The division was tasked with returning to Genoa a golden urn reportedly containing the remains of Christopher Columbus in an outdoor ceremony on June 6, 1945, with the 370th Infantry Regiment assisting and the choir performing for 5,000 servicemen and the city's residents. The Genoese requested that the choir perform at the ceremony (unprecedented for an occupied European nation), indicative of its popularity in the USO Camp Shows. The claim that Columbus' ashes were in the urn was contested during re-interment; the Encyclopædia Britannica said that his remains were in Seville Cathedral, but the 92nd Division treated the ceremony as returning property moved due to the war and the choir said that the remains were Columbus' in postwar promotional stories. According to Mildred Ridley, the choir frequently spent time in infirmaries with wounded servicemen, ate and socialized in mess halls with G.I.s, and used wit and humor to brighten up the atmosphere during its appearances. The choir and Settle received citations from Almond for meritorious service and the "fine spirit of patriotism exhibited by the group", the highest civilian awards by the military. Ridley's son, Sergeant Theodore Johnson, presented her with roses when they met in Leghorn.
