These photos were provided by Mike Walker, whose father served with 85th Custer Division in a Heavy Weapons Platoon of Company K, 338th Regiment.  1st Sgt. Cecil C. Walker was with the division from the initial training at Camp Shelby, MS, until the end of the war.  The Heavy Weapons platoon operated all the heavy guns, mortars, and machine guns issued to an infantry unit.
  The photo above is an officer awarding a medal to Sgt. Walker for saving the lives of some of his buddies.  Their jeep turned over into a canal when a crate of grenades went off.  Walker was thrown out, head first into the ditch bank, but the rest got pinned under the vehicle.  Sgt. Walker saved his buddies from drowning.

Go to Biography of Cecil Walker for more details of his experiences and awards and decorations he earned while serving in the Army for 20 years.  This page will contain photos of him and his company that were taken in Italy.

* This Photo was taken during training at Camp Shelby, MS.  The gun is a 37mm anti-tank gun.	*    More training at Camp Shelby, MS.  The gun is a 37mm anti-tank gun.  The GI on the left is wearing an early jacket and "daisey mae hat".
A bunker somewhere in Italian mountains. Walker's best buddy, last name Stefanski from Omaha, Nebraska.  This is an early model M-2 .50 caliber.	"They had a bunker built on top of a mountain overlooking a pass.  Mortars would light up pass when they heard German trucks."  Italy.
	Standing L-R - Cpl. John Morris (LA);  T/Sgt Cecil C. Walker (FL);  Pvt. Wallace, (Rife, VA).; PFC Raymond Woodard, (GA);  Sitting (L-R)  S/Sgt. John F. Stefanski (NE);  PFC Arther Dewey (MI).

Some typical weapons assigned to the heavy weapons platoon.  In the background are three 57mm anti-tank guns. In the right foreground are several .50 caliber machine guns.  The two weapons to the left appear to be French Petaux 37mm guns originally used on WW1 Renault tanks.   Photo was probably taken during maneuvers in Louisana.

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