32nd Division Wisconsin National Guard

The 135th Medical Regiment Band has a long back­ground of National Guard service. It was organized as the Second Regiment Band at Marshfield on July 6, 1S99. ft was mustered into Federal service June 30, 1916, for duty on the Mexican Border and was mustered out Febru­ary 28, 1917, having spent eight months at Camp Wilson, near San Antonio, Texas.
The band again answered the call of the President on July 15, 1917, and with its regiment was shipped to Waco, arising out of the 1936 Second Army maneuvers in Michigan, when it took over a large part of the Provis­ional Evacuation Hospital, a service which won special commendation from the Second Army commander, Major General Hugh A. Drum.
The Band was called up in December of 1940 as part the “Louisiana Maneuvers” along with other units of the 32nd National Guard.  When finally deployed to Australia, the bad under the direction of W/O Walter J. Rasmussen acted as medics and litter bearers.  While there they attracted the attention of Jean Macarthur, wife of Gen Macarthur and toured with her on morale concerts