Put on your boots, boots, boots
And parachute-chute-chutes
We’re going up, up, up
And coming down, down, down
We’re All American and proud to be
For we’re the soldiers of liberty
Some ride their gliders to the enemy
Others are sky paratroopers
We’re All American and fight we will
‘Til all the guns of the foe are still
Airborne from skies of blue
We’re coming through, let’s go
Put on your boots, your parachutes
Get all those gliders ready to attack today
For we’ll be gone into the dawn
To fight them all the 82nd way
AMERICA’S GUARD OF HONOR
Where is the prince who can afford to cover his country with troops for its defense as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds, might not, in many places, do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought to repel them ?
Benjamin Franklin, 1784
Placed on the rolls of the Army in 1921, the 2nd Cavalry Division was not activated until April 1941. As part of the Protective Mobilization Plan, the division was reserved for activation at Fort Riley, Kansas, but due to manpower constraints it never reached full strength. The 2nd received the appropriate number of cavalry regiments, but units providing the organic support and service troops remained unfilled. The first divisional activations came in October 1940, with the organization of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade and the assignment of the 2d and 14th Cavalry. The 4th Cavalry Brigade activated during February 1941 with the 9th and 10th Cavalry as its cavalry regiments. These last two regiments, the only two available for assignment, were black units. The division, therefore, was unique to Army structure at that time, a racially mixed unit.
The 11th Airborne Division was activated at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, on February 25th 1943.
Stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, as 1st Cavalry Division (Special), the unit moved to Toyahvale Texas during the 7-30 October 1939 period and returned to Fort Bliss. It moved to the Cravens-Pitkin Louisiana Maneuver Area during the 13th to 24th August 1940 and returned to Fort Bliss until participated in 2nd-3rd Army Louisiana Maneuvers on August 10th to October 4th and returned to Fort Bliss. During the period from 27th July to September 21st 1942, the 1st Cavalry Division participated in the 8th Corps Louisiana Maneuvers near Mansfield, Louisiana, and returned to Fort Bliss. The unit staged at Camp Stoneman, California from July 21st 1943 until departed San Francisco Port of Embarkation on June 26th 1943 and arrived in Australia on July 11th where the unit was re-designated 1st Cavalry Division (Special) on December 4th 1943. The 1st Cavalry Division (Special) departed then Australia on December 18th 1943 and arrived in New Guinea 2 days later by echelon, last contingent arriving on February 25th 1944. The division was then moved to the Manus Island on March 5-15 1944; left Manus Island on October 12th and landed in Leyte, Philippines, on October 20th 1944. The 1st Cavalry Division (Special) left Leyte on January 24th 1945 and landed on Luzon, Philippines, on January 26 1945. Finally, the 1st CDS arrived in Japan on September 2 1945 where it remained active untill 1946.
The 9th Armored Division was activated on July 15 1942 at Fort Riley, Kansas, moved to Goff, California on June 10 1943 then to Camp Ibis, California on August 1 1943 while part in the #3 California Maneuvres in the Desert Training Center.
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.
The 2nd Armored Division was activated on July 15th 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia. It participated in the VII Corps Tennessee Maneuvers from June 2nd to June 28th 1941 and moved to Ragley, Louisiana, on August 12th 1941 to participate in the 2nd/3rd Army Louisiana Maneuvers. The Division returned to Fort Benning Georgia on September 29th 1941 and participated (November 2nd 1941), in the 1st Army Carolina Maneuvers then returned to Fort Benning on December 2 1941. Relocated to Monroe, North Carolina on July 10th 1942 for the II Armored Corps Carolina Maneuvers the 2-AD was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina on August 15 1942; staged at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on November 3rd 1942 until departed tje New York Port of Embarkation December 11th 1942; arrived North Africa December 25th 1942 (less elements which invaded November 8th 1942).
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).
Activated on Apr 15 1941 at Camp Beauregard the 3rd Armored Division moved to Camp Polk, Louisiana, on June 11 1941 and was transferred to Camp Young, California, on July 26 1942 for the Desert Training Center II Armored Corps California Maneuvers. It moved then to Camp Pickett, Virginia, on November 2 1942 and arrived the Indian Town Gap Mil Reservation, Pennsylvania, on January 21 1943. The 3/AD staged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, August 26 1943 until departed the New York Port of Embarkation on September 5 1943 and arrived England on September 18 1943. The division landed then in France on June 23 1944, crossed into Belgium on September 1944 and entered Germany September 15 1944. The 3rd Armd Div returned to Belgium on December 20 1944 and re-entered Germany on February 7 1945. The 3/AD was inactivated on November 10 1945.
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.
The 7th Armored Division was activated on Mar 1 1942 at Camp Polk, Louisiana and moved Sep 15 1942 to the IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers. It returned to Camp Polk on Nov 9 1942, arrived then Mar 11 1943 at the Desert Training Center for the #2 California Maneuvers, was transferred Aug 12 1943 to Fort Benning, Georgia and arrived at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts on Apr 22 1944.
Activated on Jun 1 1940 as the 4th Division at Fort Benning, Georgia the Division was reorganized as 4th Division (Motorized) on Aug 1 1940 then as 4th Motorized Division in Jul 11 1941. It moved then to Dry Prong Louisiana, on Aug 1 1941 for IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers and returned to Fort Benning Aug 27 1941. It moved then to Fort Jackson South Carolina Oct 30 1941 for the First Army Carolina Maneuvers and arrived back to Fort Benning on Dec 3 1941. On Dec 29, the 4th Division arrived at Camp Gordon, Georgia and, finally, went to Carolina Maneuver Area on Jul 7 1942. The 4th Division returned to Camp Gordon on Aug 31 1942 and moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey on Apr 12 1943 where it was re-designated to 4th Infantry Division on Aug 4 1943. Sent, then, to Camp Gordon Johnston, Florida on Sept 19 1943 for the III Corps Carrabelle Maneuvers the 4th was sent to Fort Jackson South Carolina on Dec 1 1943 and staged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on Jan 4 1944 until departed New York POE on Jan 18 1944. The Division landed in England on Jan 26 1944 and was ready to start fighting
The 101st Airborne Division was activated on Aug 15 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, and was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Sept 29 1942.
Stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the 2nd Infantry Division was sent to maneuvers at Christine, Texas from January 3rd to January 27th 1940 then at Horton, Texas from April 26th to May 28th 1940. In August 1940, from the 16th to 23rd, the 2nd Division was sent to Cravens, Louisiana, and from June 1st to June 14th 1941, the Division participated in the VIII Corps, Brownwood, Maneuvers at Comanche, Texas. It was then sent to Mansfield, Louisiana, for the Louisiana Maneuvers of August and September 1941. On June 27th 1942, the 2nd Division was sent back to Fort Sam, Houston, Texas for the VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers and was re-designated 2nd Infantry Division on August 1st 1942. On September 22nd 1942 the 2nd moved to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, then staged at Camp Shanks, New York, October 3rd 1943 until departed the New York POE, October 8th 1943. The 2nd Infantry Division arrived in England on October 18th 1943, landed in Normandy, France on June 7th 1944, crossed into Belgium on September 29th 1944 and finally into Germany on October 3rd 1944. After the Battle of the Bulge and the Germany Campaign, the 2nd entered Czechoslovakia May 4th 1945 and after VE Day the Division returned to the New York POE on July 20th 1945. It moved to Camp Swift, Texas, July 22nd 1945. A little while later, it moved to Camp Stoneman, California, March 28th 1946 and arrived finally at Fort Lewis, Washington, on April 15th 1946.
