT. accompany him back to the United States for a victory tour.
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