NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, on the 83rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, an event was held at the Nickerson Community Center to dedicate highway signs in honor of the 96th Infantry Division.
"I started thinking about this a long time ago," said Ron Hirst, son of PFC William N. Hirst, who was killed while serving with the 96th during World War II. "They finally got the mile markers up and I came to my representatives at the state legislature, Joe Seiwert, Michael Murphy, Jason Probst, Paul Waggoner and Senator Steffen. I want to thank them for their testimony assisting me to get this through the process."
The story of the 96th and their service on Okinawa and Leyte is staggering.
"The 96th was reactivated in 1942 under Major General James Bradley and Brigadier General Claudius Easley," Hirst said. "Both of them stressed rifle marksmanship, hence the name of the'Deadeyes'. The state wouldn't let me put that on the sign. They said you can't use nicknames. I was unhappy with that, but so be it, we're just lucky enough to have the sign. On September 11, 1942, they left training for their combat destination. Then they had some more training in Hawaii, then they were sent to Leyte and Okinawa. The original infantry division had 14,253 men in it. By the time the end came around, there were some 30,000, with replacements, involved in Okinawa. At the end of the battle of Okinawa, in this division, there were 14,484 wounded or had jungle fever, of which 2,136 men would die, with 453 missing in action. The 96th historian at Denver, when I talked to him, told me that the average stay on the front line was five days before a casualty of some kind. There were 8 million artillery shells fired during the 82 days of battle."
The 96th has also served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Bosnia and areas of the Balkans.
"The signs will be put up out here on this bypass around Nickerson at 56th Avenue," Hirst said. "It will be the next six miles as you're going northwest to the intersection where you turn south to go to Nickerson and north to go to Sterling."
Designated funds from the Hutchinson Community Foundation assisted to pay for the signs, along with numerous donations from Hirst, his family and other community members. The signs will be installed when KDOT has time to complete the work in 2025.