During World War II, the 351st Infantry Regiment activated for service on July 15, 1942 at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. They trained in Louisiana from June to August of 1943. They were first a part of the 9th Infantry Division and eventually became a part of the 88th Infantry Division with reorganization in 1942. They were sent to assist fighting in North Africa, arriving in French Morocco on December 15, 1943 and moved to Algeria on Dec. 28.
The 88th Division moved to Naples, Italy on Feb. 6, 1944. They fought with the 85th Infantry Division at Monte Cassino and then Minturno in March of 1944. In May they reached Anzio and fought there and into Rome by June 4. They were in heavy fighting in Pomerance, Volterra, Laiatico, and Villamagna before crossing the Arno River in July.
The 88th Division went on to fight along the Gothic Line in September and participated in the Battle of Monte Battaglia. Beginning in October they remained to defend the Mount Grande-Mount Cerre-Mount Fano areas in Italy until January of 1945. They then began to defend the Loiano-Livergnano area. In April they joined in the fighting in the Po River valley and were heading into the Dolomite Alps to Innsbruck, Austria. The 88th Infantry Division was in combat for 344 days.
Lafayette County soldier, Captain Allen R. Vail, served with the 351st Infantry Regiment of the 88th Division of the U.S. Army.
Allan Read Vail was born on Feb. 17, 1917 in Benton, Lafayette County, Wisconsin to Claude and Gertrude (Paul) Vail.
From the 1920 U.S. Census, the Vail family lived in Benton Village in Lafayette County. The household included father Claude, mother Gertrude, and children Paul, Maxine, Allan, and Sarah. Father Claude was a publisher of a newspaper working on his own account.
On the 1930 U.S. census, the Vail family likely lived in the same house in Benton. The family included all the children with the addition of daughter (Marion) Suzanne and son Amza Crane. Father Claude was an editor of a newspaper.
Allan Vail graduated from the Benton High School in 1934.
On the 1940 U.S. Census, Allan Read Vail was a lodger living in Los Angeles, California. Allan was a printer working for a newspaper.
On Oct. 16, 1940, Allan Read Vail registered for the WWII Draft in Los Angeles, where he resided. His next of kin was his father in Benton. He worked for the Union Oil Company in Los Angeles.
On Feb. 27, 1941, Allan R. Vail enlisted for service in Los Angeles. He had two years of college and was employed in unskilled occupations of building aircraft. He was single, without dependents.
From the June 22, 1942 The Capital Times notice “Allan R. Vail of Benton Granted a Commission” the notice stated “Allan R. Vail, Benton, who has been attending an officers’ training school at Fort Benning, Ga. for the past 13 weeks, received his commission as a second lieutenant of infantry on June 12. He is spending a short furlough here at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Vail, after which he will report for duty at Camp Gruber, Okla.”
From the August 14, 1944 The Capital Times notice “Dies in Action,” the news from Benton was “A veteran of the America Fifth army’s Italian peninsular campaign, Capt. Allan R. Vail, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Vail, was killed in action on the Italian front on July 25, the war department has advised his parents here.
“Capt. Vail recently was awarded the Purple Heart and raised to the rank of captain on the battlefield after he received a machine gun wound in a skirmish with the Nazis.
“He was the leader of a five-man patrol that was pinned down for more than eight hours by German mortar and artillery fire.
“Capt. Vail entered the army in February, 1941; received preliminary training at Ft. Lewis, Wash., and was later transferred to Pearl Harbor. He returned to Ft. Benning, Ga., and was commissioned first lieutenant in June, 1942.
“He was a member of the 88th division which went into the Mediterranean war zone in December, 1943, and was the Fifth army for the past six months.”
From the August 24, 1944 The Platteville Journal and Grant County News, additional information was that Vail “attended the University of Dubuque and Platteville State Teachers College. He spent several years assisting his father in the Benton Advocate Office and in August 1940 he left for Tucson, Arizona. After a short time spent there, he went to Los Angeles, California. At the time of his enlistment in the Army in February 1941 he held a position with the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.” He was survived by his parents and “three sisters, Mrs. J. A. Paul (Maxine), Mrs. E. G. Lussow (Sally) and Mrs. C. I. FitzRandolph (Suzanne) and two brothers, Paul and Amza.”
From the published and official 351st Regiment History there was information that “…in San Romano the Third Battalion found one of the most savage actions it had ever experienced. Isolated in a house, one squad of infantrymen held out for three days with no food or water while German assault units patrolled the streets. In the final attack on July 25, 1944 the regiment lost one of its finest officers, Captain Allen R. Vail, and many equally heroic fighting men in a nineteen-minutes artillery barrage as intense as any yet endured.”
From the Nov. 8, 1948 Wisconsin State Journal article titled “21 Area War Dead to be Returned from Italy,” the article stated “The bodies of 21 servicemen from the Madison area who lost their lives on duty in Italy are being returned to the United States aboard the U.S. army transport Lawrence Victory, the army announced today.” The list included Captain Allan R. Vail of Benton and Pvt. Paul C. Derendinger (Belleville, Green County).
From the Dec. 8, 1948 The Capital Times, additional information about Vail’s military service was provided. “After receiving his commission he joined the 351st infantry regiment of the 88th division, which trained at Camp Guber, Okla. And Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The division sailed for the North Africa area in December 1943 and in February 1944 they entered combat duty in Italy with the 5th army. From then on until he was killed July 25, 1944, in the assault at San Romano he was a platoon leader. While serving as a platoon leader he was awarded the Silver Star.”
Captain Vail is memorialized on the Benton WWII Memorial and the UW-Platteville WWII Memorial.
Captain Allan Read Vail is listed on the Gold Star Honor Roll with the National WWII Memorial for Lafayette County, Wisconsin. He was killed in action and received the Purple Heart while he was alive for battle wounds. In addition, he received the Silver Star, awarded to his mother posthumously. The Silver Star is the third highest award for bravery and valor in combat.
Captain Vail was killed in action in San Romano, Italy on July 25, 1940. He was repatriated and reburied in the Primitive Methodist Church Cemetery in Benton, Lafayette County.
Thank you, Captain Allan Read Vail, for your service to and ultimate sacrifice for this country. We honor you and remember you.
