A Summary History of the 3rd Infantry Division

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"Rock of the Marne"
(Original article written 7-22-08 by Jim Broumley)

The 3rd Infantry Division is a mechanized infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Nicknamed the "Rock of the Marne," the 3rd Infantry Division's current configuration consists of four Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), one Aviation Brigade, and various support elements. The unit has served the United States in World War I, World War II, Korea, the Cold War, and Iraq.

The 3rd Division was activated at Camp Greene, North Carolina in November of 1917 for service in the First World War. The 3rd Division was composed of the 4th, 7th, 30th, and 38th Infantry Regiments, the 10th, 18th, and 76th Field Artilleries, and the 6th Engineers, with a total of 28,000 men. The Division as a whole entered combat for the first time during WWI on July 14, 1918. During the German's last offensive of the war, the 3rd Division held their positions on the Marne River as units on either side of them withdrew. This action spoiled the German bid for Paris and earned the Division its nickname, the "Rock of the Marne." The Division's motto, "Nous Resterons Là" which is French for "We shall remain there," also comes from that action. During WWI, two members of the 3rd Division were awarded the Medal of Honor.

The 3rd Division was designated the 3rd Infantry Division in 1941. The Division first saw action on November 8, 1942, landing in French Morocco. The Rock of the Marne was in the vicinity of Salzburg, Austria when World War Two ended on May 6, 1945. During the war, the 3rd Infantry Division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany, and Austria for a total of 531 consecutive days of combat. 3rd Infantry Division soldiers earned 36 Medals of Honor during WWII. At Anzio in the Italian Campaign, the Division fought off three German divisions. While there it suffered more than 900 casualties, the most in one day of any division in World War II. The most highly decorated soldier of the war, Lieutenant Audie Murphy, served with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, the 3rd Infantry Division was one of ten active divisions in the U.S. Army. The division arrived in Korea in September 1950 and joined operations in the Hamhung-Hungnam area. On November 23, 1950, China entered the war and the massive strength of the Chinese Army was felt all along the front. During the Korean War, the Division was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to a crisis.

By 1951, elements of the 3rd ID helped recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital, and the Chinese were pushed back to the 38th Parallel. As the Chinese tried to recapture the capital, the brunt of the attack fell on the 3rd Infantry Division's sector and the Marne Division became the "Rock of Seoul." Again the Chinese were driven back to the 38th Parallel. The war ended when an Armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and by October 1954 the division had returned to Ft. Benning, Georgia. During the Korean War, eleven more Medals of Honor were awarded to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers.

From 1958 to 1996, the 3rd Infantry Division was stationed in Germany as part of the main defense protecting Western Europe from the threat of attack by Warsaw Pact Nations headed by the Soviet Union. As part of the U.S. Army's VII Corps, the 3rd ID was stationed throughout various towns in Bavaria. The division remained on constant alert as the arms race continued. The Division was a key link in American Cold War strategy and their readiness throughout those years contributed greatly to the West's ultimate victory over Communism at the end of the Cold War in 1989.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and posed a threat to Saudi Arabia. Units of the Rock of the Marne Division deployed with VII Corps from Germany for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The 3rd Brigade, 3ID was attached to the 1st Armored Division in their race through Iraqi territory in the "100-hour war." By the time the Persian Gulf War was declared over on February 28, 1991, the 3rd Infantry Division had destroyed 105 enemy tanks, 70 enemy armored personnel carriers, 92 enemy trucks, 4 enemy artillery pieces and captured 836 prisoners.

During the 1990s the Army went through a downsizing to maintain a ten-division active force. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated and re-flagged as the 3rd Infantry Division on February 15, 1996. The Division was consequently re-stationed from its bases in Germany to Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The Division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion, and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait. It has also moved sizeable forces to Egypt, Bosnia, and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions. Since Sept 11, 2001 units have been sent to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to support the War on Terrorism.

In January 2003, Soldiers in the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) were officially informed that they were headed for the Middle East to do their part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The entire division was deployed to Kuwait in weeks. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein regime. After combat, Soldiers from 3rd Inf. Div. shifted focus to support and stabilization operations in an effort to rebuild the war-ravaged country. The division returned to Ft. Stewart in August 2003.

The Marne Division was selected as the first division in the Army to be organized under the new modular system. Beginning in 2004, the 3rd Infantry Division began re-organizing. The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four "units of action," which are essentially smaller formations, with one infantry, armor, cavalry, and artillery battalion in each brigade combat team (BCT). A Combat Aviation Brigade is also part of the Division structure. Each of these units of action engaged in several mock battles at the National Training Center (NTC) and Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), in preparation for a second deployment to Iraq.

The Third Infantry Division was the first division in the U.S. Army to serve a second tour in Iraq. In January 2005, the division returned to Iraq and led U.S. and coalition forces in Baghdad. The 1st and 3rd Brigades of the division supported the 42nd Division in Northern Iraq. The hard work created conditions for a secure Iraqi election and transfer of power to the first democratically elected national government in Iraq. The Division served with its coalition partners during Operation Iraqi Freedom III for a year before returning to Georgia in January 2006.

On November 17, 2006, the Army announced that the 3rd I.D. would be the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq as part of the 2007 "troop surge." The Division Headquarters deployed from Fort Stewart in March of 2007. Task Force Marne was composed of more than 20,000 U.S. soldiers, more than 26,000 Iraqi army soldiers, and over 46,000 Iraqi police. Along with combat operations, Task Force Marne focused on rebuilding the local government, Iraqi security forces, and the economy. The 3rd Infantry Division Colors returned to Fort Stewart in June of 2008. The 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams have also returned home, while the "dog-faced soldiers" of the 2nd and 4th BCTs, the Aviation Brigade, and the 3rd Sustainment Brigade are still in Iraq completing their 2007-2008 tours.

The 3rd Division was designated the 3rd Infantry Division in 1941. The Division first saw action on November 8, 1942, landing in French Morocco. The Rock of the Marne was in the vicinity of Salzburg, Austria when World War Two ended on May 6, 1945. During the war, the 3rd Infantry Division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany, and Austria for a total of 531 consecutive days of combat. 3rd Infantry Division soldiers earned 36 Medals of Honor during WWII. At Anzio in the Italian Campaign, the Division fought off three German divisions. While there it suffered more than 900 casualties, the most in one day of any division in World War II. The most highly decorated soldier of the war, Lieutenant Audie Murphy, served with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, the 3rd Infantry Division was one of ten active divisions in the U.S. Army. The division arrived in Korea in September 1950 and joined operations in the Hamhung-Hungnam area. On November 23, 1950, China entered the war and the massive strength of the Chinese Army was felt all along the front. During the Korean War, the Division was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to a crisis.

By 1951, elements of the 3rd ID helped recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital, and the Chinese were pushed back to the 38th Parallel. As the Chinese tried to recapture the capital, the brunt of the attack fell on the 3rd Infantry Division's sector and the Marne Division became the "Rock of Seoul." Again the Chinese were driven back to the 38th Parallel. The war ended when an Armistice was signed on July 27, 1953 and by October 1954 the division had returned to Ft. Benning, Georgia. During the Korean War, eleven more Medals of Honor were awarded to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers.

From 1958 to 1996, the 3rd Infantry Division was stationed in Germany as part of the main defense protecting Western Europe from the threat of attack by Warsaw Pact Nations headed by the Soviet Union. As part of the U.S. Army's VII Corps, the 3rd ID was stationed throughout various towns in Bavaria. The division remained on constant alert as the arms race continued. The Division was a key link in American Cold War strategy and their readiness throughout those years contributed greatly to the West's ultimate victory over Communism at the end of the Cold War in 1989.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and posed a threat to Saudi Arabia. Units of the Rock of the Marne Division deployed with VII Corps from Germany for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The 3rd Brigade, 3ID was attached to the 1st Armored Division in their race through Iraqi territory in the "100-hour war." By the time the Persian Gulf War was declared over on February 28, 1991, the 3rd Infantry Division had destroyed 105 enemy tanks, 70 enemy armored personnel carriers, 92 enemy trucks, 4 enemy artillery pieces and captured 836 prisoners.

During the 1990s the Army went through a downsizing to maintain a ten-division active force. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated and re-flagged as the 3rd Infantry Division on February 15, 1996. The Division was consequently re-stationed from its bases in Germany to Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The Division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion, and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait. It has also moved sizeable forces to Egypt, Bosnia, and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions. Since Sept 11, 2001 units have been sent to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to support the War on Terrorism.

In January 2003, Soldiers in the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) were officially informed that they were headed for the Middle East to do their part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The entire division was deployed to Kuwait in weeks. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein regime. After combat, Soldiers from 3rd Inf. Div. shifted focus to support and stabilization operations to rebuild the war-ravaged country. The division returned to Ft. Stewart in August 2003.

The Marne Division was selected as the first division in the Army to be organized under the new modular system. Beginning in 2004, the 3rd Infantry Division began re-organizing. The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four "units of action," which are essentially smaller formations, with one infantry, armor, cavalry, and artillery battalion in each brigade combat team (BCT). A Combat Aviation Brigade is also part of the Division structure. Each of these units of action engaged in several mock battles at the National Training Center (NTC) and Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), in preparation for a second deployment to Iraq.

The Third Infantry Division was the first division in the U.S. Army to serve a second tour in Iraq. In January 2005, the division returned to Iraq and led U.S. and coalition forces in Baghdad. The 1st and 3rd Brigades of the division supported the 42nd Division in Northern Iraq. The hard work created conditions for a secure Iraqi election and transfer of power to the first democratically elected national government in Iraq. The Division served with its coalition partners during Operation Iraqi Freedom III for a year before returning to Georgia in January 2006.

On November 17, 2006, the Army announced that the 3rd I.D. would be the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq as part of the 2007 "troop surge." The Division Headquarters deployed from Fort Stewart in March of 2007. Task Force Marne was composed of more than 20,000 U.S. soldiers, more than 26,000 Iraqi army soldiers, and over 46,000 Iraqi police. Along with combat operations, Task Force Marne focused on rebuilding the local government, Iraqi security forces, and the economy. The 3rd Infantry Division Colors returned to Fort Stewart in June of 2008. The 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams have also returned home, while the "dog-faced soldiers" of the 2nd and 4th BCTs, the Aviation Brigade, and the 3rd Sustainment Brigade are still in Iraq completing their 2007-2008 tours.

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A Summary History of the 9th Infantry Division

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"Old Reliables"
(Original Article written 7/5/2010 by Jim Broumley)

The 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army is nicknamed the "Old Reliables." It was created during World War I as the 9th Division but was never deployed overseas. The division proved to be an important asset during World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War.

During the pre-war buildup for World War II, the 9th Infantry Division was constituted on August 1, 1940, at Fort Bragg, NC. The Old Reliables were among the first U.S. troops to enter combat in WWII. Along with the 3rd Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions, the 9th landed in North Africa on November 8, 1942. It pushed through Tunisia into Bizerte, which fell in May 1943. The 9th Infantry Division then entered the Sicily campaign with landings at Palermo in August. The Division took part in the capture of Randazzo and Messina.

After Sicily, the Old Reliables were sent to England to re-equip and train for the impending cross-channel invasion of France. The 9th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on June 10, 1944 (D-day plus 4). The Division advanced to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula and assisted in the capture of the fortified French port city of Cherbourg. In July, the division participated in the breakthrough at St.-Lo and in August helped to close the Falaise Gap. The Old Reliables then swept across northern France. The 9th Infantry Division held defensive positions near the Roer River from December 1944 through January 1945, and then crossed the Rhine at Remagen Bridge on March 7, 1945, pushing into the German Harz Mountains. On April 21, 1945, the Division relieved the 3rd Armored Division along the Mulde River near Dessau and held that line until VE Day, (May 8, 1945).

During WWII, the Old Reliables spent 264 days in combat, participating in eight separate campaigns. The 9th Infantry Division lost 4,581 soldiers killed in combat, 16,961 wounded, 750 missing in action, and 868 captured. Their total battle and non-battle casualties represented more than 240 percent of their authorized strength. Along with this sacrifice, Old Reliable soldiers earned 4 Medals of Honor, 86 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1,789 Silver Stars, and 5,518 Bronze Stars.

Shortly after the war, the 9th Infantry Division was inactivated. Nevertheless, they were re-activated on July 15, 1947, at Fort Dix, NJ, serving some 15 years before being inactivated once more. On February 1, 1966, however, the Old Reliables were called on again. The Division was re-activated at Fort Riley, Kansas, and deployed to the III Corps Tactical Zone in Vietnam on December 16, 1966. During the Vietnam War, the 9th Infantry Division's units often served with the Mobile Riverine Force and other US Navy units that made up the Brown Water Navy. Its area of operations was in the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta from 1967 to 1972.

The division swept through Dinh Tuong Province from January 6 to May 31, 1967, in Operation PALM BEACH, spending February and March with South Vietnamese forces combating the enemy in Long An Province. Meanwhile, Old Reliable's 2nd Brigade was selected to fulfill the concept of a Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) created in 1967 and integrated with Navy Task Force 117 at each level of its command. One of the unique units serving with the division was the experimental Armor Platoon (Air Cushion Vehicle) which used the specially designed hovercraft to patrol marshy terrain like the Plain of Reeds along the South Vietnamese/Cambodian border.

For the first time since the Civil War, when Union Army forces operated on the Mississippi, Cumberland, and other rivers, the U.S. Army was utilizing an amphibious force operating afloat. The force was a complete package, independent of fixed support embarked or in tow. The troops lived on barracks ships docked at the MRF anchorage. On tactical operations, Navy armored troop carrier boats, preceded by minesweeping craft and escorted by armored boats (monitors) transported the soldiers along the vast waterways in the Delta. The first element of the Mobile Riverine Force (2nd Brigade) arrived in Vietnam in January 1967 and after training in the Rung Sat swamps moved into a base near My Tho. This base was named Dong Tam, a 600-acre island created among inundated rice paddies by dredging earth from the bottom of the Mekong River. The MRF often operated with other specialized units such as Navy Seal teams, South Vietnamese Marines, units of the ARVN 7th Division, and River Assault Groups on reconnaissance blocking and pursuit operations.

During the Tet Offensive in 1968, the 9th Infantry Division engaged in bitter fighting in the Saigon area. After the battle, General Westmoreland stated that the Old Reliables and the Mobile Riverine Force saved the Delta region from falling to the North Vietnamese Army. In 1969, the division also operated throughout the IV Corps Tactical Zone. As part of the U.S. draw down in Vietnam, two brigades were brought home in August 1969. The 3rd Brigade stayed in Vietnam (and fought in Cambodia) until October 1970. Elements of the 9th Infantry Division had served 1,440 days in Vietnam.

After Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington for the remainder of the Cold War. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the division served as the high-technology test-bed for the army. This led to the division testing the concept of "motorized infantry," designed to fill the gap between light infantry and heavy mechanized forces. The idea was to create lighter, mobile units capable of rapid deployment with far fewer aircraft than a heavier mechanized unit. Motorized infantry doctrine concentrated on effectiveness in desert warfare.

The Division eventually fielded two brigades of motorized infantry in battalions designated either "motorized" or "attack." Motorized units fielded the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV or "humvees") and attack units drove Fast Attack Vehicles (FAV), which were essentially dune buggies (later designated the "Desert Patrol Vehicle"). The FAVs were prone to rollover and offered the crew little protection from enemy fire. They were eventually all replaced by versions of the Humvee.

The Old Reliables was one of the divisions identified for inactivation at the end of the Cold War. Although their special training and equipment made them a logical asset to deploy to the Gulf War, they did not deploy to the Middle East. Since the 9th Infantry Division was already in the process of inactivation, during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the division provided soldiers and equipment to fill out deploying units from other divisions and trained National Guard and Army Reserve units deploying to the Persian Gulf.

The existing 3rd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division did not inactivate and was reflagged as the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and assigned directly to I Corps. By December of 1991, all of the units of the 9th Infantry Division had cased their colors. This ended over 50 years of service to the country, earning the Division's nickname: The Old Reliables.

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Book R & R: Judgment at Tokyo

This Book Review and Recommendation is for "Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia" by Gary J. Bass.

(Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library and there are no affiliate links on this page.)

Remember when Amazon wouldn’t let you just rate a book, you had to write a review? I used to hate it when occasionally (actually more times than I care to remember) someone would one-star a book and comment “This book was not about what I thought it was.” Totally not fair to the author or potential readers. Way uncool.

I picked up this book because I was looking for something else. Collectively, we know about war crimes committed by the Japanese during WWII. Conditions in POW camps, summary executions, killing of civilians, and similar war crimes are commonly depicted in documentaries, books, and movies. I wanted to know about the trials of front-line perpetrators. The people who did these things. Their capture, trials, and punishments. This book was not so much about that. Rather, “Judgment at Tokyo" is about the prosecution of those men at the top.

The book goes into great detail on the trial of twenty-eight of the most visible war criminals captured in Japan, including Hideki Tojo. They were to be tried by an International Military Tribunal, consisting of judges representing the Allied Powers that fought the war against Japan. The standard for charges was based on whether the defendants ordered the crimes or knew about crimes and did nothing to either stop them, or investigate charges by the Allies during the war.

What were some of the crimes? A few mentioned include the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, the Burma-Thailand Death Railway, and specifically the mistreatment of POWs which includes beheadings. During the war the Japanese took 132,134 prisoners, mostly from Great Britain, the United States, Australia, and the Holland. Of those, 35,756 died in captivity. That’s a mortality of 27 percent. Compare that to 4% for those POWs held by Germany and Italy. There is even a charge of cannibalism. Eight downed American Navy fliers picked up and taken to the island of Chichi Jima were murdered and ritualistically eaten by Japanese officers there. One Navy flier rescued before drifting to the island was nineteen-year-old future President George H.W. Bush. After the trial, seven of the defendants were sentenced to hang. Sixteen others received life in prison, the remaining had lesser sentences.

Author Gary Bass thoroughly covers the two-and-half-year trial, including background on the judges, the charges, and the events that have anything to do with the trial. As you can imagine, it is lengthy at just under seven hundred pages, excluding front and back matter. But the book is very readable and I found it interesting. My only criticism is that the author tends to view the past through the lens of today’s values. Particularly so when it comes to the dropping of the atomic bombs. So, the book didn't cover exactly what I was looking for, but overall, it was worth the time.

And the answer to my question is that it looks like most of the low-level offenders were captured and tried in the country where they committed the crime. Some where noteworthy, like the trial of General Tomoyuki Yamashita in the Philippines (Read “Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila by James M. Scott for an excellent coverage of the Manila Massacre and Yamashita’s trial). Rough totals: an estimated 5,000 Japanese were tried for war crimes. Half the total charged received prison sentences. As many as 900 were put to death. (Ref: PBS American Experience website.)

A Summary History of the 5th Infantry Division

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"The Red Devils"
(Original Article Written 6-2-10)

The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) has the nicknames of "Red Devils" or the "Red Diamond" for the simple design of their shoulder sleeve insignia. The 5th I.D., currently inactive, is a regular army division that saw service in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and Operation Just Cause in Panama.

As part of the United States Army's buildup for World War I, the Fifth Division was activated on December 11, 1917, at Camp Logan, near Houston, Texas. The Division's organization called for four infantry regiments. However, only the headquarters and a few units were at Camp Logan. The Division's remaining units were training at locations spread over the Eastern and Southern United States. The 5th Division did not assemble as a unit until their arrival in France was completed on May 1, 1918.

It was during WWI that the 5th Infantry Division adopted their shoulder patch, the red diamond, and their nom de guerre. German soldiers during the St. Mihiel campaign called the American soldiers "Die rote teufel," which means "red devils."

The Red Diamonds were the eighth division to arrive in France. On arrival, the 5th Division conducted intensive training under the tutelage of French instructors. By the end of May the 5th Division was declared ready for combat and placed at the disposal of the French to reinforce the French Seventh Army in the Anould Sector in the Vosges Mountains in Alsace. Here they occupied trenches with French troops and suffered the Division's first casualties on the night of June 14, 1918.

On July 14, the Red Diamond was removed from the line and took over the St. Die Sector, relieving French troops. The 5th Division immediately initiated aggressive patrolling. The Division's artillery relished the opportunity to fire on live targets. As a result, "No Man's Land" became "Our Land." The 5th Division's machine gunners even brought down the first enemy airplane from ground fire.

By Armistice Day, the 5th Division had advanced further east than any other Allied division. In World War I, the 5th Division participated in the following campaigns: Alsace 1918, Lorraine 1918, Saint Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne. Since its first introduction into the trenches in June 1918, the Red Diamond had been in the line for 103 days. The 5th Division captured 2,367 German soldiers. The Red Devils sustained 9,981 casualties, 1,098 of those were killed in action. Decorations for valor were awarded to 351 Red Devils.

After the Armistice on November 11, 1918, the 5th Division was one of ten American divisions that served as occupation troops. Beginning November 27, the Red Diamond was stationed in Luxembourg and southeastern Belgium where it guarded the line of communications for Allied troops in Germany. During the summer of 1919, the Red Devils returned to the United States. The 5th Division was inactivated on October 4, 1921, at Camp Jackson, South Carolina.

With the American concern over the start of World War II in Europe, the 5th Infantry Division was once again activated on October 16, 1939, at Fort McClellan, Alabama. This time the Red Diamond was formed as a "triangular" division with the 2nd, 10th, and 11th Infantry Regiments for an authorized strength of approximately 15,000.

After periods of intensive training, the Red Diamond settled in their permanent post at Fort Custer, Michigan in September 1940. By April of 1941, the 5th Infantry Division had received their first batch of draftees, approximately 5,000, that brought the Division up to authorized strength. In September 1941, units of the Red Diamond began deployment to Iceland. The remainder of the Division had arrived by May 1942. While in Iceland, the Red Devils performed arduous and monotonous duties of operating observation posts, unloading boats, and building roads and buildings, all while still maintaining training schedules.

In August 1943, the 5th Infantry Division moved from Iceland to Tidworth Barracks, England. Then in October, the Red Devils moved to Northern Ireland to continue training for the invasion of France. The Red Diamond landed in Normandy at Utah Sugar Red Beach, in the St. Mere Eglise area, on July 9, 1944. It was assigned to the V Corps, First Army, and relieved the 1st Infantry Division in the Coumont area. The division launched its first attack on Vidouville on July 26, 1944. From August 3, 1944, the 5th Infantry Division served in the XII and XX Corps, in Patton's Third Army until the end of hostilities on May 7, 1945.

The 5th Division, from its landing in Normandy on July 9, 1944, to the last Division Headquarters in Vilshofen, Germany, traveled 2049 miles and engaged in all five of the ETO's major campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The Red Diamond had spent 300 days in combat, where they suffered battle casualties of 2,659 killed in action, 9,153 wounded, 1,050 missing in action, and 101 captured. Red Devils recognized for valor included the Medal of Honor (to Private Harold A. Garmen, a medic), 34 Distinguished Service Crosses, 602 Silver Stars, 10 Soldiers Medals, and 2,066 Bronze Stars.

The Red Diamond Division was inactivated on September 20, 1946, at Camp Campbell Kentucky. However, this was not the end of the Red Diamond's history. The 5th Infantry Division would be activated and inactivated many times in the future. The Red Devils were part of NATO forces in Germany in the mid-1950s as part of the United States' Cold War defense of Europe. On March 25, 1968, the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was alerted for deployment to Vietnam.

To make the Red Devil's 1st Brigade combat effective as a separate maneuver unit, there were several new assignments and attachments. In addition to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized); the following units were assigned: 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment (Mechanized); 1st Battalion, 77th Armor; A Troop, 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment; 5th Battalion, 4th Artillery; 75th Support Battalion; A Company, 7th Engineers; 298th Signal Company; 517th Military Intelligence Detachment; 86th Chemical Detachment; 48th Public Information Detachment; 407th Radio Research Detachment; and the 43rd Scout Dog Platoon. On February 24, 1969, the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mech) was assigned operational control of the 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry. Charlie Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry was placed under the operational control of the Red Devil Brigade in the summer of 1970. At peak strength, the brigade had over 6,000 personnel assigned and was one of the most potent fighting forces in the Republic of Vietnam.

Initially the Red Diamond Brigade conducted a 13-week training and familiarization program to adjust the brigade's personnel to situations in Vietnam. The emphasis was on independent small unit tactics and rapid response to alerts. In June 1968, the brigade began the long and difficult overseas movement. The advance party arrived in Quang Tri base on July 2, 1968. The remainder of the Brigade had closed on Quang Tri by July 22, and three maneuver battalions were located at separate base camps outside Quang Tri base proper.

A Company, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor was the first unit of the Red Diamond Brigade to be tactically committed. On August 12, 1968, the unit moved north to Con Thien to support the 1st Marine Regiment for ten days against North Vietnamese Army units attempting to infiltrate through the demilitarized zone. A Company made five contacts, was credited with 80 killed, and set the standard for the Brigade.

The Red Devils continued to operate in an area known as "Leatherneck Square," assisting the 3rd Marine Division deny access to the south through the DMZ. During April and May 1969, the Red Diamond Brigade attempted to deny the enemy access to the rice harvest. To accomplish this, the Brigade provided security for the friendly populace as they harvested their crops and patrolled at night to inhibit the movement of North Vietnamese tax collectors. The Red Diamonds showed that mechanized forces could be effective, even though they operated in terrain that was not optimal for armored forces.

In August 1969, the Red Devils assumed full responsibility for "Leatherneck Square." For six weeks, constant activity kept all units of the Brigade busy in this area. On October 22, the Brigade was removed from the operational control of the 3rd Marine Division and placed directly under the commanding general of XXIV Corps. In conjunction with the 1st ARVN (South Vietnamese) Division, the Brigade now had sole responsibility for the defense of Quang Tri and Dong Ha combat bases.

In January 1971, the reinforced 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, initiated Operation Lam Son 719. The Brigade opened the QL9 Road from Dong Ha to the Laotian border; at the same time, engineers constructed access roads from the Rock Pile through the Punch Bowl to Khe Sanh. Following this, a 20,000-man ARVN Task Force moved to the Laotian border. The Red Diamond Brigade's missions were to secure QL9 as a supply route and provide mobile defense for the huge forward support area of Vandergrift and Khe Sanh. For 69 days of increasingly confused and bitter fighting, the Red Devils prevented the enemy from making a successful offensive move against any of these vital links in the ARVN offensive. A body count of 400 North Vietnamese was made, and the primary mission to keep the logistical support channels operational at all times was accomplished. When the last of the logistical units had withdrawn, the Red Diamond resumed its search and cordon patrols and rice denial efforts in eastern Quang Tri Province.

In June, the Red Devils received stand-down orders with stateside redeployment to commence on July 1, 1971. Brigade activities were limited to base security in anticipation of a North Vietnamese Army effort to achieve a propaganda victory over the departing unit. The Brigade colors departed Quang Tri on August 8, 1971, after a ceremony the previous day in which several Vietnamese decorations were awarded to the Brigade and to Brigade personnel. The Red Devils returned to Fort Carson, leaving the defense of Quang Tri in the hands of the ARVN 1st Division, a unit that they had largely trained. On August 22, 1971, the Brigade colors were cased at Fort Carson, Colorado. The Red Diamond was inactive once again.

The 5th Mechanized Infantry Division was re-activated and reorganized at Fort Polk, LA in 1976. From 1989 through 1992, the division was attached to III Corps and shared its Cold War mission of reinforcing Allied Forces in Central Europe. According to the Army doctrine of the time, the division was organized with two active brigades and "rounded out" by a brigade from the Army National Guard. In 1989, after months of deteriorating relations between the governments of the United States and that of Dictator Manuel Noriega of Panama, the situation became critical with the killing of a Marine officer and the harassment of American personnel by the Noreiga forces. When it came time for U.S. President George H.W. Bush to stop Noriega's repressive regime, the Red Diamond was standing in the wings and ready to be called.

A part of the division had been deployed in the Panama City area in May 1989 to secure American facilities. The following September these troops were replaced by "Task Force Regulars." This task force consisted of the 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and supporting elements. Task Force Regulars was assigned the mission of the assault of "la Comandcia," the headquarters of Noriega's Panama Defense Forces (PDF). Augmenting the 4/6 Infantry were Company A, 7th Engineers, elements of 5th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery, 5th Support Battalion (Forward), Company C, 508th Airborne Infantry Regiment, four M551 Sheridans from the 82nd Airborne Division, four Marine light armored vehicles (LAVs) and two platoons of military police from Fort Benning, GA. Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama, opened in the first hours of December 20, 1989. Task Force Regulars returned to their home station, Fort Polk, Louisiana, in late January. The returning Red Diamond veterans of Operation Just Cause were honored with a division review and awards ceremony on February 9, 1990.

The last inactivation of the Red Diamond was on November 24, 1992, exactly 75 years from the date of its first order to activate, November 24, 1917. Through the efforts of the unit soldiers, the Red Devils, the 5th Infantry Division earned its motto: "We Will."

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A Summary History of the 4th Infantry Division

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"The Ivy Division"
(Article written 9/3/08 by Jim Broumley)

The 4th Infantry Division, whose motto is "Steadfast and Loyal," is a heavy mechanized division in the United States Regular Army. The 4th ID has a storied history from WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Arguably the most modernized division in the army, the 4ID is currently organized with four Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), a fires brigade, an aviation brigade, and various supporting units. Currently home-based at Fort Hood, Texas, the "Ivy Division" is in the process of re-stationing to Fort Carson, Colorado, around unit deployments to Iraq.

The 4th Infantry Division is nicknamed the "Ivy Division." This comes from the design of the shoulder sleeve insignia which has four green ivy leaves joined at the stem and opening at the four corners. The word "Ivy" is a play on the Roman numeral four, IV. Ivy leaves are symbolic of tenacity and fidelity, the basis of the Division's motto, "Steadfast and Loyal." The Division's second nickname, "Iron Horse," has been recently adopted to indicate the speed and power of the division.

The 4th Division was formed at Camp Greene, North Carolina on December 10, 1917, for service in World War One. The 4th Infantry Division went into action in the Aisne-Marne campaign in July 1918, at which time its units were piecemealed and attached to several French infantry divisions. Almost a month later, the Division was reunited for the final days of the campaign. During the next four months, the 4th I.D. saw action on the front lines and as reserves. Suffering over 11,500 casualties in the final drive for the Allied victory, the 4th Infantry Division was the only division to serve in both the French and British sectors of the front.

By the end of WWI, 2,611 Ivy Division soldiers were killed in action and 9,895 others were wounded. The 4th Division remained in Europe for occupation duty until returning to the United States on July 31, 1919. The 4th Division was inactivated at Camp Lewis, Washington on September 21, 1921.

The 4th Infantry Division was reactivated on June 1, 1940, at Fort Benning, Georgia as part of the U.S. Army buildup before the country entered into World War II. From June of 1940 until late in 1943, the 4th Infantry Division served as an experimental division for the Army, testing new equipment and tactics. Finally, after years of training, the Ivy Division moved to England in January of 1944 to prepare for Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The amphibious invasion of Europe began on June 6, 1944. The Division's 8th Infantry Regiment was the first Allied ground unit to assault German forces on the Normandy Beaches. The remainder of the Division quickly followed, landing on Utah Beach. For 26 days the Division pushed inland, reaching the Port of Cherbourg and sustaining over 5,000 casualties. Breaking out of the Beachhead and expanding operations well into France, the Division was given the honor of being the first Allied unit to participate in the liberation of Paris. The Ivy Division quickly moved on through northern France reaching Belgium and the border of Germany by September 1944. In November, the 4th Infantry Division moved into the Hurtgen Forest and fought what was to be its fiercest battle. The 4th Infantry Division held its ground during the Battle of the Bulge; crossed the Rhine, then the Danube, and finally ceased its advance at the Isar River in southern Germany.

When the 4th Infantry Division's WWII combat operations ended on May 2, 1945, 4,097 soldiers had been killed in action, 17,371 were wounded, and 757 would later die from their wounds. The Division returned to the United States in July 1945 and was stationed at Camp Butner, North Carolina, preparing for deployment to the Pacific. However, the Japanese surrendered before the 4th ID was deployed. After the war ended the 4ID was inactivated on March 5, 1946. The Division was reactivated as a training division at Fort Ord, California on July 15, 1947.

On October 1, 1950, the 4th Infantry Division was re-designated as a combat division, training at Fort Benning, Georgia. In May 1951 it deployed to Germany as the first of four U.S. divisions committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during the early years of the Cold War. The division headquarters was located in Frankfurt, West Germany. After a five-year tour in Germany, the division redeployed to Fort Lewis, Washington in May of 1956. The 66th Armor Regiment and 4th Signal Company of the 4th Infantry Division served in the Korean War.

The 4th Infantry Division deployed from Fort Lewis to Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam on September 25, 1966, and served more than four years, returning to Fort Carson, Colorado on December 8, 1970. Two brigades operated in the Central Highlands/II Corps Zone, but its 3rd Brigade, including the division's armor battalion, was sent to Tay Ninh Province northwest of Saigon to take part in Operation Attleboro (September to November 1966), and later Operation Junction City (February to May 1967), both in War Zone C.

Throughout its service in Vietnam, the Ivy Division conducted combat operations in the western Central Highlands along the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. The 4th Infantry Division experienced intense combat against NVA regular forces in the mountains surrounding Kontum in the autumn of 1967. The division's 3rd Brigade was withdrawn from Vietnam in April 1970 and deactivated at Fort Lewis. In May the remainder of the division conducted cross-border operations during the Cambodian Incursion. The Ivy Division returned from Vietnam in December and was rejoined in Fort Carson by its former 3rd Brigade from Hawaii, where it had re-deployed as part of the withdrawal of the 25th Infantry Division. One battalion remained in Vietnam as a separate organization until January 1972. During the four and a half years of combat operations during the Vietnam War, 2,531 Ivy Division soldiers were killed in action and another 15,229 were wounded.

After Vietnam, the Division settled at Fort Carson, Colorado where it reorganized as a mechanized infantry division and remained at Carson for 25 years. It was during the Division's time at Fort Carson that it had the unofficial nickname of the "Ironhorse" Division. The 4th Infantry Division moved its colors to Fort Hood, Texas in December 1995 to become the Army's first Digitized Division under the Force XXI program. In this program the Division was thoroughly involved in the training, testing, and evaluation of 72 initiatives to include the Division's Capstone Exercise (DCX I) held at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California in April 2001 and culminating in the DCX II held at Fort Hood in October 2001.

Division elements have supported rotations to Bosnia and Kuwait as well as providing a Task Force to fight forest fires in Idaho in 2000. 4ID Soldiers supported the Winter Olympics in Utah. Since November 2001, the Division's mission was the Division Ready Brigade-prepared to deploy at a moment's notice to anywhere in the world.

The 4th Infantry Division was alerted for the Iraq War on January 19, 2003. The Division's mission was to lead an advance from Turkey into Northern Iraq. Unfortunately, the Turkish government did not give their permission for U.S. Forces to use Turkey to attack Iraq, and the Ivy Division had to reroute to the war through Kuwait. Arriving after the invasion had started, the 4th Infantry Division entered Iraq as follow-on forces in April of 2003. The 4th ID was deployed in the northern area of the Sunni Triangle near Tikrit. The Ivy Division became a major part of occupation forces during the post-war period.

In Operation Red Dawn, conducted on December 2003, the Iron Horse Division in coordination with a special unit captured the top High Value Target of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Hussein was located about 10 miles south of Tikrit, cowering in a "spider hole." His capture has been described by news media as the number-one news story of 2003. The Division returned to the United States by April of 2004 with a most successful completion of their tour as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. Sadly, 81 Iron Horse soldiers gave their lives in OIF 1.

The 4th Infantry Division's second deployment to Iraq began in the fall of 2005. The Division headquarters replaced the 3rd Infantry Division, which had been directing security operations as the headquarters for Multi-National Division - Baghdad. The 4th ID assumed responsibility on January 7, 2006, for four provinces in central and southern Iraq: Baghdad, Karbala, An-Najaf, and Babil. On January 7, 2006, MND-Baghdad also assumed responsibility for training Iraqi security forces and conducting security operations in the four provinces. The 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division was assigned to conduct security operations under the command of Task Force Band of Brothers, led initially by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). During this deployment, 229 soldiers were killed in action.

Today, the 4th Infantry Division is the most lethal, modern, and deployable heavy division in the world; it is prepared to conduct full-spectrum combat operations. The Iron Horse has earned twenty-one campaign streamers with sixteen 4th Infantry Division Soldiers presented the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Ivy Division began its third deployment to Iraq in late 2007 and is scheduled to return to the U.S. in 2009. The Division will continue its move to Fort Carson upon their return. The soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division continue to serve their country and live up to their unit's motto of "Steadfast and Loyal."

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A Summary History of the 7th Infantry Division

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 "The Bayonet Division"
(Original article written by Jim Broumley, 1/25/2010)

The 7th Infantry Division, the "Bayonet," was a light division formerly stationed at Fort Ord, California. Known at the end of the Cold War as "light fighters," this division has a storied history from WWII and Korea to Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama.

The shoulder sleeve insignia was first adopted in October 1918. It originated from the use of two sevens, one inverted and one upright, to create an hourglass symbol. As a result, the 7th Division was also known as the "Hourglass Division." A bayonet was added to the distinctive unit insignia as a result of the Division's participation in the Korean War and symbolizes the fighting spirit of the 7th Infantry.

The 7th Infantry Division was originally formed for service during World War I. It was activated into the regular army on December 6, 1917, at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, and after training arrived in France in October of 1918, approximately a month before the armistice was signed. Although the 7th Infantry Division as a whole did not see action, many of its subordinate units did. After 33 days in combat, the division suffered 1,988 casualties including 204 killed in action. The 7th Infantry Division returned to the United States in late 1919 and was gradually demobilized at Camp Meade, Maryland. The Division was deactivated on September 22, 1921.

In the buildup for World War II, a cadre was sent to Camp Ord, California to reactivate the 7th Infantry Division on July 1, 1940. The Division was formed around the 17th, 32nd, and 53rd Infantry Regiments and was commanded by Major General Joseph Stilwell. Many of the new soldiers in the Division were draftees, called up in the US Army's first peacetime draft in history.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the 7th Infantry Division was sent to Camp San Luis Obispo to continue training. The 159th Infantry, recently mobilized from the California National Guard, replaced the 53rd Infantry Regiment. From April 1940 until January 1, 1943, the Division was designated the 7th Motorized Division, and the unit trained in California's Mojave Desert. It was thought that the Division would head to North Africa. However, the motor vehicles went away, and the unit was redesignated the 7th Infantry Division once again. Amphibious training began under the tutelage of the Feet Marine Force and General Holland Smith. The 7th Division was now destined for the Pacific Theater.

The Hourglass Division first saw combat in WWII in the Aleutian Islands. On May 11, 1943, led by the 17th Infantry Regiment, elements of the Division landed on Attu Island where Japanese forces were established. The 7th Infantry Division destroyed all Japanese resistance on the island by May 29th after defending against a suicidal "Bonzai" charge. Approximately 2,351 Japanese were killed, leaving only 28 to be taken prisoner. The 7th Infantry Division lost 600 soldiers killed in action. The 159th Infantry Regiment remained on Attu to secure the island and was replaced by the 184th Infantry Regiment. In August of 1943, the 7th Infantry landed on Kiska Island only to find that the Japanese forces there had secretly withdrawn. The Hourglass Division was then redeployed to the Hawaiian Islands for more training.

The 7th ID was now assigned to the Marine's V Amphibious Corps along with the 4th Marine Division. Their next stop was Kwajalein Atoll, landing on January 30, 1944. The purpose of Operation Flintlock was to remove all Japanese forces from this group of 47 islands in the Pacific. The 7th Infantry Division landed on the main island of Kwajalein while the Marines moved on to outlying islands. By February 4th the island was under the control of the Hourglass soldiers. The 7th Infantry Division suffered 176 killed in action and 767 wounded.

Elements of the 7th Infantry Division also participated in Operation Catchpole to capture Engebi in the Eniwetok Atoll on February 18, 1944. The islands of that atoll were secured in only a week. Afterward, all elements of the Division were back in Hawaii for refit and training in preparation for the assault on the Philippine Islands. While there, the Hourglass Division was reviewed by General Douglas MacArthur and President Franklin Roosevelt in June 1944.

The 7th Infantry Division was now assigned to the XXIV Corps of the Sixth Army. On October 20, 1944, the Hourglass Division made an assault landing at Dulag, on Leyte in the Philippine Islands. Initially, there was only light resistance. However, on October 26th the enemy launched a large, but uncoordinated counterattack against the Sixth Army. High casualties were suffered in fierce jungle fighting, but the 17th Infantry Regiment took Dagami on October 29th. The 7th Infantry Division then moved to the west coast of the island on November 25th, attacking north to Ormoc and securing Valencia on December 25, 1944. Operations to secure Leyte continued until February 1945. The 7th Infantry Division was then removed from the Sixth Army, which went on to attack Luzon and continue the Philippine Campaign. The Hourglass Division would begin training for their next stop through the Pacific, the Japanese island of Okinawa.

For the landing on Okinawa, the 7th Infantry Division was again assigned to the XXIV Corps, now of the Tenth Army. On April 1, 1945, the 7th Infantry Division landed south on Okinawa along with the 96th Infantry Division, and the 1st, and 6th Marine Divisions. The Okinawa Campaign would eventually have 250,000 troops on the island. The Japanese had removed their armor and artillery from the beach and set up defenses in the hills of Shuri. The XXIV Corps destroyed these forces after 51 days of battle over harsh terrain and in inconsiderate weather. After 39 more days of combat, the 7th Infantry Division was moved into reserve after having suffered heavy casualties. The Hourglass Division was soon moved back into the line and fought until the end of the Battle of Okinawa on June 21, 1945. The 7th ID had experienced 89 days of combat on Okinawa and lost 1,116 killed in action and approximately 6,000 wounded. However, it is estimated that the 7th Infantry Division killed at least 25,000 Japanese soldiers and took 4,584 prisoners.

During WWII, the Hourglass soldiers spent 208 days in combat and suffered 8,135 casualties. The 7th Infantry Division won three Medals of Honor, 26 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Distinguished Service Medal, 982 Silver Star Medals, and 3,853 Bronze Star Medals. The Division received nine Distinguished Unit Citations and four campaign streamers.

After the Japanese surrender, the 7th Infantry Division was moved to Korea to accept the surrender of Japanese forces there. After the war, the Bayonets remained as occupation forces in Japan and as security forces in South Korea. During this period, the US Army went through a massive reduction in strength, falling from a wartime high of 89 divisions to only 10 active duty divisions by 1950. The 7th Infantry Division was one of only four drastically under-strength and under-trained divisions on occupation duty in Japan when the North Koreans invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950.

At the beginning of the Korean War, the 7th Infantry Division was further reduced in strength when the Division provided reinforcements for the 25th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division who were sent directly to South Korea. Over the next two months the Bayonet Division was brought up to strength with replacements from the US, over 8,600 South Korean soldiers, and the attachment of a battalion of Ethiopians as part of United Nations forces.

The 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Division made up the landing force for the famous Inchon Landing, code-named Operation Chromite. Supported by the 3rd Infantry Division in reserve the landing began on September 7, 1950, under the command of the X Corps. The operation took the North Koreans completely by surprise and the X Corps immediately moved on to retake the South Korean capital of Seoul. Seoul was captured on September 26th, and the 7th Infantry Division was soon linked with American forces moving north from the breakout of the Pusan Perimeter. The Inchon operation cost the Division 106 killed, 411 wounded, and 57 missing. Casualties of South Korean soldiers with the Division numbered 43 killed and 102 wounded. The X Corps was removed through the ports at Inchon and Pusan to prepare for another amphibious landing further north.

With the North Korean army broken and on the run, the 7th Infantry Division made an unopposed landing at Iwon on October 31, 1950, with orders to move north to the Yalu River with the rest of the X Corps. Through cold, early winter weather, like that only known to a soldier who has been to the Korean Peninsula, the 17th Infantry Regiment made it to Hyesanjin on the Yalu on November 20th. This made the 17th, and as a result the 7th ID, the first American unit to reach the Manchurian border with Communist China.

Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) entered the war on November 27, 1950, storming across the border to attack the Eighth Army in the west and X Corps in the east. Twelve Chinese divisions now assaulted the spread-out regiments of the Bayonets and the rest of X Corps. United Nations forces could not stand up to the onslaught and a retreat was ordered. The 7th ID repulsed repeated attacks as they moved to the port of Hungnam in December of 1950. Three battalions of the division, known as Task Force Faith were trapped by the CCF during the withdrawal. These battalions were wiped out during what became known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. During the retreat from the Yalu, the 7th Infantry Division lost 2,657 killed and 354 wounded.

The 7th Infantry Division was back on the front lines in January of 1951 as part of the United Nations offensive to push back the CCF and North Koreans. The Division was now part of the IX Corps and saw action almost continuously until June when it was moved to the rear for rest and refit. The first since coming to the Korean Peninsula. The Bayonets returned to the line in October, now entering the "stalemate" phase of the war. The 7th ID defended a "static line" with the rest of United Nations forces until the armistice. It was only known as "static" because although the enemy was kept above the 38th parallel, very few gains in territory were made. Still, the Bayonets participated in multiple recognizable actions like the Battle for Heartbreak Ridge, the Battle for Old Baldy, the assault on the Triangle Hill complex as part of Operation Showdown, and the famous Battle at Pork Chop Hill.

The Korean War Armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. During the Korean War, the Bayonets were in combat for a total of 850 days. They suffered 15,126 casualties, including 3,905 killed in action and 10,858 wounded. The 7th Infantry Division remained on the DMZ, its headquarters at Camp Casey, South Korea until 1971. On April 2, 1971, the Division was deactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington.

The 7th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Ord, California in October of 1974. The Bayonets did not deploy to Vietnam. They were held as a contingency force for South America. On October 1, 1985, the Division was redesignated as the 7th Infantry Division (Light) and organized as a light infantry division. It was the first US division specifically designed as such. During the Cold War the "Light Fighters" trained at Fort Ord, Camp Roberts, Fort Hunter Liggett, and Fort Irwin. The 7th ID now had battalions from the 21st, 27th, and 9th Infantry Regiments.

In December of 1989, the 7th Infantry Division participated in Operation Just Cause, the invasion of the Central American nation of Panama. The 7th Light Infantry Division was joined by the 82nd Airborne Division, the 75th Rangers, Marines, and other US forces totaling some 27,684 personnel and over 300 aircraft. On December 20th, elements of the 7th ID landed in the northern areas of Colon Province, securing the Coco Solo Naval Station, Fort Espinar, France Field, and Colon. The symbolic end of the operation was the surrender of Panamanian Dictator Manuel Noriega on January 3, 1990. Most US units began to return to their American bases on January 12th, however, several units, including the 5th Battalion, 21st Infantry (Light) of the 7th Light Infantry Division stayed in Panama until later in the spring to train the new Panamanian Police Forces.

One final mission for the 7th Infantry Division was helping to restore order to the Los Angeles basin during the riots in 1992. Their deployment was called Operation Garden Plot, whose objective was to patrol the streets of Los Angeles and act as crowd control, supporting the Los Angeles Police Department and the California National Guard. In 1991 the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the closing of Fort Ord due to the high cost of living in the coastal California area. By 1994 the 7th ID had moved to Fort Lewis, Washington. As part of the post-Cold War reduction of forces, the 7th Infantry Division (Light) was deactivated on June 16, 1994 at Fort Lewis.

Since the end of the Cold War, the US Army has considered new options for integrating the components of the Active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve. To facilitate the training and readiness of National Guard units, two active duty division headquarters were activated. The 7th ID was one of these, reactivated on June 4, 1999, at Fort Carson, Colorado. While the active division headquarters concept worked admirably, a new component called Division West under First Army was activated to control the training of reserve units in 21 states. This made the need for the active component headquarters obsolete and the 7th Infantry Division headquarters was deactivated for the final time on August 22, 2006.

The 7th Infantry Division was identified as the highest priority inactive division in the US Army Center of Military History's lineage scheme due to its numerous accolades and long history. All of the Bayonets' flags and heraldic items are located in the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia.

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A Summary History of the 2nd Infantry Division

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 "Second to None"
(Original article by Jim Broumley, 6/10/08)

The 2nd Infantry Division's primary mission is the defense of South Korea in the event of an invasion from North Korea. The Warrior Division has approximately 17,000 soldiers who wear the Indianhead shoulder patch, prepared to finish the Korean War, which was technically never concluded. As a result, the 2nd Infantry Division is the most forward-deployed unit in the U.S. Army without being in direct combat.

The 2nd ID is the only division in the American army that has a large number of foreign soldiers assigned to it, made up partially of Korean soldiers. These South Koreans are called KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to US Army). The program began in 1950 by agreement with South Korean President Syngman Rhee. Some 27,000 KATUSAs served with the US forces at the end of the Korean War. As of May 2006, approximately 1,100 KATUSA Soldiers serve with 2ID.

The 2nd Infantry Division was formed at Bourmont, France on October 26, 1917, during the First World War. As such the 2nd I.D. is one of the few active army units organized on foreign soil. At the time of activation, the Indianhead Division had one infantry brigade and one marine brigade assigned. During WWI the 2nd Infantry Division was commanded twice by Marine generals: Major General C.A. Doyen and Major General John A. Lejune. This was the only time in U.S. military history when an Army Division was commanded by a Marine Corps officer.

The 2nd ID spent the winter of 1917/1918 in training. Although judged to be not ready for combat by their French Army trainers, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) needed the Warrior Division in a desperate attempt to halt a German advance toward Paris. As a result, the 2nd Infantry Division entered combat for the first time during Belleau Wood in June 1918. The Indianhead Division went on to participate in the Chateau-Thierry campaign, won victories at Soissons and Mont Blanc, and the Meuse-Argonne offensive. On 11 November 1918, the Armistice was declared, and the 2nd Infantry Division marched into Germany where it performed occupational duties until April of 1919. During WWI, the 2nd ID, including their assigned marines, had 4,478 of its soldiers killed in action. The 2nd Infantry Division was returned to the United States in July 1919.

During the Interwar years, the 2nd Infantry Division was home-based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The Warrior Division remained there for the next 23 years, serving as an experimental unit, testing new concepts and innovations for the Army. The Indianhead Division participated in extensive training and maneuvers for the coming war. Major events included the Louisiana Maneuvers in August of 1941 and winter warfare training at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin beginning in November of 1942. The 2ID sailed from New York on October 8, 1943, en route to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and then later to Wales to train and stage for the invasion of Europe.

Operation Overlord, the invasion of France by Allied Forces, began on June 6, 1944. The Second Infantry Division landed on Omaha Beach on D-day plus one, June 7, 1944. The Division attacked across the Aure River, liberating the town of Trevieres on June 10th. The Warrior Division continued to fight through the hedgerow country of Normandy, ending their participation in the campaign by seizing the heavily defended port city of Brest on September 18, 1944.

After about a week's rest, the 2nd Infantry Division moved to defensive positions at St. Vith, Belgium on September 29, 1944. The 2nd ID entered Germany on October 3rd and was ordered on December 11, 1944, to attack and seize the Roer River dams. Having pierced the dreaded Siegfried Line, the Division was advancing when Nazi Field Marshal Gerd Von Rundstedt unleashed the powerful German offensive in the Ardennes. In mid-December the Indianhead Division was forced to withdraw to a defensive position near Elsenborn. Throughout this Battle of the Bulge, the 2nd Infantry Division held fast, preventing the enemy from seizing key roads leading to the cities of Liege and Antwerp. The 2nd Infantry Division went back on the attack on February 6, 1945. The Division reached the Rhine River on March 9th and crossed it on March 21, 1945.

Transferred from the First Army to Patton's Third Army, the Indianheads spent their last days of the war in Europe with a dash across Czechoslovakia, finally halting in the town of Pilsen on VE Day, May 8, 1945.

The 2nd Infantry Division returned to the United States through New York and arrived at Camp Swift, Texas on July 22, 1945. There the Warrior Division began to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but they were still at Camp Swift on VJ Day, September 2, 1945. From Camp Swift, the Division moved to their new home base at Fort Lewis, Washington in April of 1946. During WWII, the 2ID participated in five campaigns for a total of 303 days of combat. Six Indianhead Division soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor. The Division lost 3,031 soldiers killed in action during World War Two.

The Korean War began when the North Korean Army invaded the South on June 25, 1950. The 2nd Infantry Division was quickly alerted and arrived in Pusan, South Korea on July 23, 1950, becoming the first unit to reach Korea directly from the United States. Like all units early to arrive in Korea, the 2ID was employed piecemeal to stem the tide of the invading Communists. The entire division was committed as a unit on August 24th, relieving the 24th Infantry Division at the Naktong River Line. A sixteen-day battle began on the night of August 31, 1950, that required the Warrior Division's clerks, band, and logistics personnel to join in the fight to hold the "Pusan Perimeter."

On September 16, 1950, one day after the Inchon Landing, the 2nd Infantry Division was the first unit to break out of the Pusan Perimeter. The Indianhead Division led the Eighth Army drive to the Manchurian Border. The Division was within fifty miles of the Manchurian border when Chinese forces entered the fight, first encountering American troops on November 1, 1950. Soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division were given the mission of protecting the rear and right flank of the Eighth Army as it retired to the South. Fighting around Kunu-ri cost the 2nd ID nearly one-third of its strength, but was ten times more costly to the enemy. Routes south were kept open.

The Chinese Winter Offensive was finally blunted by the 2nd ID on January 31, 1951, at Wonju. Powerful counter-offensives were repulsed in February and the United Nations front was held. Again in April and May of 1951 the 2nd Infantry Division was instrumental in stopping the communist's spring offensive, earning the Warrior Division a Presidential Unit Citation. The remainder of the Indianhead Division's participation in the Korean War was a series of alternating periods of rest and combat. The Division participated in the Battles at Bloody Ridge and Heartbreak Ridge. A ceasefire agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, ending the main hostilities of the Korean War.

On August 20, 1954, four years after its last unit arrived in Korea, the 2nd Infantry Division was alerted for redeployment to the United States. During the Korean War, 17 Warrior Division soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor. The 7,094 combat deaths of the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea are the highest total among any modern U.S. division in any war since 1900.

The 2nd Infantry Division returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it remained for only two years. In August of 1956, the Division was transferred to Alaska. After a brief threat of deactivation, the unit was again transferred, this time to Fort Benning, Georgia to be reorganized with the personnel and equipment of the 10th Infantry Division returning from Germany. Fort Benning remained the home of the new 2nd Infantry Division from 1958 to 1965, where they were initially assigned the mission of a training division. In March 1962 the 2ID was designated as a Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) unit. Following this designation, the Division became engaged in intensified combat training, tactical training, and field training exercises, in addition to special training designed to improve operational readiness.

As a result of the formation of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) at Fort Benning in 1965, the 2nd Infantry Division's stateside units were reassigned to the new formation and the existing 1st Cavalry Division in Korea took on the title of the 2nd Infantry Division. Thus the division formally returned to Korea in July 1965. North Korean forces were engaging in increasing border incursions and infiltration attempts and the 2nd Infantry Division was called upon to help halt these attacks. On November 2, 1966, soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment were killed in an ambush by North Korean forces. In 1967 enemy attacks in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) increased, as a result, 16 American soldiers were killed that year. North Korean probes across the DMZ continued in 1968. In 1969, four soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment were killed while on patrol.

On August 18, 1976, during a routine tree-trimming operation within the DMZ, two American officers of the Joint Security Force (Joint Security Area) were axed to death in a melee with North Korean border guards called the Axe Murder Incident. What resulted was known as Operation Paul Bunyan. The 2nd Infantry Division was chosen to support the United Nations Command response to this incident and on August 21, Task Force Brady (named after the 2d ID Commander) in support of Task Force Vierra (named after the Joint Security Area Battalion Commander), a group of Republic of Korean (ROK) soldiers, American infantry, and engineers, swept into the area and cut down the infamous "Panmunjom Tree." The 2nd Infantry Division delivered an unmistakable message to the North Koreans, as well as to the world.

Throughout the 1980s, soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division continued to patrol along the DMZ. With the end of the Cold War, 2ID Warriors left the DMZ in 1991 but remained forward deployed along the most heavily defended frontier in the world. In 1994, the death of the North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung, issued a period of increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, now with the North threatening nuclear development. The 2nd Infantry Division is still stationed in Korea, with a number of camps near the DMZ. The Warrior Division faces a real threat. One of the largest armies in the world sits just across the DMZ. The fighting stopped in 1953, but the Korean War never officially ended.

Beginning in 1995, the 2nd Infantry Division began to change to reflect the modularization of the U.S. Army in the 21st Century. This included changing from a two maneuver-brigade formation to a structure of four Brigade Combat Teams (BCT). While the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, the Combat Aviation Brigade, Division Fires Brigade, and various support troops remain in Korea, three additional BCTs have been formed in the United States. The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team was moved from Korea to Fort Carson, Colorado after their deployment to Iraq in 2004/05, and is structured like a traditional mechanized infantry, reinforced brigade. The 3rd and 4th Brigades were re-activated at Fort Lewis, Washington, and have fielded the Stryker Armored Vehicle. These two brigades now are designated as Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT). They bridge the gap between the heavy mechanized infantry formations and light infantry troops.

While the North Korean threat is ever-present, the Warrior Division also participates in the Global War on Terror. In August of 2004, the majority of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 2nd Infantry Division was deployed to Iraq. The 2nd BCT was given strategic command to much of the sparsely populated area south and west of Fallujah. Their mission changed when major insurgent actions began to take place within the city proper. At this time, the Brigade Combat Team was refocused and given control of the eastern half of the volatile city of Ar-Ramadi. Within a few weeks of taking over operational control from the previous units, the 2nd Brigade began experiencing violent activity. The primary focus of the 2nd BCT for much of their deployment was the struggle to gain local support and to minimize casualties. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team was in action in the city of Ramadi for several historical events, but most notably the Iraqi national elections of January 2005. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team left Iraq in July of 2005. The 3rd and 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, 2nd Infantry Division are the latest Warrior Division units to be deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007.

Like all U.S. military units, the primary mission of the 2nd Infantry Division is to deter war. Should that deterrence fail, the soldiers of the Warrior Division are ready to defend "Freedom's Frontier." As in their history, the units that wear the Indianhead patch will live up to their motto of "Second to None."

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A Summary History of the 1st Aviation Brigade

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"Golden Hawks"
(Original article written by Jim Broumley, 5/15/2008)

1st Aviation Brigade SSI
 

In 1965, as the U.S. Army's involvement in Vietnam grew deeper, the ubiquitous use of the helicopter in the new "frontless" war became apparent. The Army had to have the means to maintain tactical and administrative control over all of its divisional and non-divisional aviation assets in the country. It did this with the creation of the 1st Aviation Brigade, the Golden Hawks.

In April 1965 the USA Aviation Brigade (Provisional) was activated in Vietnam with the existing 13th, 14th, 52nd, and 145th Aviation Battalions reporting to it. In August it became the 12th Aviation Group. Now doubled in size, the 12th Aviation Group was used as the basis to form the 1st Aviation Brigade in March 1966.

The Brigade served in Vietnam from May 1966 until March 1973. At its peak strength, the 1st AVN BDE had over 4,000 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft and 24,000 soldiers assigned. The organization became so large that the Brigade was organized into Aviation Groups. The Groups were then assigned Aviation Battalions and Companies, or Squadrons and Troops in the case of Cavalry units. The 1st Aviation Brigade was responsible for forty percent of the Army's helicopter assets and one hundred percent of its fixed-wing assets in Vietnam. In 1969, the brigade carried more than 6.5 million troops in more than 4 million sorties, flying more than 1.5 million hours to accomplish this monumental mission. Units of the Brigade performed brilliantly throughout the war and were instrumental in inventing and perfecting the art of helicopter warfare. Upon withdrawal from the Republic of South Vietnam, the Golden Hawks were sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama, to serve as a training brigade where they are still stationed today.

During the Vietnam War, the 1st Aviation Brigade and its support units constituted the largest operational aviation brigade in the Army. As such, the Golden Hawks were involved in practically every operation of note during the conflict. However, Lam Son 719 stands out because it involved heavy use of aviation assets, including the 1st Aviation Brigade. This Operation demonstrates both the successes and the failures in the use of helicopters during the, up to that date, unconventional war that was Vietnam. It is also demonstrative of the sacrifices made by the aircrews who manned them.

Operation Lam Son 719 involved a mass use of Army helicopters. The Operation took place from February 8th to March 25, 1971. Its mission was the coordinated insertion of South Vietnamese troops by air and armored units into Laos. While ground troops were strictly South Vietnamese, the United States provided logistical, aerial, and artillery support. The intent of the operation was to drive the North Vietnamese regular army out of areas of Laos contiguous to the South Vietnamese border.

As United States forces were not allowed to operate on the ground inside of Laos, the American portion of the mission was given the name Operation Dewey Canyon II. American lift helicopters ferried South Vietnamese troops into Laos. Helicopter gun-ships provided close air support for the South Vietnamese ground forces (ARVN) and destroyed an estimated 88 North Vietnamese P-76 tanks. Unfortunately, the operation was considered a failure on the ground when the South Vietnamese forces took heavy losses in their withdrawal from Laos. Combined U.S./ARVN helicopter losses totaled 108 destroyed and 618 damaged. During Lam Son 719 American helicopters had flown more than 160,000 sorties and 19 U.S. Army aviators had been killed, 59 were wounded, and 11 were missing at its conclusion. Many of the helicopters were shot down by Soviet-built 37-millimeter (mm), radar-directed, antiaircraft guns.

During Lam Son 719, Army helicopter pilots often were forced to fly in what at best could be discerned as marginal weather. Helicopters serving in the Vietnam War did not have tactical radar on board, so pilots had a difficult time flying during inclement weather. The fact that more helicopters were not lost during this operation was due, in large measure, to the flying skills and bravery of these pilots. Lam Son 719 itself incurred a great deal of controversy inside and outside of military circles as to its efficacy and results. The operation served as a lessons-learned report for the Army. None of which detracts from the hard work and courage of the aircrews who wore the Golden Hawks shoulder patch.

Today, the 1st Aviation Brigade is responsible for training aviation officers, warrant officers, and soldiers with a variety of aviation military occupational specialties (MOS). The Golden Hawks Brigade Headquarters and most subordinate units are stationed at the United States Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama. The 1st Aviation Brigade commands four distinctly different battalions, each with a unique mission to train young soldiers and officers - the 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment; the 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment; 1st Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment; and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Additionally, the 1st Aviation Brigade commands the U.S. Army's Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Level C Training Detachment. Along with its many command responsibilities, logistical support requirements, and administrative duties, the Brigade's primary mission is to train and develop future aviation warfighting leaders.

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The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate)

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A Norwegian-American Unit formed during World War II.
(Original article written 7-14-2013 by Jim Broumley)

99th Infantry Battalion
Shoulder Patch

One of the reasons I enjoy studying and writing about WWII is that during that time the concept of "special operations" was really taking root. There are a lot of interesting stories in the histories of these types of military units. Quite a few units were conceived on paper, or actually formed and began training, to fulfill specific missions or operate in a particular theater or environment. Units like the 1st Special Service Force, Darby's Rangers, Merrill's Marauders, etc, easily come to mind. Even the airborne was initially conceived as a small unit, special operations force, according to General William Yarborough. (The general made that statement in an oral history interview that I used as a reference while researching the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.)

Upon the United States' entry into World War II, plans for unconventional warfare operations in Norway began developing under the code name "Plough." The goals of these operational plans were to eliminate Norway as an economic asset for Germany, keep large numbers of German troops on occupation duty in Norway, limit German troops deployed in Norway the ability to attack allied convoys headed to supply the Russian port of Murmansk, to prepare for the liberation of Norway, and open a link through Norway to Russia. The unit first envisioned for this mission was the 1st Special Service Force, "the Devil's Brigade," activated on July 2, 1942. The 1st SSF began its training with skills in winter warfare like skiing and mountain climbing.

Concurrently, U.S. Army planners knew that they needed soldiers who could blend in with the local Norwegians. It was determined that the Army should recruit native speakers of Norwegian and Americans of Norwegian descent for a special unit. On July 10, 1942, the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated. Many of the men who volunteered for the unit came from Minnesota and the Dakotas. There were also a number of Norwegian merchant seamen who were locked out of their home country when the Germans invaded. All the volunteers were either American citizens or were required to apply for citizenship.

The 99th Battalion began their training at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on August 15, 1942. The Battalion's first commander was Captain Harold D. Hanson. Their strength was 884 men, led by Norwegian-American officers until native Norwegians could be trained at officer candidate schools. They adopted a shoulder sleeve insignia representative of their native origins: a Viking ship on a shield utilizing the Norwegian national colors of red, white, and blue. The unit's training began with soldier skills and physical conditioning. Fort Ripley was built for summer training, so in September the 99th moved to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, at the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The local Scandinavian immigrant communities in the area made the soldiers feel at home with a number of social events.

On December 17, 1942, the 99th Infantry Battalion moved out to Camp Hale, Colorado for winter training on skis and snowshoes. When the snow melted in the spring the soldiers were trained in rock climbing and mountaineering. The 99th Battalion arguably received the best winter warfare training available to American troops at the time. President Roosevelt, known to champion special ops units of the day, reviewed the Battalion on Easter Sunday, 1943. During their nine months of training in Colorado, the unit took on the nom de guerre of the "Norwegian Avengers."

Unfortunately, in the spring of 1943, the Allied Powers decided to take the Norwegian operation away from the 1st Special Service Force and their attached 99th Infantry Battalion. It was determined that once such a large ground force was inserted into Norway that they could not be supplied or extracted if necessary. Their mission could actually be accomplished by bombers of the Royal Air Force, despite the belief by the Norwegian government that the damage caused by any of these combat operations would hurt the economy and the people of Norway more than the German occupation. However, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the CIA, had an interest in Norway (as well as every other occupied country). In June 1943, about a hundred Norwegian speakers from the 99th Battalion were recruited for OSS operational teams. Some of these men would eventually parachute into Norway with Major William Colby as part of OSS "Operation Rype."

Two months after their mission was scrubbed, the 99th Infantry Battalion was ordered overseas. In August the Battalion moved to Camp Shanks, New York. Then on September 5, they departed for Great Britain on the troopship SS Mexico. While in England the 99th continued to hone their mountaineering skills, but they also trained as armored infantry (infantry that supported tanks). The "Norwegian Avengers" became part of the great Allied army preparing to cross the channel and fight for the liberation of Europe.

The 99th Infantry Battalion landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on June 21, 1944, and by June 30th was participating in the liberation of Cherbourg. While attached to the 2nd Armored Division in mid-August, the commanding general said that the Norwegians were the only infantry unit that his tanks had trouble keeping up with. The last week of that month saw the 99th Infantry Battalion fighting to secure the bridge over the Seine River in the city of Elbeuf. This was one of only two escape routes for the Germans fleeing Normandy. By September the Battalion, still attached to the 2AD, saw heavy action along the Meuse Canal near Maastrict, Holland. October saw the 99th attached to the 30th Infantry Division and engaged in their most intense combat of the war, blocking the German retreat from Aachen by attacking the German city of Wurselen. During November and December, the Norwegians served as the U.S. 1st Army reserve against possible German airborne operations.

The day after the Germans began their offensive in the Ardennes area of Belgium, kicking off what became known as the "Battle of the Bulge," the 99th Infantry Battalion was ordered forward into a defensive position south of Malmedy. They were part of Task Force Hanson, named for their commander LTC Harold Hanson, which consisted of the 99th along with the 526th Armored Infantry Battalion and the 825th Tank Destroyer Battalion. On December 21, Task Force Hanson was attacked by Panzer Brigade 150. This German unit, commanded by SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny, was intended to operate behind Allied lines posing as Americans. They wore American uniforms and drove captured American vehicles. When their initial clandestine mission failed, they re-entered the fight as a regular armored unit. Their combat mission was to take Malmedy in order to attack the rear of the Americans who were blocking the advance of the 1st SS Panzer Corp at Elsenborn Ridge. The 99th Battalion and other units of the 30th ID stopped Skorzany's attack, inflicting heavy losses on the Germans. However, due to the accents of the Nowegian-Americans, during the Battle of the Bulge more than a few members of the 99th Infantry Battalion were detained as suspected German infiltrators.

After the fight for Malmedy, the Norwegians spent the next 31 days on the line between Malmedy and Stavelot, conducting raids and running combat patrols. When they came off the line they were moved to Tilff, Belgium for several days then on January 22, 1945, the Battalion moved by rail to Barneville, in Normandy. In France, the 99th Infantry Battalion became part of the newly created 474th Infantry Regiment (Separate). The 474th Infantry was a collection of the elements left from deactivated special-purpose units. Along with the 99th, the 474th included the 1st Special Service Force, and the surviving members of the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions. Backing up the infantry was an artillery company of 105mm self-propelled cannon and the 552nd Anti-Tank Company with M-8 armored cars and light tanks.

99th Infantry Bn arrives in Norway

On February 22, 1945, the 474th Infantry was given the mission of providing security for the 12th Army Group rear area. The 474th was then attached to Patton's Third Army. The 474th was tasked with clearing out bypassed German units and demilitarizing civilian populations. In April LTC Hanson was tasked to provide guards and vehicles from his 99th Infantry Battalion to transport Nazi gold and art treasures from the Kaiseroda salt mine in Merkers, Germany to the Reichsbank in Frankfurt. The estimated value of these treasures was 2.1 billion dollars.

Two days after VE day (Victory in Europe, May 7, 1945) the 474th Infantry, including the 99th Battalion, finally received orders to go to Norway. Their mission there was to assist in the disarming and demobilization of approximately 300,000 German soldiers there. The regiment arrived in Oslo on June 8, where the 99th was quartered at Camp Smestad, a former German army camp. By August the 99th had assisted in processing and transporting nearly 100,000 military personnel back to Germany. When King Haakon returned from exile to Norway, he was greeted by an honor guard from the 99th Infantry Battalion. Consequently, the king designated the Norwegian Americans his personal honor guard unit. The 99th also took part in several large parades commemorating the Allied victory in the World War.

The 99th Infantry Battalion had received a large number of replacements due to combat losses. Nevertheless, the unit retained a strong Norwegian presence. Those men were able to take advantage of a generous leave and pass policy to look up relatives and friends with which they had no contact for five years. There was also a great deal of fraternization with the local civilian population. At least fifty new brides followed the 99th Infantry Battalion home.

On October 16, 1945, the 99th Infantry Battalion departed Oslo, Norway aboard the SS Bienville. They arrived in Boston on November 1. The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was demobilized at Camp Miles Standish on November 2, 1945. The Norwegian-Americans had earned five Campaign streamers for Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. The Battalion had spent 101 days in combat, losing 52 men killed and 207 wounded, with six unaccounted for. Members of the 99th were awarded fifteen Silver Stars and twenty Bronze Stars.

The 99th Infantry Battalion was a unique unit in American military history. With the origins of the Battalion in the Scandinavian communities of Minnesota, it is not surprising that there is an exhibit honoring their service at the Minnesota Military Museum located at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, Minnesota.

References:

99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) WWII Educational Foundation: http://www.99battalion.org

Bekke, Maj Doug (Ret), "Norwegian-Americans and the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate)," a paper for the Military Historical Society of Minnesota, accessed at: http://www.mnmilitarymuseum.org/files/5613/2261/5287/99th_Infantry_Battalion_Sep.pdf

Minnesota Military Museum Website: http://www.mnmilitarymuseum.org/

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