Products

Irrigation Concerns

By scheduling the water this year, the Irrigation district was able to bank about 94,000 acre-feet of water at El Vado Reservoir in northern New Mexico. That will help supplement next season's supplies.

The problem is the district is concerned its ability to store water in the future could be compromised by how the federal government manages the Rio Grande. The district is weighing in on a lawsuit New Mexico Attorney General Gary King filed earlier this year against the Bureau of Reclamation. 

November Prices

Weekly New Mexico Hay Summary
Week ending Nov 5, 2011

Compared to last week, Alfalfa hay prices firm. Trade active,
demand very good. The growing season has ended most areas have
had temeratures dip below the freezing mark. This will be the
last hay report of the season, we will resume in early May.

Baled Alfala: Large square bales; Premium and Supreme 325.00-350.00
per ton delivered from out of state. Good quality delivered from out
of state 300.00-320.00 per ton.

Feedlot Alfala ground and delivered 300.00-315.00 per ton.  

Casa Colorada

This year a portion of the Casa Colorada ranch was converted to crop production rather than pasture grazing.  Several years were spent removing invasive plant material and leveling the newly created farm.  The farm was planted in Buckwheat as a test crop.  The water table began to rise as the area was cleared of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive.  Buckwheat was recommended as a salt tolerant crop as well as tolerant to the high water table.  

Casimiro Garcia

Casimiro "Casey" patriarch  of the Garcia family was born the 15th of August 1920 in Casa Colorada, New Mexico.  He was the eldest of eight children and the great grandson of Maria Antonio. Maria was of native American descent most likely the Isleta Pueblo Tribe.   He was the leading force in the establishment of the Plaza Del Sol National Bank in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He was one of the largest farmers in Tome, New Mexico, raising Alfalfa as the most significant crop and rotated with Oats.  He also raised forage crops for his small ranching operation in Casa Colorada.  He was one of the first farmers in the Tome valley to purchase laser leveling machinery to accurately level the various farms when rotating crops.

He was married in 1947 to Erlinda "Lindy" Carolina Sanchez one of the heirs to the 1739 Tome Spanish Land Grant and the sixth great-granddaughter of Juana Lopez de Aragon. This family is considered to be one of the twelve founding families of Albuquerque. Casey and Erlinda raised four children all of which were university educated.

Casey enlisted in the Army in 1941 training at camp Barkeley, Texas.  He served in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany with Company D, 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, supporting the 45th Infantry Division. He landed in Oran, North Africa on June 22, 1943 which was the beginning of the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943. He also participated in the initial amphibious assault in Italy, at Salerno, on Sept. 20, 1943, and against Anzio on Jan. 22, 1944.

After earning six Bronze stars and a Purple Heart his commanders suggested he should be nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Casey refused and shortly afterwards was discharged and returned home to the lovely Rio Grande Valley south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Casey won many campaign medals and badges during World War II but most significant were 6 Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. 

World War II 

This flag was captured by Casey in 1945 and signed by  members of Company D, 120Th Combat Engineers, 45th Infantry Division March 25, 1945. Eloy Baca of Mosquero, New Mexico was one of the signatories.   He gave an interview at Rio Rancho, New Mexico January 24, 2002 about his experiences in World War II.  He and Casimiro Garcia were good friends during that period and remained friends until Casimiros death in 1987.  His description of his experiances in WW2 would have been similar to Casimiro as they were in the same military battalion.  During World War II, the 45th Division fought in 511 days of combat.  Twelve soldiers of the division received eight Medals of Honor, 61 Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, 1,848 Silver Star Medals, 38 Legion of Merit medals, 59 Soldiers Medals, 5,744 Bronze Star Medals, and 52 Air Medals. The division received seven distinguished unit citations and eight campaign streamers during the conflict.[12] The division suffered 3,650 killed in action, 13,729 wounded in action, 3,615 missing in action, 266 captured, and 41,647 non-battle casualties for a total of 62,907 casualties during the war.

The division returned to New York in early June 1945, and from there went to Camp Bowie, Texas. On 7 December 1945, the division was deactivated from the active duty force and its members reassigned to other Army units.[5] The 45th Infantry Division was reconstituted as a National Guard unit following the war, on 10 September 1946.[48] Instead of comprising units from several states, the post-war 45th was an all-Oklahoma organization. 

45th Infantry Division

Company D, 120Th Combat Engineers, 45th Infantry Division.  Casimiro is in the second row from the top 8th from the right.

45th Infantry Division

WWII Invasions

On 16 September 1940, the 45th Infantry Division was federalized into the Active duty force.[7] The division's two combat commands, the 89th and 90th Brigades were not activated, as the Army favored smaller and more versatile regimental commands for the new conflict.[8] The Division was based around the 157th Infantry Regiment, the 179th Infantry Regiment, and the 180th Infantry Regiment.[9] Also assigned to the division were the 158th, 160th, 171st, and 189th Field Artillery Battalions, the 46th Signal Company, the 700th Ordinance Company, the 45th Quartermaster Company, the 45th Reconnaissance Troop, the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, and the 120th Medical Battalion.[9]


Sicily

After activation, the division trained at Fort Sill, Camp Barkeley, Fort Devens, Pine Camp and Camp Pickett. The division trained in amphibious assault techniques at Fort Devens in preparation for the invasion of Italy. On 8 June 1943, the division sailed for the Mediterranean region, combat loaded. The 45th Division landed in North Africa on 22 June 1943, and trained at Arzew, French Morocco. By this time, the allies had largely secured the African theater and the decision was made to invade Sicily to the north. For this mission it was assigned to II Corps of the Seventh United States Army. The invasion would place 180,000 allied troops on the island, against 230,000 mostly weak Italian troops and two reconstituted German divisions.

On 10 July, the division was one of the leading units in the amphibious assault on Sicily. The division landed near Scoglitti, the southernmost U.S. objective on the island and advanced north on the U.S. force's eastern flank. After initially encountering resistance from armor of the German Herman Goering Division, the division advanced, supported by paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division landing inland on 11 July. The 82nd paratroopers, conducting the first combat jump of the war, then set up to protect the 45th's flank against German counterattack, but without weapons to counter heavy armor, the paratroopers had to rely on support from U.S. Armor units to repulse the German Tiger tanks. German forces pushed back, the division advanced, its main objective was to capture airfields at Biscari and Comiso. for most of the first two weeks while the division moved slowly north, it encountered only light resistance from Italian forces fighting delaying actions. The enemy resisted fiercely at Motta Hill on 26 July, and the 45th Infantry Division fought for four days to defeat Italian and German forces. The division was one of the units involved in Patton's race to Messina, and he personally ordered the division to make for the city as quickly as possible. On 1 August, the division withdrew from the front line for rest and rear-guard patrol duty. The division was assigned to VI Corps of the Fifth United States Army, in preparation for the invasion of mainland Italy.

Salerno

A chaplain reads from a bible while a formation of men stand in the background with heads bowed.
Chaplain Lt. Col. William King leads troops of the 45th in Christmas Day services in Italy, 25 December 1943

On 3 September, Italy surrendered to the Allied powers. Hoping to occupy as much of the country as possible before the German army could react, the Fifth Army prepared to attack Salerno. On 10 September 1943, the division conducted its second landing at Agropoli and Paestum with the 36th Infantry Division, on the southernmost beaches of the attack. Opposing them were elements of the German 29th Panzergrenadier Division and XVI Panzer Corps. Against stiff resistance, the 45th pushed to the Calore River after a week of heavy fighting. The Fifth Army was battered and pushed back by German forces until 20 September, when American forces were finally able to break out and establish a more secure beachhead. On 3 November it crossed the Volturno River and took Venafro. The division had great difficulty moving across the rivers and through mountainous terrain, and the advance was slow. After linking up with the British Eighth Army that had advanced from the south, the combined force, under the Fifteenth Army Group was stalled when coming on the Gustav Line. Until 9 January 1944, the division inched forward into the mountains reaching St. Elia, north of Cassino, before moving to a rest area.

Anzio

Allied forces conducted a frontal assault on the Gustav Line stronghold at Monte Cassino, and VI Corps was assigned Operation Shingle, detached from the Army Group to land behind enemy lines at Anzio. For this mission, the 45th Infantry Division was given additional Armor units. The VI Corps landed on schedule, surprising German forces, however General Mark Clark's decision to consolidate the beachhead instead of attack gave the Germans time to bring the LXXVI Panzer Corps to oppose the landings. On 30 January 1944, when VI Corps moved out, it encountered heavy resistance from German armored units which inflicted heavy casualties. The fight became a war of attrition, and for the next four months the division stood its ground during repeated German counterattacks. The 45th Infantry Division was mostly stuck in its place as the Pimlott Line was subjected to bombardment from aircraft and artillery fire. It was May before the Germans, reeling from heavy bombing and repeated attack from the Fifteenth Army Group, began to withdraw. On 23 May the division went on the offensive, crossing the Tiber River by 4 June and, in the process, outflanked Rome. VI Corps linked up with the rest of the Fifth Army by 25 May, and, as the division crossed the river, the Fifth Army entered and captured Rome. As a result, the 45th Infantry was the first military unit to enter the Vatican. On 16 June, it withdrew for rest in preparation for another assault. During this time, VI Corps was attached to the Seventh United States Army, Sixth United States Army Group,part of a buildup in preparation for an invasion of mainland Europe in southern France, called Operation Anvil, which was to coincide with Operation Overlord in the north. The 45th Infantry Division, along with the 36th and 3rd Infantry Divisions were pulled from the line in Italy to conduct Operation Anvil, however the attack was delayed until August due to a shortage of landing craft.

France and Germany

The 45th Infantry Division participated in its fourth assault landing during Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944, at St. Maxime, in Southern France. The German Army, reeling from the Battle of Normandy pulled back after a short fight, part of an overall German withdrawal to the east following the landings. Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division engaged the dispersed forces of German Army Group G, suffering very few casualties. The Seventh Army, along with Free French forces, were able to advance north quickly. By 12 September, the Seventh Army linked up with the Third United States Army, advancing from Normandy, joining the two forces at Dijon. Against slight opposition, it spearheaded the drive for the Belfort Gap. The 45th Infantry Division took the strongly defended city of Epinal on 24 September. The division was then reassigned to V Corps for its next advance. On 30 September the division crossed the Moselle River and entered the western foothills of the Vosges, taking Rambervillers. It would remain in the area for a month waiting for other units to catch up before crossing the Mortagne River on 23 October. The division remained on the line with the Sixth United States Army Group, the southernmost of three Army Groups advancing through France.

After the crossing was complete, the division was relieved from V Corps and assigned to XV Corps. The division was allowed a one-month rest, resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of Mutzig (forts Kaiser Wilhelm II designed in 1893 to block access to the plain of Alsace) and crossed the Zintzel River and pushed through the Maginot defenses. During this time much of the division's artillery assets were attached to the 44th Infantry Division to provide additional support. The 45th Infantry Division was reassigned to VI Corps on New Year's Day.[34] From 2 January 1945, the division fought defensively along the German border, withdrawing to the Moder River. It sent half of its artillery to support the 70th Infantry Division. On 17 February the division was pulled off the line for rest and training. Once this rest period was complete, the division was assigned to XV Corps for the final push into German territory. The 45th moved north to the Sarreguemines area and smashed through the Siegfried Line, on 17 March taking Homburg on the 21st and crossing the Rhine between Worms and Hamm on the 26th. The advance continued, with Aschaffenburg falling on 3 April, and Nuremberg on the 20th. The division crossed the Danube River on 27 April, and liberated 32,000 captives of the Dachau concentration camp on 29 April 1945. The division captured Munich during the next two days, occupying the city until V-E Day and the surrender of Germany.[39] During the next month, the division remained in Munich and set up collection points and camps for the massive numbers of surrendering troops of the German armies. The number of POWs taken by the 45th Division, during its almost two years of fighting, totalled 124,840 men. The division was then slated to move to the Pacific theater of operations in order to participate in the invasion of mainland Japan on the island of Honshu, but these plans were scrubbed before the division could depart due to the surrender of Japan, V-J Day.