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76th Armored Medical Battalion

6th Armored Division

World War II

Dedicated to the memory of Tech Sergeant John Green Sims III

John Sims was a farm boy from Wartrace, Tennessee. He was a bright and enthusiastic student who went on to graduate from MTSU where he was voted class president. John taught school until he was drafted into the Army one week before Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to the 6th Armored Division when it was formed at Fort Knox, Kentucky in February of 1942. The division traveled to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas for Basic Training. Sims was promoted to Sergeant in the 76th Armored Medical Battalion. The division was then sent to Louisiana for maneuvers in August 1942. In October 1942 the 6th Armored went to the Mohave Desert in California for desert training. After desert training the division went to Camp Cooke, California in March 1943. John Sims met Mary Allen in Los Angeles and introduced his friend and fellow sergeant Harry Kinard, to Mary's friend Julia Summer. Both couples married after the war. In February of 1944 the 6th Armored sailed to England in preparation for their assault into France.

July 1944 saw the division land on Utah Beach and enter combat in Normandy. Their first destination was Brest and then on to eastern France passing below Paris. The 6th Armored suffered their worst fighting of the war in the Battle of the Bulge. After that victory the division entered Germany and ultimately pulled occupation duty after the German surrender. Tech Sergeant Sims was awarded 5 battle stars ***** the Bronze Star Medal and a Certificate of Merit, hand signed by the division commander, General Robert Grow. The awards were for “Exceptional skill, efficiency, and outstanding devotion to duty in his treatment and evacuation of the wounded”. The 76th Armored Medical Battalion returned to Newport News, Virginia on the S.S. Coaldale Victory in September of 1945. Sims processed out of the Army at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He served with the 6th Armored Division from the time it was formed until it disbanded after the war. He returned to MTSU to complete his masters degree on the

GI Bill and resumed teaching

school. John Sims was active

in the 6th Armored reunions

from 1948 for the rest of his life.

Photo Gallery of the Super Sixth

Company A 76th Medical Battalion, left side of group photo.

Second row, 5th soldier from left is Clarence Kelly.

Company A 76th Medical Battalion, right side of group photo.

11 May, 1943.

Photo courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Company C 76th Medical Battalion, left side of group photo.

Camp Cooke, California 1943.

Second row, second soldier from right, Wallace C. Smith.

Company C 76th Medical Battalion, right side of group photo.

First row, third soldier from the right Harry Kinard.

Photo courtesy of Julia Kinard.

Headquarters Company 76th Medical, somewhere in France.

L to R: Matt J. Modrcin from Kansas, Frank Moncavage from Pensylvania (drove the gasoline truck),

Charles O’Conner from New York, Joe Caso from New Jersey.

Photo courtesy of Clarence Kelly.

76th Medical Photo Collage

Tent city February 1942

The 6th Armored Division formed here before moving to Camp Chaffe, Arkansas.

Photo courtesy of

A Pictoral History of the Super 6th 1945

Lomas, Sims & Gant

outside their tent

Fort Knox, TN

Feb. 1942

Clarence Kelly

After basic training at Camp Chaffee, the 6th went on Louisiana maneuvers for 5 months in September 1942

Photo credit

A Pictoral History of the Super 6th 1945

Sgt John Sims

Louisiana

Sims & Bullock in the California desert 1942

The 6th arrived in the Mojave desert Oct 1942

Photo credit

A Pictoral History of the Super 6th 1945

Chung Yee of Oakland, CA

Laundry day

Lorient, France

Kitchen truck turned over in route to Nancy, France September 24, 1944

Zieman and Fanning

Al Roberti in his mechanics coveralls

Soldiers in background are playing horseshoes

Red Cross canteen truck, Metz 1944

Captain Peter Volpe was seriously wounded when this jeep, driven by Clarence Kelly, drove over a land mine.

Luxembourg 1945

Photo courtesy of Clrence Kelly

Camp Chaffee…….

Arkansas

Welcome to Camp Chaffee celebration March 1942

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Super Sixth Barracks

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Entertainment in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Louisiana …….

Maneuvers

Poker Game

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Latrine digging detail

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

76th Medical half track

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Super Sixth General Lee Tanks

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Mojave Desert…….

Maneuvers

Lister bag

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Thanksgiving dinner 1942

Photo Courtesy of

Clarence Kelly

Christmas 1942

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Christmas day sand storm

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Camp Cooke…….

California

Parade grounds

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Blimp patrolling the California coast for

Japanese submarines

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

Relaxation at the Day Room

Photo Courtesy of Clarence Kelly

The Super Sixth left Camp Cooke and traveled by train to Camp Shanks, New York in February 1944 for departure to Scotland then Cotswald, England. From there the 6th crossed the channel to France and landed at Utah Beach

July 20, 1944 then went into Normandy.

France…….