The Thunderbirds (the 45th Infantry Division) was a National Guard unit composed of enlistees from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. They fought in the battle of Anzio, Italy, which lasted 135 days (22 January – 5 June 1944) and saw daily attacks by German forces. On June 4th, 1944, the unit captured Rome, a major moment in the Italian campaign.

Members of the 45th Infantry Division

A .30 cal. machine gunner and a rifleman (with a carbine), of 87th Infantry Division, 3rd Army, cover a street in Koblenz, Germany; 18 March 1945.

Action in the Rhineland

American troops disembark from landing crafts during D-Day on June 6, 1944, after Allied forces stormed the beaches in Normandy, France.