{"id":2302,"date":"2023-03-27T09:20:30","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T13:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/sycamore-stacks\/?p=2302"},"modified":"2024-03-04T22:08:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T03:08:55","slug":"fun-music-gags-when-the-men-of-the-86th-infantry-division-put-on-a-show-at-the-texas-state-college-for-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/sycamore-stacks\/2023\/03\/27\/fun-music-gags-when-the-men-of-the-86th-infantry-division-put-on-a-show-at-the-texas-state-college-for-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun! Music! Gags! When the Men of the 86th Infantry Division Put on a Show at the Texas State College for Women"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\""84th<\/a>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eighty years ago today, on March 27, 1943, the citizens of Denton, Texas were treated to a musical extravaganza performed at the Main Auditorium of what is today known as Texas Woman’s University, but was then called Texas State College for Women. The all-soldier cast was composed of about 75 members of the 84th Infantry Division (nickname “The Railsplitters”), one of several units stationed at Camp Howze<\/a>, an infantry replacement training center located just west of Gainesville.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Camp Howze and the 84th Infantry Division<\/h2>\n

Camp Howze was established by the U.S. War Department on a 59,000-acre tract purchased from local farmers (in some cases an “offer they couldn’t refuse”). The camp served as a training ground for several hundred thousand U.S. soldiers between 1942 and 1946, and toward the end of the\u00a0 war also housed many German POWs. Among the units prepared for action at Camp Howze were the 84th, 86th, and 103d divisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\"US<\/a>\n

US Army 84th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve patch with an axe splitting a rail.<\/a>
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection<\/p>\n

The 84th Division earned its nickname “The Railsplitters” based on the fact that when it was first formed during World War I, it was primarily composed of National Guard (i.e., National Army) units from Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana\u2014states historically associated with President Lincoln. It was then nicknamed the “Lincoln” division and its original insignia was a red axe on a white background within a red circle, with the name “Lincoln” above the axe and the number “84” below it. During World War II the insignia was changed to a white axe splitting a white rail on a red circular background. Both insignias recall the image of President Lincoln splitting logs as a youth. After adding the split rail to the axe, the 84th Division adopted the new nickname of “Railsplitters.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Production of On the Beam<\/em><\/h2>\n

The entire show was under the supervision of 1st Lt. Don McCallister, the Recreation Director\u00a0 for the 84th Division.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pvt. Paul Sutton<\/a> served as the production manager of the show, making use of his extensive experience as a writer and actor in radio and as performer in a number of B-movies\u2014primarily westerns, including six Hopalong Cassidy pictures. In 1931 Sutton had been mustered out of the 251st Coast Artillery, California National Guard, after four years\u2019 service as a staff sergeant.<\/p>\n

Pvt. Manny Groobin, newspaperman and short story writer, Pvt. Michael Molony, who had worked for a Hollywood publicity agency before the war, and Master of Ceremonies Staff Sgt. Warren Doering were producers of the show.<\/p>\n

Like other soldier shows performed during the war, this G.I. issued musical revue served multiple purposes:<\/p>\n