About Me

Welcome to the 36th Division Archive.

     This project sparked in high school when I learned that my great-grandfather, PFC Delmer C. Koonter, served and was wounded while fighting with the famed 36th Infantry "Texas" Division in France during World War II. Finding many of his original service artifacts in my grandfather's basement, I became infatuated by his story and began intense research to uncover more about his service and the sacrifices he endured in the quest to free Europe from Nazi domination.

     As I grew into a love for history, I became distraught seeing the alarming rate at which we were losing our World War II veterans. Although I never knew my own great-grandfather personally, I realized that the depth and breadth of my research had brought me closer to his story than most are fortunate enough to experience with a living veteran. Seeing how just a few objects and documents could inspire and form this deeper connection, I began devoting much of my time and effort to preserve the stories of other veterans just like him.

       The heart of this project is the 36th Infantry Division. I have been fortunate enough to accumulate and preserve artifacts representing dozen of T-Patchers who served during World War II, using these pieces to tell their personal stories and, through them, the story of the 36th Division. This physical archive is complemented by over 40,000 pages of easily accessible digital records focusing on the 36th Division's actions in the war. The collection and project has also expanded to include the stories of veterans from all aspects of American military history, but with a special side focus on servicemen and women from my home state of Kentucky.

      It is my hope that I can continue to preserve the history of our veterans through these precious objects that they leave behind so that the next generation can learn from their lessons, stories, and sacrifices.

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      I am a historian by nature, but an attorney by trade. In 2022 I graduated from Transylvania University summa cum laude with degrees in History and Political Science. While at Transylvania, I received the Ruchman History Award for outstanding contributions to the field of history and memory studies. I am also a graduate of the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law, magna cum laude, and currently practice law in Indiana and Kentucky. Although law is my profession, history is my passion. 

      I hope that this site can encourage, teach, and inspire others to take note of the extreme sacrifices made to preserve our freedom and to provide access to materials that can lead others to learn about their family's part in the greatest conflict our world has ever known.

-Alex Drury