The name of the Polar Bear Association of World War II originates from the nickname given to the American Expeditionary Force, 339th Infantry, 85th Division, which fought near the city of Archangel in Siberia during World War I. The 5,000 draftees were mainly from Wisconsin and Michigan. The unit remained in Russia to fight the Bolsheviks after the end of the war, and not until June 28, 1919, did all of the Polar Bears leave northern Russia.
The Polar Bear Association of World War II was organized by Ret. Lt. Col. Charles C. Isely, and others, ten years after the demobilization of the U.S. Army in World War II. Earlier attempts at organizing a reunion had failed, although the 339th Infantry Regiment formed its own veterans group many years before. The 339th Infantry Association held reunions beginning in 1950, with the “Red Batt” reunion. It joined the Polar Bear Association in 1960. The first joint reunion took place in Cincinnati in 1960.
Those eligible for membership in the Association include veterans of World War II who served in the 339th Regimental Combat Team, composed of the 339th Infantry Regiment; 910th Field Artillery Battalion, Co. C; 310th Medical Battalion, Co. C; 310th Engineer Battalion; and associated chaplains and medical personnel. The members of the World War II units came primarily from the Northeast part of the U.S. During World War II the Combat Team saw extensive service in Italy, including the battles of Monte Cassino and Rome.
With continual recruitment of new members after the 1960 reunion, membership in the Polar Bear Association of World War II reached a high of 1400 in 1968-1970. The 1970 reunion, held in Washington, D.C., was deemed to be the 25th anniversary of demobilization, and a permanent, formal memorial was presented at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The Association's primary activity at the time of this writing is its biennial reunion.
