U.S. 36th Infantry Division
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The 36th Infantry Division —also known as the Fighting 36th, the Lone Star Division, the Panther Division, or the Texas Division— is an infantry division of the United States Army National Guard. It was activated for service in World War II on November 25, 1940, and was sent overseas in April 1943.
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History
The 36th Infantry Division was originally activated as a National Guard Division from Texas and Oklahoma in July 1917. The unit was sent to Europe in July 1918 and conducted major operations in th Meuse-Argonne Offensive. During World War I, the division suffered 2,584 casualties consisting of 466 killed in action, and 2,118 wounded in action. The unit was inactivated in June 1919.
The 36th was again activated prior to World War II on 25 November 1940. It deployed overseas on 2 April 1943, commanded by Major General Fred Walker.
The 36th Infantry Division landed in North Africa, 13 April 1943, and trained at Arzew and Rabat. It first saw action, 9 September 1943, when it landed at Paestum on the Gulf of Salerno. The waiting enemy launched counterattacks, but the 36th advanced slowly, securing the area from Agropoli to Altavilla. After a brief rest the 36th returned to combat, 15 November. It captured Mount Maggiore, Mount Lungo, and the village of San Pietro despite strong enemy positions and severe winter weather. This grueling campaign was marked by futile attempts to establish a secure bridgehead across the Rapido River, 1 January to 8 February 1944. After assisting the 34th Division in the attack on Cassino and fighting defensively along the Rapido River, the 36th withdrew, 12 March 1944, for rest and rehabilitation. On 25 May, the Division landed at Anzio, drove north to capture Velletri, 1 June, and entered Rome on the 5th. Pushing up from Rome, the 36th encountered sharp resistance at Magliano, but reached Piombino, 26 June, before moving back to Paestum for rest and rehabilitation.
On 15 August, as part of the American 6th Army Group, the Division made another assault landing against light opposition in the Raphael-Frejus area of Southern France in Operation Dragoon. A lightning dash opened the Rhone River Valley. Montelimar fell, 28 August, and large Nazi units were trapped. The 36th advanced to the Moselle River at Remiremont and the foothills of the Vosges. In a grinding offensive, the Division crossed the Meurthe River, breached the Ste. Marie Pass and burst into the Alsatian Plains. The enemy counterattacked, 13 December, but the 36th held the perimeter of the Colmar Pocket. The German Army counterattacks out of the Colmar Pocket were so fierce, that at times, the field artillery was forced to fire over open sights, at point blank range to stop them. On the 20th the Division resumed the attack, advancing northward along the Rhine River to Mannheim meeting heavy resistance at Haguenau, Oberhofen, and Wissembourg. In this action Company "G" 143rd Infantry Regiment gained a Presidential Unit Citation.
The Division was taken out of the line for the first time since it had landed in the south of France. It returned to the line early March 1945. The 36th moved to the Danube, 22 April 1945, and attacked the "National Redoubt" at Kunzelsau on the 30th in its final action.
After 400 days of combat, the 36th Infantry Division returned to the United States in December of 1945. It was inactivated on 15 December 1945.
On 1 May 2004, the 49th Armored Division of the Texas Army National Guard was officially inactivated and the 36th Brigade of the 49th Armored Division was redesignated the 36th Infantry Division. After half a century, the "Fighting 36th" was reactivated to help transform Texas' military forces into a more mobile and lethal fighting force, committed to helping fight the global war on terrorism and carrying on the proud legacy established by its predecessors.
The organization of the 36th Infantry Division is still unclear, as the Army is undergoing a transformation to brigade units of action and the 36th is not expected to complete its reorganization until 2006.
The 36th Division insignia consisting of an olive drab "T" on a blue flint arrowhead was adopted in 1918. The flint arrowhead represents the State of Oklahoma (once the Indian Territory), and the "T" is for Texas.
Unit timeline
- December 1943 -- combat against the Bernhardt Line
- January 20-22, 1944 -- attempted crossing of the Rapido against the 15th Panzergrenadiers
Related topics
External links
- 36th Infantry Division Home Page (http://www.scribevision.com/36ID/) - official site.
- 36h Infantry Division Association (http://www.kwanah.com/txmilmus/gallery/36div.htm)
- GlobalSecurity.org: 36th Infantry Division (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/36id.htm)