Camp Blouse

the 554th Ordinance
Heavy Maintenance Company (tanks)
9th Tank group CDL Project

Activated 1 April, 1943 at Camp Perry, OH. Completed basic
training and then sent to FT. Knox, KY. Unit then assigned to
Camp Bouse, AZ arriving there 9 November, 1943. Maintaining
operation of special tanks named "leaflets" was specific
assignment.

United left Camp Bouse 17 April, 1944 for Ft. Hamilton, NY.
Boarded the troop ship, Queen Elizabeth 21 June, 1944, arriving
at Grennock, Scotland, 28 June and then departed for
Puncheston, Wales.

Boarded an L.S.T. Craft at Swansea, Wales 18 August, 1944 and
crossed the English Channel arriving at Utah Beach,
Normandy, France, quartered in the area briefly and then
sent to Vise, Belgium 13 November, 1944.

Engaged in Battle of the Bulge during Dec. 1944 and Jan. 1945.
Later, unit crossed the Siegfried Line near Aachen, Germany
arriving at Munchen Gladback, crossed the Rhine River and
entered Hamm, Germany 11 April, 1944. Crossed the Elb River 3
May, 1945 and entered Wittenberg, Germany. Unit remained
here Ve Day.

The job desciption of the 554th was to retrieve combat
damaged tanks. The united had three tank retriever vehicles
which were used to transport these tanks to rear areas.
Tanks were repaired, serviced and returned, along with new
tanks to front lines.

In June 1945, the 554th was selected to be sent to the Pacific
Theater, on VI Day, August 1945, uit was enroute to the U.S.

Durin October and November 1945, members were discharged
at various locations in the U.S. Many of the original members were discharged at Ft. McPherson, GA.

Dedicated by the Veterans of the 554th Ordnance Heavy
Maintenance Company and the Lost Dutchman, Billy Holcomb
and John P. Squibob Chapters of the Ancient and Honorable
Order of the Clampus Vitus.

13 February, 1999