Military Medals
Norman enlisted on March 3, 1941 - months before Pearl Harbor. He became a member of the 41st Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Armored Division.
Military
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On July 15, 1940 the first battalion, 41st infantry was activated as Company A, 41st Infantry (Armored) at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 41st Infantry Regiment constituted the infantry to the newly formed 2nd Armored Division. The association between the 41st Infantry and the 2nd Armored Division lasted throughout WWII and continued through Desert Storm. Throughout WWII the Regiment was, in essence, a mechanized infantry regiment. The main and most important combat vehicle was the half-track mounting .30 and .50 caliber machine guns. The most central maneuver to all operations was combined arms. The battalion usually almost always worked closely to tanks. It's companies and battalions were habitually cross-attached to the Division to form regimental-sized combined task forces that were organized into brigade-size units called Combined Commands, for specific missions. All of this would characterize Alvin's experience within his unit, from the time of basic training to the fateful day in which he perished.
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