29th Infantry Division (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 29th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 29th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia |
|
| Active | 1917-1919; 1941-1968; 1985-present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | National Guard |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Nickname | Blue and Gray |
| Motto | "29, Let's Go!" |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brigadier General Grant Hayden |
| Notable commanders |
Milton Reckord (1934—1942) Leonard T. Gerow (1942—1943) Charles H. Gerhardt (1943—1946) H. Steven Blum (1999—2002) |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia |  |
| U.S. Infantry Divisions (1939 - Present) | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 28th Infantry Division | 30th Infantry Division (Inactive) |
The U.S. 29th Infantry Division is a United States infantry division that has existed since World War I as part of the Army National Guard.
Nicknamed "Blue and Gray", the division's motto is "29, Let's Go!" The shoulder patch is a half-blue, half-gray Chinese taijitu; this patch was approved 14 December 1917 and was designed by Maj. James A. Ulio, later the Adjutant General of the United States Army during World War II. The uniting of the blue and grey symbolizes the fact that the division was composed of units from states that had fought on both sides of the American Civil War.
Contents |
[edit] History
The 29th Division was first constituted on July 18, 1917 in the Army National Guard.[1] The division was comprised of the 57th Infantry Brigade from New Jersey, and the 58th Infantry Brigade from Delaware, Maryland, the District of Colombia, and Virginia.[2] As the division was composed of men from both the north and south of the United States, it was nicknamed the "Blue and Gray" division, noting the uniforms of the Union and Confederate armies during the American Civil War.[3] The division was organized on August 25, 1917 at Camp McClellan, Alabama.[1]
[edit] World War I
The division departed for France in June of 1918 to join the American Expeditionary Force fighting in World War I.[4] The division's advance detachment reached Brest, France on June 8. In late September the 29th received orders to join the First United States Army's Meuse-Argonne offensive as part of the French XVII Corps. During its 21 days in combat, the 29th Division advanced seven kilometers, captured 2,148 prisoners, and knocked out over 250 machine guns or artillery pieces. It paid a high price for this success. Thirty percent of the division became casualties—170 officers and 5,691 men.[5] Shoertly thereafter, the Armistice with Germany was signed, ending hostilities between the Central Powers and the Allied Powers. The division returned to the United States in May of 1919.[4] It demobilized on May 30 at Camp Dix, New Jersey.[1]
The division remained demobilized for the next 20 years. It reorganized in 1923 at the District of Colombia, removing the 116th Infantry Regiment from the division and replacing it with the 175th Infantry Regiment[2], but the division was not assembled with the exception of regular weekend training.[6]
[edit] World War II
At the outbreak of World War II, the United States Army began buildup and reorganization. The division was reactivated into active service in February 3, 1941.[4] Elements of the division were then sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for training.[5] The 57th and 58th Brigades were deactivated as part of an army-wide removal of Brigades from divisions.[7] Instead, the division was based around three infantry regiments; the 115th Infantry Regiment, the 116th Infantry Regiment, and the 175th Infantry Regiment.[8] Also assigned to the division were the 110th, 111th, 224th, and 227th Field Artillery Battalions, as well as the 29th Signal Company, the 729th Ordnance Company, the 29th Quartermaster Company, the 29th Reconnaissance Troop, the 121th Engineer Battalion, the 104th Medical Battalion, and the 29th Counter Intelligence Detachment.[8] On March 12, 1942, this reorganization was complete, and the division then began preparing for deployment to Europe.[6]
The division was sent to England on October 5, 1942.[4] It was based throughout England and Scotland, where it immediately began training for an invasion of northern Europe across the English Channel. In May 1943 the division moved to the Devon-Cornwall peninsula and started conducting simulated attacks against fortified positions.[5]
[edit] Operation Overlord
Soldiers of the division boarded a large number of attack transports for the D-Day invasion, among them the SS Empire Javelin, USS Charles Carroll, and USS Buncombe County.
Teamed with the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division was the first assault wave to hit Omaha Beach at Normandy at 6:13 AM on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The sea was rough, and a steady riptide pulled the waves of landing crafts eastward down the beach. Only one of the companies of the 116th Stonewallers landed at its planned place. Company A landed opposite the Vierville Draw that they were supposed to storm. When the landing ramps came down on the company's four surviving LCVPs, German MG42 machine guns cut down the Americans even before they could disembark. It has been estimated that two-thirds of Company A was killed by enemy fire or by drowning within the first half hour.[9] Company F also landed at its assigned location, but was fortunate enough to land behind an accidental smoke screen caused by a grass fire. Other companies washed sideways down the beach to land in disorganized confusion. They suffered lesser casualties than A or F, but found themselves straggling into battle. They flanked and blew up German positions. Their assault gnawed at the German defenses.
Despite heavy casualties and lacking armored support, the 116th maintained its tenuous hold.
The rest of the division landed on Omaha Beach on the same day in the face of still intense enemy fire but soon secured the bluff tops and went on to occupy Isigny on 9 June. The division cut across the Elle River and advanced slowly toward St. Lo, fighting bitterly in the Normandy bocage (hedge rows). The Americans were lodged in France.
In retrospect, the Germans had made their own mistakes. Despite Rommel's urging, the 352nd had not been entirely deployed at the water's edge. Major General Dietrich Kraiss had held part of the 352nd in reserve, ready to rush to reinforce the seaside troops that were attacked. Instead of stopping the invasion at the water's edge, the 352nd launched a belated unsuccessful counterattack.
As other Americans surged ashore, the 29th spearheaded the breakout. After taking St. Lo on 18 July, the division joined in the battle for Vire, capturing that strongly held city on 7 August. Turning west, the 29th took part in the assault on Brest from 25 August to 18 September.
After a short rest, the division moved to defensive positions along the Teveren-Geilenkirchen line in Germany and maintained those positions through October. (In mid-October the 116th Infantry took part in the fighting at the Aachen Gap.) On 16 November the division began its drive to the Ruhr, blasting its way through Siersdorf, Setterich, Duerboslar, and Bettendorf, reaching the Ruhr by the end of the month.
On 8 December, heavy fighting reduced Juelich Sportplatz and the Hasenfeld Gut. From 8 December 1944 to 23 February 1945, the division held defensive positions along the Ruhr and prepared for the offensive. The attack jumped off across the Ruhr on 23 February and carried the division through Juelich, Broich, Immerath, and Titz to Mönchengladbach on 1 March. The division was out of combat in March, however in early April the 116th Infantry helped mop up in the Ruhr area and on 19 April the division pushed to the Elbe River and held defensive positions until 4 May. Meanwhile, the 175th Infantry Regiment cleared the Kloetze Forest. After VE Day, the division was on military government duty in the Bremen enclave.
The 29th Infantry Division had spent 242 days in combat during campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland and Central Europe, earning four Distinguished Unit Citations in the process. Two soldiers of the division were awarded the Medal of Honor. Also awarded were 44 DSCs, one DSM, 854 Silver Stars, 17 Legion of Merit, 24 Soldier's Medal and 6,308 Bronze Stars.
It was a victory with an enormous and ghastly cost. The 29th had taken 20,111 dead and wounded in battle, and 8,665 noncombat casualties. That was a casualty rate of over 204 percent for the division. Although no statistics were kept at company level, the skewing of risk toward the front-line infantrymen means the rifle companies must have suffered casualties in the vicinity of 300 percent. During the war, it was said of the 29th that General Gerhardt actually commanded three divisions: one in the field, one in the hospital, and one in the cemetery.[10]
The 29th Division returned to the United States on 4 January 1946 and was demobilized two weeks later.
[edit] Organization
- 115th, 116th and 175th Infantry Regiments
- 110th, 111th, 224th and 227th Field Artillery Battalions
- 121st Engineer Combat Battalion
- Attached unit: 821st Tank Destroyer Battalion
[edit] Assignments in Europe
- 22 October 1943: V Corps, First Army
- 14 June 1944: XIX Corps
- 1 August 1944: XIX Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
- 12 August 1944: V Corps
- 19 August 1944: First Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to the VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group
- 5 September 1944: VIII Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
- 21 September 1944: XIX Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
- 22 October 1944: XIX Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
- 20 December 1944: XIX Corps, Ninth Army (attached to British 21st Army Group), 12th Army Group
- 23 December 1944: XIII Corps
- 4 February 1945 : XIX Corps
- 29 March 1945: XVI Corps
- 4 April 1945: XVI Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
- 5 April 1945: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
- 12 April 1945: XVI Corps
- 17 April 1945: XIII Corps
- 4 May 1945: XVI Corps
[edit] Post World War II
In 1968 the Army retired the flag of the 29th Infantry Division due to re-organization of the National Guard divisions. Major General Archibald Sproul was the CG at the time of the retirement. MG Sproul was a member of the Division during WWII and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the combat action at Omaha Beach[11]. For the next twenty years the various regiments of the division were organized either as separate infantry brigades or as parts of other divisions, most notably the 28th Infantry Division from the Pennsylvania National Guard.
In 1985, the 29th Division was reactivated as a National Guard light infantry division. At that time it was composed (primarily) of the 116th Infantry Regiment from Virginia, 111th Field Artillery from Virginia, the 115th Infantry Regiment and 175th Infantry Regiment from Maryland, and the 110th Field Artillery from Maryland. The Commanding General upon reactivation was Major General James Baber. MG Baber was followed in turn by MG Tommy T. Thompson, MG Joe Langley, and MG Carroll D. Childers who passed the colors to MG H. Steven Blum. At this point the nature of the Division changed as will be noted further in this history. In 1995 the 26th Infantry Division from New England was inactivated, reduced to brigade size, and later incorporated into the 29th Division, becoming the 26th Brigade, headquartered in Massachusetts.
The 29th was the second National Guard division to provide a division headquarters for the SFOR mission in Bosnia. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, many elements of the 29th participated in the Global War on Terror, including Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division) was mobilized to Fort Bragg, NC, on active duty on 1 March 2004. In July 2004, the 3-116 IN, Task Force Normandy, deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan, conducting combat operations from Bagram Airfield and Forward Operating Base Ghazni. 3-116 IN served as a maneuver battalion under the 25th Infantry Division Artillery, Combined Task Force Thunder. 3-116 IN redeployed and was released from active duty in August 2005.
The 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment (26th Brigade, 29th Inf Div) based in New Haven, CT, deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in April 2006, serving as an attached unit in the 10th Mountain Division. The battalion had returned from Iraq a year earlier and the year it spent on the ground was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since the war began.
In Aug 2005 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation (HHC, A Co, D Co and E Co) in Camp Edwards and Westover, MA, were mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were stationed in the State of Kuwait From 5 November 2005 until 4 November 2006. Also mobilized in August 2005 was C Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment from Edgewood Maryland. C Company was assigned to the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in Iraq until November 2006.
In October 2005, the remaining elements of 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment (HHC, A Co, B Co, D Co, E Co) from Sandston, Virginia (with detachments from Edgewood, Maryland) mobilized in support of Operation Iraq Freedom, serving as an assigned asset to Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Air Wing in Western Iraq. These elements of 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment returned to their home stations in February 2007.
In January 2006, Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 3 Infantry Brigade Combat Team(IBCT), 29 ID as well as the 629 Military Intelligence Battalion was mobilized for detention operations in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba(GTMO)
In 2006, the 1-116 IN mobilized for duty in Kosovo.
In May 2007, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 29th ID (formerly 1st Brigade, 29th ID) mobilized to Active Duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom. In June 2007, the 2nd Battalion, 183rd Cavalry and, once again, the 3-116 IN, both of the 116th IBCT, mobilized for active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 3-116 Infantry mobilized through Camp Shelby, Mississippi and was deployed to both Kuwait and Iraq. 2-183rd Cavalry also mobilized through Camp Shelby and was deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The 29th Division started transitioning to the new structure shown below, adding brigades from North Carolina and Puerto Rico, in late 2006.
[edit] Organization
29th Infantry Division consists of the following elements:
- Division Special Troops Battalion
- 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team (NC NG)
- Special Troops Battalion, 30th BCT (NC NG)
- 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment (RSTA) (WV NG)
- 1st Battalion, 252nd Armor Regiment (Combined Arms), (NC NG)
- 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment (Combined Arms), (NC NG)
- 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment (NC NG)
- 230th Brigade Support Battalion (NC NG)
- 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (VA NG)
- Special Troops Battalion, 116th BCT
- 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment
- 429th Brigade Support Battalion
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 29th Infantry Division (MD NG)
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company (MD NG)
- 1st (Reconnaissance & Attack) Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment (AZ NG): A-64D Apaches
- 8th (Reconnaissance & Attack) Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment (US Army Reserve): AH-64A Apaches
- 2nd (Assault) Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment (Virginia Army National Guard, with assets in Maryland): UH-60A/L Black Hawk
- 1st (General Support) Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment (Florida National Guard, with assets in Puerto Rico, Alabama, Mississippi, Maryland): UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook and HH-60 (MEDEVAC), Air Traffic Control Company.
- 1204th Aviation Support Battalion (Kentucky National Guard, with assets in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland and US Army Reserve)
[edit] Legacy
A number of soldiers serving with the 29th Infantry Division have gone on to achieve notability for various reasons. Among them are highly decorated soldier Joseph A. Farinholt, soccer player James Ford, United States federal judge Alfred D. Barksdale, and historian Lawrence C. Wroth,
generals Milton Reckord, Norman Cota, Charles D. W. Canham, and Donald Wilson. Other famous army officers include Thomas D. Howie, Danny McKnight, and Rick Rescorla.
Soldiers who received the Medal of Honor during service with the 29th Infantry Division include from World War I Earle Davis Gregory and from World War II Sherwood H. Hallman.
In the 1962 film The Longest Day much of the action of the 29th on Omaha Beach on D-Day is depicted, with assistant division commander Brigadier General Norman Cota portrayed by Robert Mitchum.
Close Combat, part of a Microsoft Series of wargames during the 1990s also portrayed the actions of the 29th Division from Omaha Beach to the capture of St. Lo.
In the 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan", many of the soldiers seen in the Omaha Beach sequence are from the 29th, identified by their shoulder insignias. Corporal Timothy E.Upham, for instance, is portrayed as a soldier serving with the 29th Infantry Division. Upham was drafted to serve with a squad from the 2nd Rangers. The 29th, along with the 1st Infantry Division, were grouped with a few companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion to storm Omaha Beach on 6 June 1944.
The popular US Route 29, formerly known as the Warrenton Turnpike, was renamed in honor of the 29th Infantry Division because it runs from Maryland to North Carolina.
The 29th Infantry Division is featured on the videogames Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and Call of Duty 3.
Some soldiers featured early in the movie War of the Worlds (2005 film) wear the patch of the 29th Infantry Division.
The 29th infantry division is featured on the videogame company of heroes In Star Trek: Voyager, (episode: The Killing Game), the Hirogen force the crew into violent World War 2 Simulations on the holodeck, where the 29th Infantry Division is present.
In the toy line Forces of Valor: Bravo Team, the WWII U.S. Army soldiers wear the patch of the 29 Infantry Division.
In the Science Fiction series, Farscape, the character Scorpius wears the unit insignia of the 29th Infantry Division during the daydreams of John Crichton in the episode Into the Lion's Den Part I: Lambs to the Slaughter.
In the movie The Big Red One, Mark Hamill's character, Griff, meets at least one member of the 29th when he is in the hospital.
In the King of Queens episode "Wedding Presence" Arthur pretends Spenser is his son to get a discount on shoes. While conferring with the salesman, Arthur mentions he was in the 71st Infantry. The salesman proceeds to say he was in the 29th infantry and they went in first to clear the way for Arthur's men during WWII. Arthur responds "it wasn't easy walking over all your bodies." (disclaimer-not exact dialogue) In the movie Xmen Origins Wolverine, Wolverine and Sabertooth fight at Normandy for the 29th Infantry Division as seen by their patch.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Wilson, p. 319.
- ^ a b McGrath, p. 168.
- ^ "The Institute of Heraldry: 29th Infantry Division". The Institute of Heraldry. http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/29th%20Infantry%20Division.htm. Retrieved on 2009-07-01.
- ^ a b c d Almanac, p. 531.
- ^ a b c "GlobalSecurity.org: 29th Infantry Division". GlobalSecurity. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/29id.htm. Retrieved on 2009-07-02.
- ^ a b Wilson, p. 320.
- ^ McGrath, p. 159.
- ^ a b Almanac, p. 592.
- ^ http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/196011/omaha
- ^ http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/chgerhardt.htm
- ^ Virginia House of Delegates Joint Resolution no. 481, offered 6 March 2006
[edit] Sources
- McGrath, John J. (2004). The Brigade: A History: Its Organization and Employment in the US Army. Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN ISBN 978-1-4404-4915-4.
- Wilson, John B. (1999). Armies, Corps, Divisions, and Separate Brigades. Department of the Army. ISBN ASIN B000OJKX1S.
- Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States. United States Government Printing Office. 1959. ISBN ASIN B0006D8NKK.
[edit] External links
- 29th Infantry Division Historical Society
- American D-Day: Omaha Beach, Utah Beach & Pointe du Hoc
- 29th Division (UK) Re-enactment Group
- 29 Let's Go! The Story of the 29th Infantry Division
- https://www.md.ngb.army.mil/army22.htm - Official Maryland ARNG site
- Global Security's page on the 29th ID
- 29th Infantry Division Realism Unit
