Famed Red Bull Soldiers Gather for Reunion at Stoney Creek Inn

Red Bull soldiers and supporters -- a group of soliders who fought together in North Africa, Tunisia, Italy and elsewhere during World War II -- gathered during the 34th Infantry Division Association’s 65th annual reunion Oct. 5 and 6 at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston.

The association, established in 1946, was a grass-roots organization started by young men who fought together in North Africa, Tunisia, Anzio and other battlefields during the war. Through the years, Red Bulls across the country have gathered annually to reminisce about old times with comrades, sharing stories of their service to get a chuckle, or haunting stories of the battlefields on which they once fought, according to the dvids website.

“I joined in ’93. I didn’t even know there was an association,” said Iowa National Guard Col. Ron Albrecht, outgoing president of the association. “The first reunion I attended was in Waterloo, Iowa, with the Ironman chapter where over 3,000 participants attended at the Sullivan Center. … I learned more about the history of the 34th Infantry during that reunion than I ever knew existed.”

During Albrecht’s time as president, he worked to get today’s Red Bull generation interested in the association. Nearing the end of his own military service, Albrecht hopes the association can continue to serve past and present Red Bull soldiers. 

The unit gained fame for its exploits during WWII, and boasts 21 Congressional Medal of Honor winners, the nation's highest award for military service.

“This new generation needs to carry on the tradition,” said Albrecht on the website. “The purpose of the association is to take care of Red Bull soldiers: where they are, where they are going, how their families are. Many soldiers get out and miss the camaraderie," he told the website. 

“This is another way for them to be a part of the military. It’s not about rank. It’s about us ... as soldiers,” Albrecht said.

World War II Red Bull veteran Ben Kroll of Charles City, who served as an ammunition truck driver in Company F, 2-133rd Infantry Regiment, said he was honored to wear the unit patch.

“I still want to do something, to do my part,” he told the website. “I love the division for all they have done: Twenty-one won the Medal of Honor, for all those that passed before me, for what these warriors went through, for their bravery. Oh, they were tops!”

World War II-era Red Bulls are becoming sparser at reunions, the website said. This year seven World War II veterans attended.

Red Bulls and Red Bull supporters interested in becoming members can visit the association website at 34infdiv.org to obtain registration materials. The 34th Infantry Division Association can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/34InfDivAssoc.