On This Day – 80 years ago

On January 29, 1941, the US Army Transport Edmund B. Alexander arrived in St. John’s Harbor, Newfoundland, Canada. The 3d Battalion, 3d Infantry Regiment, along with the 24th Coast Artillery and the 62d Anti-Aircraft Artillery, made up the 977 soldiers who deployed to what would become Fort Pepperrell.

The force would be commanded by Colonel Maurice Welty. Though base construction began the previous year, the troops would live aboard the “Alexander” for several months until May 1941. In just two-weeks time, member of the Old Guard’s 3d Battalion traveled from Fort Snelling, MN by train to New York City. From NYC they boarded the “Alexander” and cruised up the East Coast to Newfoundland to their new home. More later about the the USAT Alexander, its history and its namesake.