Maryland Military Successes
29th Infantry Division
Several major events of World War II trace their origins to Maryland. Best known are the exploits of the 29th infantry division, a national guard force from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The Blue and Grey Division, as it was known, landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day. In its heroic push toward Germany it sustained the second highest number of war casualties of all 68 Army divisions.
Solomons Island
The Navy, meanwhile, established bases at the mouth of the Patuxent River near Solomons Island. United States marines learned amphibious warfare tactics there and then won bloody battles at places like Iwo Jima, Tarawa and Okinawa. But the first place they tested their new skills was at Guadalcanal—coincidentally part of the South Pacific’s Solomons island chain.
Military Engineering & Manufacturing
Unsung military successes include the design of the Willy’s Jeep, at Fort Holabird and the production of the Maryland MK II bomber and the Model 187 bomber by the Glenn L. Martin company. The Maryland bomber was used by the French and British. The 187 supported allies from South Africa, Australia, Greece and Turkey. The British, who dubbed it the “Baltimore Bomber,” deployed it with great effect in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
Learn More:
The "Baltimore Bomber": www.marylandaviationmuseum.org/history/martin_aircraft/16_baltimore.html
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