The 6th Infantry Division was activated on Oct 10 1939 at Ft Lewis Washington as 6th Division and moved to Fort Jackson South Carolina Nov 9 1939. It was then relocated to Fort Benning Georgia on Apr 12 1940 and in Alexandria Louisiana on May 8 1940. A little later, the 6th Inf Div was relocated to Fort Snelling Minnesota – Jun 1 1940 and sent to Lincoln Minnesota on Jul 17 1940 before it returned to Fort Snelling Minnesota Aug 19 1940; participated in Arkansas Maneuvers of Aug 1941 and Louisiana Maneuvers of Sep 1941. On Oct 10 1941, the 6-ID moved to Fort Leonard Wood 10 where it was re-designated 6th Motorized Division on Apr 9 1942 and moved to the I Corps Tennessee Maneuvers on Sep 11 1942. Sent back to Fort Leonard Wood on Nov 10 1942 the division moved to Camp Young California on Nov 29 1942 where it participated in the Desert Training Center #1 IV Armored Corps Maneuvers until Feb 22 1943. On Mar 28 1943, the 6-ID arrived at Camp San Luis Obispo, California, where it was re-designated 6th Infantry Division on Mar 21 1943 and departed the San Francisco POE on Jul 21 1943 and arrived in Hawaii on Jul 29. The 6-ID left Hawaii on Jan 26 1944 and arrived in the Milne Bay New Guinea on Jan 31 1944, assaulted Sansapor New Guinea on Jul 30 1944, assaulted Lingayen Gulf Philippines on Jan 9 1945 and arrived in Korea on Oct 18 1945 where it remained active thru 1946.
Continue Reading >>>
Mar
04
2009
The 1st Infantry Division also nicknamed The Fighting First, is the oldest division in the United States Army, and has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917. The 1st Division started preparing for World War II by moving to Fort Benning on November 19th 1939 and ran its personnel through the Infantry School. It then moved to the Sabine Parish, Louisiana area on May 11th 1940 to participate in the Louisiana Maneuvers, returned to Fort Hamilton on June 5th 1940 then to Fort Devens, Ma., on February 4th 1941. The Division was sent to both Carolina Maneuvres of October and November 1941, moved to Samarcand, North Carolina on October 16th 1941 and on December 6th 1941, returned to Fort Devens, Ma. It was then transfered to Camp Blanding, Florida (February 21st 1942) where it was re-designated 1st Infantry Division on May 15th 1942. The 1st Infantry Division moved then back Fort Benning, on May 22nd 1942, to Indian Town Gap Mil Reservation, on June 21st 1942 and, finally, Division departed New York Port of Embarkation on August 1st 1942. The 1st ID arrived in England on August 7th 1942 and assaulted in North Africa on November 2nd 1942 (Operation Torch).
Continue Reading >>>
Mar
03
2009
The 5th Infantry Division was activated on October 16 1939 at Fort McClellan, Alabama, as the 5th Division. It moved then to Fort Benning, Georgia, on April 9 1940 then to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, on May 11 1940. It moved then to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, on May 31 1940 and to Shamrock, Wisconsin, on August 3 1940. It returned to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, on September 4 1940 and moved to Fort Custer, Michigan, on December 13 1940. The 5th Infantry was then sent to Camp Forrest, Tennessee, May 29 1941, for the VII Corps Tennessee Maneuvers, returned then to Fort Custer, Michigan, on July 1 1941 and was transfered to Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas, on August 25 1941 for the VII Corps Arkansas Maneuvers and the Louisiana Maneuvers of September 1941. The 5th Infantry Division returned to Fort Custer, Michigan, on October 3 1941, arrived New York Port of Embarkation on April 22 1942, departed on April 30 1942, and finally arrived in Iceland May 11 1942 where it was officially re-designated 5th Infantry Division on May 25 1943. The division departed Iceland on August 5 1943 and arrived in Northern Ireland on August 9 1943. The 5th Infantry Division landed in France on July 11 1944, entered Germany on February 8 1945 and Czechoslovakia on May 1 1945. The 5th Infantry Division arrived Boston POE on July 19 1945, arrived at Camp Campbell, Kentucky, July 22 1945 and was inactivated September 20 1946.
Continue Reading >>>
Feb
03
2009
Colonel Daniel Van Voorhis took a cadre of 175 Officers and Enlisted Men from Fort Eustis to Fort Knox in February 1932 and established a Provisional Armored Car Platoon. This was based on an earlier effort, but was predicated on a new Cavalry Regiment which was published that year. Also published, but never implemented, was a Cavalry Division which reflected the – then – unnatural assimilation of machines into the Horse Cavalry. Van Voorhis’s cadre and platoon became the kernel for the 7th Cavalry Brigade, which went active on March 1, 1932 at Fort Knox. At first, it was nothing more than a headquarters detachment and the Armored Car Platoon. On Jan 3, 1933, the 1st Cavalry Regiment was relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division, and was moved from Fort A D Russell to Fort Knox. The earlier Mechanized Platoon was incorporated into the new Regimental TO & E (Table of Organization & Equipment), and the result was the 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized), which went active on January 16, 1933.
The new Regimental commander was Col Van Voorhis, late of the experimental Mechanized Force, while the executive officer was Adna Chaffee. The Post Commander of Fort Knox was Brig Gen Julian R. Lindsey, another cavalryman.
Continue Reading >>>
