1946 Fighting Forty-Fifth 45th Inf Div Book + 1944 Van Barfoot MOH Press Photo For Sale

WWII Militaria Grouping: Original 1946 "The Fighting Forty-Fifth" Unit History Book paired with an Authentic 1944 Van T. Barfoot Medal of Honor Wire Press Photo.Binding features a deeply embossed, textured blue cloth hardcover with a prominent, raised 45th Infantry Division 'Thunderbird' insignia on the front panel. The red and gold color palette of the insignia remains clear and highly visible, and the raised text lettering across the front remains crisp and well-defined to the touch.200 pages9 1/4 inches x 12 1/8Up for sale is a remarkable piece of World War II history featuring a premier U.S. Army unit history book and a preserved, highly collectible piece of period photojournalism documenting one of the division's greatest heroes.1. The Book:The Fighting Forty-Fifth: The Combat Report of an Infantry Division

• Publication Date: Copyright 1946 by The 45th Infantry Division
• Publisher: Army and Navy Publishing Company
• Details: This is the official, comprehensive chronological combat chronicle of the legendary 45th Infantry "Thunderbird" Division. It covers their entire European theater campaign trail, including Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
• Features: The book includes rich unit tactical text, detailed theater combat maps, and extensive photography documenting their daily push against Axis forces.

2. The Photo: Authentic 1944 Van T. Barfoot Medal of Honor Wire Photo

• Subject: 2nd Lt. Van T. Barfoot (Carthage, MS) of Company L, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division.
• Agency: International News Photos (Official ink stamp on reverse from their historic 235 East 45th Street, NYC headquarters).
• The Backstory: Includes the fully intact, original typed news caption "slug" backing sheetdetailing Barfoot’s legendary single-handed actions on May 23, 1944, during the Anzio beachhead breakout. On that day, he destroyed three German machine gun nests, captured 17 prisoners, and knocked out a German Mark VI Tiger tank with a bazooka.
• Provenance: The reverse side of the photo features original red grease pencil editorial crop markings, proving this exact print was handled in a 1940s newsroom for newspaper publication layout.

This is a fantastic "all-in-one" grouping for any serious WWII collector, 45th Division enthusiast, or Medal of Honor researcher.Condition:Book is in very good vintage condition showing standard age-related wear appropriate for a 1946 volume. Hard cover shows light surface and corner wear, embossing is clean and sharp. Top outside corners are gently bumped and there is a slight bump to top front edge. Spine/binding is solid, however, there are a couple pages showing slight separation where glue has dried out, one page (13/14) shows partial separation from spine.Interior pages are clean and crisp, no writing. However, there is a blue ink smudge on one page with a few light finger prints next to it.Photo is in excellent vintage condition. The photo gloss is clear, the typed backing sheet is completely legible, and the editorial stamps/markings on the reverse are perfectly preserved.Please review all photos carefully to evaluate condition.