Vietnam1965
Active Member
- Sep 26, 2021
- 362
Crated Japanese Type 38 Carbine from the Colonel Walter Buie Collection. The Colonel had a ton of bring backs and his collection was sold by (Centurianauctions)
Colonel Walter Daniel Buie (1900-1986) was born in Nashville, Georgia, and graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point in 1920. He served in various military positions in the United States and abroad for the next 24 years, and in 1941 was assigned as an instructor at Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1942 he was promoted to colonel. He became chief of staff for the 97th Infantry Division at Fort Leavenworth in 1943, and soon after was reassigned as chief of staff to the newly-activated XXIII Corps at Camp Bowie, Texas. On September 5, 1944, Buie was named regiment commanding officer of the 272d Infantry Regiment (“Battle Axe Regiment”) of the 69th Infantry Division. Shortly after, the 272d Infantry was sent overseas, first to England and then to France, Belgium and Germany. In March 1945, the 272d Infantry occupied the front line position of the Siegfried Line, pushing back the German Army, before advancing to the Rhine River. The 272d continued its path across Germany, capturing Fortress Ehrenbreitstein and clearing over 35 towns along the way, including Leipzig. The 272d Infantry eventually made contact with the Russian Army in Berlin in late April, after the Russian Army had already taken the city. The war in Europe ended with V-E Day a few days later. Colonel Buie was immediately transferred to the Pacific Theater, where he served as Chief of Staff for the 25th Infantry Division and was present for V-J Day. After the war ended, Buie stayed in occupied Japan at the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur’s Far Eastern Command. He returned home to the United States and retired from the military in 1954. He held various government positions after retirement, including with the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the Office of Emergency Preparedness. Buie died in 1986.
Colonel Walter D. Buie’s military legacy is not only that he led his “Battle Axe Regiment” (the 272nd Infantry) in combat, helping to secure the Allied victory in Europe, but that he also had the thoughtful foresight to direct his Information and Education Officer, 1st Lt. E. Cline Fletcher, to assemble the material and publish “The History Of The 272 Infantry,” a hardback 176-page book outlining a timeline history of the “Battle Axe Regiment” in WWII.
After V-E Day, being in Leipzig with his Regiment, Buie had the book printed and distributed to all of his soldiers. This publication lives on today as an amazing historical reference of the 272nd Infantry and their accomplishments.
Colonel Walter Daniel Buie (1900-1986) was born in Nashville, Georgia, and graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point in 1920. He served in various military positions in the United States and abroad for the next 24 years, and in 1941 was assigned as an instructor at Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1942 he was promoted to colonel. He became chief of staff for the 97th Infantry Division at Fort Leavenworth in 1943, and soon after was reassigned as chief of staff to the newly-activated XXIII Corps at Camp Bowie, Texas. On September 5, 1944, Buie was named regiment commanding officer of the 272d Infantry Regiment (“Battle Axe Regiment”) of the 69th Infantry Division. Shortly after, the 272d Infantry was sent overseas, first to England and then to France, Belgium and Germany. In March 1945, the 272d Infantry occupied the front line position of the Siegfried Line, pushing back the German Army, before advancing to the Rhine River. The 272d continued its path across Germany, capturing Fortress Ehrenbreitstein and clearing over 35 towns along the way, including Leipzig. The 272d Infantry eventually made contact with the Russian Army in Berlin in late April, after the Russian Army had already taken the city. The war in Europe ended with V-E Day a few days later. Colonel Buie was immediately transferred to the Pacific Theater, where he served as Chief of Staff for the 25th Infantry Division and was present for V-J Day. After the war ended, Buie stayed in occupied Japan at the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur’s Far Eastern Command. He returned home to the United States and retired from the military in 1954. He held various government positions after retirement, including with the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the Office of Emergency Preparedness. Buie died in 1986.
Colonel Walter D. Buie’s military legacy is not only that he led his “Battle Axe Regiment” (the 272nd Infantry) in combat, helping to secure the Allied victory in Europe, but that he also had the thoughtful foresight to direct his Information and Education Officer, 1st Lt. E. Cline Fletcher, to assemble the material and publish “The History Of The 272 Infantry,” a hardback 176-page book outlining a timeline history of the “Battle Axe Regiment” in WWII.
After V-E Day, being in Leipzig with his Regiment, Buie had the book printed and distributed to all of his soldiers. This publication lives on today as an amazing historical reference of the 272nd Infantry and their accomplishments.
