Films that feature the 32nd Red Arrow Division

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The 32nd Infantry Division (the “Red Arrow” Division) is featured in several historical and documentary films rather than major Hollywood combat blockbusters. [1, 2, 3]
Documentaries and Educational Films
  • Dawn of the Red Arrow (2019 / 2020)
      • Details: An 80-minute feature-length documentary produced for the centennial of the Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard unit.
      • Focus: It details the formation of the 15,000 Wisconsin and 8,000 Michigan guardsmen, their training in Texas, and their heavy combat on the Western Front in World War I (where they earned the nickname “Les Terribles” and the red arrow insignia). It is available via the Wisconsin National Guard YouTube Channel. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

  • The 32nd Infantry Division During World War II (2025)
      • Details: A public television special produced by PBS Wisconsin featuring historian Mark D. Van Ells.
      • Focus: Based on the book Red Arrow Across the Pacific, it chronicles the division’s transition to the Pacific Theater, jungle warfare in New Guinea, and its extensive combat record logging more days in combat than almost any other U.S. Army division in WWII. It can be streamed via PBS Wisconsin Video. [1, 2]

  • Way of the Warrior (2007)
    • Details: A PBS documentary produced by Patricia Loew exploring the motivations of Native American soldiers who served in the U.S. military.
    • Focus: It highlights figures such as Pvt. Edward DeNomie (Bad River Ojibwe) of the 127th Infantry, 32nd Red Arrow Division, who fought through major WWI engagements. [1]
  • 5:30 pm