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
Section 8
Section 4
The 9th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on August 1, 1940 as the 9th Division then it participated in both October and November 1941 Carolina Maneuvers and was sent later to amphibious training under the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Corps.
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).
Stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington and known as the 3rd Division it moved to Fort Ord, California Jan 22 1940 then returned to Fort Lewis, May 19 1940. It moved again to Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation, California May 25 1941 for IX Corps California Maneuvers. The 3rd returned to Fort Lewis again on Jul 1 1941 and participated in the Fourth Army Maneuvers Aug 15 to Aug 30 1941. The 3rd was then transferred to Fort Ord, California on May 1 1942 and was re-designated 3rd Infantry Division on Aug 1 1942. Sent to Camp Pickett, Virginia on Sep 22 1942, it staged at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on Oct 27 1942 and departed Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on the same date. The 3rd Inf Div assaulted Fedala North Africa on Nov 8 1942, assaulted Sicily Jul 10 1943 and arrived Italy Sep 18 1943. On Jan 22 1944, the 3rd assaulted Anzio then southern France on Aug 15 1944. The division entered into Germany on Mar 13 1945, arrived New York POE Sep 4 1946 and then Camp Campbell Kentucky Sep 8 1946.
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.
