Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Captain James I. Rhiel was a medic and field surgeon assigned to the Medical Detachment, 1st Cavalry Division in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. He was awarded the Silver Star for rescuing multiple members of the First Cavalry Division during heavy fighting in the Philippines. His service is best summed by his son in an email below:
I would like to tell the story of my father. He was in the Philippians during WW2. He was a surgeon and a medic. The Japanese were firing at the army troops in Manila, Dad drove the ambulance through the combat area, while the troops were being shot. Dad drove the ambulance, by himself and loaded the ambulance picking soldiers up by himself, no help, he was the only man left. Saving people was his passion, with him being a surgeon he worked as the surgeon aiding the men what were injured. He took them to an empty field hospital. He did this for seven days with no sleep or rest driving the ambulance through live active firing, for seven days saving many soldiers, He worked for seven days straight with no help. Saving many men. HE WAS A HERO, and a Captain. There is a picture of Dad in his uniform, and if you look on the back of the picture it was taken around Christmas,1942 in my mothers hand writing. El Paso, Texas. Dad went on to be a general medical practitioner, His birthday was Jan. 4th 1911, he lived a long life, he was married to Priscilla Franz, and they adopted two children.
His Silver Star can be verified at this link
Included in the fantastic combat medic surgeon grouping are the following items:
- Engraved Silver Star in box. The engraving reads;
Note that his name is misspelled on the star (Rheil vs. Rhiel) this is acknowledged in a hand written note from the family where they further state that many of his records and post war articles misspelled his name in the same manner.
- Tailor made class A uniform four pocket jacket with Sterling Silver Combat Medic Badge, Medal bar with the following awards: Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal with Invasion Arrowhead and four battle stars, WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal with two stars. 1st Cavalry Division insignia patch to left shoulder, medical lapel pins, Captains bars and 5 bars on the left sleeve cuff indicating 30+ months in overseas service.
- Original first of kin Dog Tags named to Rhiel
- Original large wartime photo of Rhiel in this very uniform, the reverse reads "Christmas 1942 made in El Paso Texas".
- Officer overseas garrison side cap with captains bars.
- Army issue wool shirt with 1st Cavalry Division insignia patch to left shoulder.
- Army issue wool pants.
- Research binder with handwritten notes, emails and correspondence from the Rhiel family. Copies of wartime and reissued documents and copious amounts of research.
With the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the "great laboratory" phase for developing and testing organizations, about which Marshall wrote in the summer of 1941, closed, but the War Department still had not developed ideal infantry, cavalry, armored, and motorized divisions. In 1942 it again revised the divisions based on experiences gained during the great GHQ maneuvers of the previous year. As in the past, the reorganizations ranged from minor adjustments to wholesale changes.
1st Cavalry Division retained its square configuration after the 1941 maneuvers, but with modifications. The division lost its antitank troop, the brigades their weapons troops, and the regiments their machine gun and special weapons troops. These changes brought no decrease in divisional firepower, but placed most weapons within the cavalry troops. The number of .50-caliber machine guns was increased almost threefold. In the reconnaissance squadron, the motorcycle and armored car troops were eliminated, leaving the squadron with one support troop and three reconnaissance troops equipped with light tanks. These changes increased the division from 11,676 to 12,112 officers and enlisted men.
The last of the 1st Cavalry Division's mounted units permanently retired their horses and converted to infantry formations on 28 February 1943. However, a mounted special ceremonial unit known as the Horse Platoon – later, the Horse Cavalry Detachment – was established within the division in January 1972. Its ongoing purpose is to represent the traditions and heritage of the American horse cavalry at military ceremonies and public events.
The 1st Cavalry Division arrived in Australia as shown above, continued its training at Strathpine, Queensland, until 26 July, then moved to New Guinea to stage for the Admiralties campaign 22–27 February 1944. The division experienced its first combat in the Admiralty Islands, units landing at Los Negros on 29 February 1944. Momote airstrip was secured against great odds. Attacks by Japanese were thrown back, and the enemy force surrounded by the end of March. Nearby islands were taken in April and May. The division next took part in the invasion of Leyte, 20 October 1944, captured Tacloban and the adjacent airstrip, advanced along the north coast, and secured Leyte Valley, elements landing on and securing Samar Island. Moving down Ormoc Valley (in Leyte) and across the Ormoc plain, the division reached the west coast of Leyte 1 January 1945.
The division then invaded Luzon, landing in the Lingayen Gulf area 27 January 1945, and fought its way as a "flying column" to Manila by 3 February 1945. More than 3,000 civilian prisoners at the University of Santo Tomas, including more than 60 US Army nurses (some of the "Angels of Bataan and Corregidor") were liberated,[4] and the 1st Cavalry then advanced east of Manila by the middle of February before the city was cleared. On 20 February the division was assigned the mission of seizing and securing crossings over the Marikina River and securing the Tagaytay-Antipolo Line. After being relieved 12 March in the Antipolo area, elements pushed south into Batangas and provinces of Bicol Region and aiding Filipino forces under the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary together with the recognized guerrillas. They mopped up remaining pockets of resistance in these areas in small unit actions. Resistance was officially declared at an end 1 July 1945.
I would like to tell the story of my father. He was in the Philippians during WW2. He was a surgeon and a medic. The Japanese were firing at the army troops in Manila, Dad drove the ambulance through the combat area, while the troops were being shot. Dad drove the ambulance, by himself and loaded the ambulance picking soldiers up by himself, no help, he was the only man left. Saving people was his passion, with him being a surgeon he worked as the surgeon aiding the men what were injured. He took them to an empty field hospital. He did this for seven days with no sleep or rest driving the ambulance through live active firing, for seven days saving many soldiers, He worked for seven days straight with no help. Saving many men. HE WAS A HERO, and a Captain. There is a picture of Dad in his uniform, and if you look on the back of the picture it was taken around Christmas,1942 in my mothers hand writing. El Paso, Texas. Dad went on to be a general medical practitioner, His birthday was Jan. 4th 1911, he lived a long life, he was married to Priscilla Franz, and they adopted two children.
His Silver Star can be verified at this link
Included in the fantastic combat medic surgeon grouping are the following items:
- Engraved Silver Star in box. The engraving reads;
2.3.45
James I. Rheil
Manila
Note that his name is misspelled on the star (Rheil vs. Rhiel) this is acknowledged in a hand written note from the family where they further state that many of his records and post war articles misspelled his name in the same manner.
- Tailor made class A uniform four pocket jacket with Sterling Silver Combat Medic Badge, Medal bar with the following awards: Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal with Invasion Arrowhead and four battle stars, WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal with two stars. 1st Cavalry Division insignia patch to left shoulder, medical lapel pins, Captains bars and 5 bars on the left sleeve cuff indicating 30+ months in overseas service.
- Original first of kin Dog Tags named to Rhiel
- Original large wartime photo of Rhiel in this very uniform, the reverse reads "Christmas 1942 made in El Paso Texas".
- Officer overseas garrison side cap with captains bars.
- Army issue wool shirt with 1st Cavalry Division insignia patch to left shoulder.
- Army issue wool pants.
- Research binder with handwritten notes, emails and correspondence from the Rhiel family. Copies of wartime and reissued documents and copious amounts of research.
With the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the "great laboratory" phase for developing and testing organizations, about which Marshall wrote in the summer of 1941, closed, but the War Department still had not developed ideal infantry, cavalry, armored, and motorized divisions. In 1942 it again revised the divisions based on experiences gained during the great GHQ maneuvers of the previous year. As in the past, the reorganizations ranged from minor adjustments to wholesale changes.
1st Cavalry Division retained its square configuration after the 1941 maneuvers, but with modifications. The division lost its antitank troop, the brigades their weapons troops, and the regiments their machine gun and special weapons troops. These changes brought no decrease in divisional firepower, but placed most weapons within the cavalry troops. The number of .50-caliber machine guns was increased almost threefold. In the reconnaissance squadron, the motorcycle and armored car troops were eliminated, leaving the squadron with one support troop and three reconnaissance troops equipped with light tanks. These changes increased the division from 11,676 to 12,112 officers and enlisted men.
The last of the 1st Cavalry Division's mounted units permanently retired their horses and converted to infantry formations on 28 February 1943. However, a mounted special ceremonial unit known as the Horse Platoon – later, the Horse Cavalry Detachment – was established within the division in January 1972. Its ongoing purpose is to represent the traditions and heritage of the American horse cavalry at military ceremonies and public events.
The 1st Cavalry Division arrived in Australia as shown above, continued its training at Strathpine, Queensland, until 26 July, then moved to New Guinea to stage for the Admiralties campaign 22–27 February 1944. The division experienced its first combat in the Admiralty Islands, units landing at Los Negros on 29 February 1944. Momote airstrip was secured against great odds. Attacks by Japanese were thrown back, and the enemy force surrounded by the end of March. Nearby islands were taken in April and May. The division next took part in the invasion of Leyte, 20 October 1944, captured Tacloban and the adjacent airstrip, advanced along the north coast, and secured Leyte Valley, elements landing on and securing Samar Island. Moving down Ormoc Valley (in Leyte) and across the Ormoc plain, the division reached the west coast of Leyte 1 January 1945.
The division then invaded Luzon, landing in the Lingayen Gulf area 27 January 1945, and fought its way as a "flying column" to Manila by 3 February 1945. More than 3,000 civilian prisoners at the University of Santo Tomas, including more than 60 US Army nurses (some of the "Angels of Bataan and Corregidor") were liberated,[4] and the 1st Cavalry then advanced east of Manila by the middle of February before the city was cleared. On 20 February the division was assigned the mission of seizing and securing crossings over the Marikina River and securing the Tagaytay-Antipolo Line. After being relieved 12 March in the Antipolo area, elements pushed south into Batangas and provinces of Bicol Region and aiding Filipino forces under the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary together with the recognized guerrillas. They mopped up remaining pockets of resistance in these areas in small unit actions. Resistance was officially declared at an end 1 July 1945.
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