| There is no
intention here to dishonor or disrespect the 10th Mountain
Division, its history, its accomplishments, or its brave
soldiers. Its contributions in WW II were instrumental in
breaking Germany's hold on Italy, and its forces today are part
of the outstanding fighting force keeping our nation free. |
| . |
| As
part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th
Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996. Three
Army divisions were reflagged as the Army restructured from 12
to 10 active divisions. The 2nd Armored Division at
Fort Hood, TX, was redesignated as the 4th Infantry Div., and the 24th Inf.
Div. was redesignated as the 3rd Inf. Div. The 3rd Inf. Div.,
stationed in Germany, was redesignated as the 1st Inf. Div. The redesignations
occured during fiscal 1996. The Army's restructuring plan was
announced in December 1994. It called for the inactivation of
the headquarters and division support units of the 1st Inf. Div.
at Fort Riley, KN, and the 4th Inf. Div. at
Fort Carson, CO.
The Defense Department said, "the redesignation plan will ensure that two of the Army's most
famous and decorated divisions remain in the active force."
Who were they talking about? Which two? The
plan designating the divisions to remain was developed by the
U.S. Army Center of Military History, which maintains records of
Army unit lineage and honors. The center prepared an
order-of-precedence list based on UNIT AGE, CAMPAIGN
PARTICIPATION, and AWARDS and DECORATIONS. Units were then
rank-ordered by category, providing a framework for the Army
leadership to make its decision. |
| . |
| My position is that
the 10th Mountain Div. military history does
not equal or surpass that of the 24th Infantry Division in any
category (age, campaigns, awards and decorations) and therefore should have been disbanded in favor of
the Victory Division. Using the argument that a Light
Infantry division was to be retained and the 10th MD was a light
division and the 24th ID (Mech.) was not isn't a valid
argument. We are talking about a simple redesignation and
"Patch" swap that has been done many times. This
redesignation and patch swap was done during this reduction to
10 divisions. I refer to the the 2nd Armored Div. being
redesignated as the 4th Infantry Div. This was not an
Armored Div. for another Armored Div, or an Infantry Div. for
another Infantry Div., it was two different configurations paper
changed and patch swapped. This should have been the
procedure for retaining the 24th ID (Mech.). The 24th
should have been redesignated as light infantry (its
origin) and its flag moved to Fort Drum, NY where it would
replace the 10th. To be direct, the 10th
should have been reflagged as the 24th Infantry Division (Light).
It is my position that the Army Center for Military History is
either grossly misinformed about the histories of these two
divisions or there was some political tampering with the
decision by one or more politicians and Army brass. I believe the latter
to be more correct. Then, Senator Bob Dole, a 10th
Division veteran, was very close to this effort and had a
chartered aircraft waiting on the runway to fly to Fort Drum, NY
if the 10th was retained. It was, and he flew to address
the troops and celebrate the decision that same day.
Incidentally, it was a Dole that sold the idea to the War Department develop the
mountain division. The retention of a division with so little
battle history ahead of the storied 24th is a dishonor and slap in the
face to every Victory Division soldier who fought at Pearl Harbor, in
WWII campaigns, Korea, Persian Gulf, and other operations. |
|
|
| . |
|
On
June 5, 1999
the 24th Infantry Division was again reactivated. The Division
made its home at Fort Riley, KS. The "Victory
Division" consisted of an active component
headquarters at
Fort
Riley, a forward headquarters at Fort Jackson, SC,
and three enhanced separate brigades: 30th Heavy Separate Brigade at Clinton, NC
(best know as the 30th "Old Hickory" Infantry
Division), 218th Heavy Separate Brigade at Columbia, SC,
and the 48th Separate Infantry Brigade in Macon, GA.
This new concept of Infantry Operations was called the
"Integrated Division (IDIV)." The 24th Infantry
Division (MECH) stood ready to deploy to any location to
conduct Combat or Stability and Support operations.
In its new role
managing the new concept IDIV, the Victory Division deployed
its brigades to Bosnia and Iraq. The 2nd BN, 121st INF,
48th Separate INF BDE took control of Task Force Eagle in Bosnia
in 2001. Its 148th Support BN also deployed to Bosnia at
this time. The 30th Heavy Separate BDE was deployed to
Iraq in February 2004 and the 48th Separate INF BDE was deployed
again to Iraq in 2005.
|
| The Tables below
cover information through the 1996 reduction in Army division
forces. Any operations engaged in beyond this reduction
has no influence on the U.S. Army Center of Military History
decision on rank order and the Army leadership decision on the
final 10 divisions retained. The criteria for
retention was based on the following: UNIT AGE
- CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION - AWARDS &
DECORATIONS |
| . |
| 1. CHRONOLOGY
(Age) |
| . |
24th INFANTRY
DIVISION |
10th MOUNTAIN
DIVISION |
| Date Constituted:. |
01
Feb 1921 as: Hawaiian Division |
. |
| Activated: |
01 Mar 1921
as: Hawaiian Division |
13
Jul 1943 as: 10th Infantry Div
(Alpine) |
| Redesignated: |
01 Oct 1941 as:
24th Infantry Div |
06 Nov 1944 as:
10th Mountain Div |
| Disbanded: |
|
30
Nov 1945 |
| Reactivated: |
|
01
Jul 1948 as: 10th Infantry Div (Training) |
| Redesignated: |
|
15
Jun 1954 as: 10th Infantry Div |
| Inactivated: |
01
Dec 1957* |
14
Jun 1958 |
| Reactivated: |
1
Jul 1958 as: 24th Infantry Div |
13
Feb 1985 as: 10th Mountain Div. (Lt Inf) |
| Deactivated: |
15
Apr 1970 |
|
| Reactivated: |
21
Sep 1975 as: 24th Infantry Div |
|
| Redesignated: |
30
Sep 1979 as: 24th Infantry Div (Mech.) |
|
| Inactivated: |
15
Feb 1996 |
|
| Reactivated: |
05
Jun 1999 as: 24th Infantry Div (Mech.) |
|
|
|
24th
INFANTRY DIVISION |
10th
MOUNTAIN DIVISION |
| Total
Activation Time: |
25, 326
days (as of 15 Feb 1996) |
8, 514 days
(as of 15 Feb 1996) |
| Total
Inactivation Time: |
2,194 days
(as of 15 Feb 1996) |
10,677 days
(as of 15 Feb 1996) |
|
| .*Correct
day of month being researched. Activation days will be
modified +/- 1 to 30 days. |
| . |
| 2.
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION (Credits) |
| . |
24th
INFANTRY DIVISION |
10th
MOUNTAIN DIVISION |
WORLD WAR 11 1941-1945
|
Central
Pacific
New Guinea
(with Arrowhead)
Leyte (with
Arrowhead)
Luzon (with Arrowhead)
Southern
Philippines (with Arrowhead) |
North
Apennines
Po Valley
|
KOREAN WAR 1950-1953
|
UN Defensive (with Arrowhead)
UN Offensive
CCF
Intervention
First UN
Counteroffensive
CCF Spring
Counteroffensive
UN Summer-Fall
Offensive
Second Korean
Winter
Korea, Summer
1953 |
No
Participation
|
| VIETNAM WAR |
No
Participation |
No
Participation |
GULF WAR 1990-1991
|
Defense of
Saudi Arabia
Liberation and
Defense of Kuwait
Southwest Asia
Cease-fire |
About 1,200
support soldiers attached to 24th ID (Mech) |
| MILITARY OPERATIONS |
Blue Bat -
Lebanon 1958 (Units) |
No
Participation |
|
Berlin - Check
Point Charlie1961 (Units) |
No
Participation |
|
Urgent Fury -
Grenada 1983 (Units) |
No
Participation |
|
Intervention -
El Salvador 1985 (Units) |
No
Participation |
|
Hurricane
Andrew - USA 1992 (Units) |
Hurricane
Andrew - USA 1992 (Units) |
|
Restore Hope -
Somalia 12/92-5/93 |
Restore Hope -
Somalia 12/92-5/93
Continue Hope
- Somalia 5/93-3/94 |
|
Vigilant
Warrior - Kuwait 1994 |
.No
Participation
|
|
Restore
Democracy - Haiti 1995 |
Uphold
Democracy - Haiti 1994/1995 |
|
| . |
| 3.
DECORATIONS
AND AWARDS TO DIVISION/UNITS/SOLDIERS |
| . |
24th
INFANTRY DIVISION |
10th
MOUNTAIN DIVISION |
| WORLD WAR 11 1941-1945 |
American
Defense Medal
American
Theater Operations Medal
Pacific
Theater Operations Medal (5)
Army
Occupation Medal - Japan
World
War II Victory Medal
U.S.
Presidential Unit Citation
Philippine
Presidential Unit Citation
Philippine
Liberation Medal
Philippine
Independence Medal |
American
Theater Operations Medal
European
Theater Oper. Medal (2)
Army
Occupation Medal - Italy
World
War II Victory Medal |
| KOREAN WAR 1950-1953 |
National
Defense Service Medal
Korean
Service Medal (8)
UN
Korean Service Medal
Republic
of Korea War Medal
U.S.
Presidential Unit Citation (2)
R.O.K.
Presidential Unit Citation (2) |
National
Defense Service Medal |
| KOREA DMZ
DUTY 1954-1957 |
Korea
Defense Service Medal |
. |
| BLUE BAT 1958 |
Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal
United
Nations Medal |
. |
| BERLIN 1961 |
National
Defense Service Medal
Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal
Army Occupation Medal - Berlin |
. |
| URGENT
FURY 1983 |
Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal |
. |
| INTERVENTION
EL SALVADOR 1985 |
Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal
Joint
Meritorious Unit Citation
Superior
Unit Citation |
. |
| GULF
WAR 1990-1991 |
National
Defense Service Medal
Southwest
Asia Service Medal (3)
Liberation
of Kuwait - Saudi Arabia
Liberation
of Kuwait - Kuwait
Valorous
Unit Citation (2)
Superior
Unit Citation |
National
Defense Service Medal |
| HURRICANE
ANDREW 1992 |
Humanitarian
Service Medal |
Humanitarian
Service Medal |
| RESTORE
DEMOCRACY 1992-1994 |
. |
Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal |
| RESTORE
HOPE 1993-1994 |
Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal |
. |
| VIGILANT
WARRIOR 1994 |
? |
. |
| RESTORE
DEMOCRACY 1995 |
Armed
Forces Service Medal
United
Nations Haiti Medal |
. |
|
| . |
| 4.
OTHER INFORMATION
|
|
|
| . |
|
24th
INFANTRY DIVISION |
10th
MOUNTAIN DIVISION |
| WORLD WAR 11 1941-1945 |
Full
Division |
Full
Division |
| Date entered the war: |
7
December 1941 at Pearl Harbor |
28
January 1945 |
| Campaigns Fought: |
5 |
2 |
| Campaigns Spearheaded: |
4 |
|
| Number
KIA: |
1,374 |
872 |
| Number
WIA: |
5,621 |
3,134 |
| Number POW: |
? |
|
| Number Medal of Honor Recipients: |
4 |
1 |
| Post WW II Assignment: |
Occupation
Duty - Japan to 1950 |
Disbanded
30 Nov 1945 |
| KOREAN WAR 1950-1953 |
Full
Division |
No
Participation |
| Date entered the war: |
1
July 1950 |
|
| Campaigns Fought: |
8 |
|
| Campaigns Spearheaded: |
1 |
|
| Number
KIA: |
3,735 |
|
| Number
WIA: |
7,395 |
|
| Number POW: |
607
and 152 MIA |
|
| Number Medal of Honor Recipients: |
10 |
|
| Post Korean
Armistice Assignment: |
Korea
DMZ Duty |
|
| PERSIAN
GULF WAR 1990-1995 |
Full
Division |
No
Participation (about 1,200 support
soldiers assigned to 24th ID (Mech) |
| Date entered the war: |
24
Feb 1991 (Desert Storm) |
|
| Campaigns Fought: |
3 |
|
| Campaigns Spearheaded: |
|
|
| Number
KIA: |
16 |
|
| Number
WIA: |
|
|
| Number POW: |
0 |
|
| Number Medal of Honor Recipients: |
|
|
| Post
Gulf War Assignment: |
Fort
Stewart, GA (18th Airborne Corps) |
|
|
| . |
| 5.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SUPPORTING AN OUTSTANDING AND RESPECTED MILITARY HISTORY
|
| |
|
The
24th and 25th Infantry Divisions were the first Army divisions
to engage the Japanese in World War II at Pearl Harbor, 7
December 1941.
The
Victory Division fought in five campaigns in the Pacific. This
is the most campaigns engaged in by any
United States
division in the Pacific during World War II.
The
U.S.
Army Infantry Motto, "Follow Me" was adopted as a
result of the rallying cry of Colonel Aubry S. "Red"
Newman, Commander, 34th Infantry Regiment, during the assault on
Red beach at Leyte.
Japanese
Army General Yamashita stated that the Japanese Army's back was
broken when it was defeated by the Victory Division's 21st
Infantry Regiment at Breakneck Ridge, Philippines.
General
Douglas
Mac Arthur, Pacific Theater Commander said of the Victory
Division, "No division with which I have been associated
with is closer to my heart than the 24th Division,
and none has more distinguished itself."
The
24th Division was the first combat unit in the world to serve
under the United Nations flag when it landed in
Korea
as "Task Force Smith".
U.S.
forces were awarded the United Nations Service medal for the
first time.
The
24th Division’s Airborne component (187th Rakkasan AIR) was the first Army unit
awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for deployment to Lebanon
in July of 1958 as an Intervention Force. No previous
deployment of U.S.
troops ever received this award.
The
Victory Division was the leading ground attack element into
Iraq
when the Desert Storm ground war began at 1500 hours, February
24, 1991. The Division was "The Point of the Spear".
The Mechanized Division’s lightning flanking and
encircling attack into Iraq
has been called "The Greatest Cavalry Charge in
History". The
Division drove faster and farther than any mechanized force in
military history to that date.
As part of the 18th Airborne
Corps', Rapid Deployment Force, the 24th ID (Mech.), known as
"The Iron Fist," was pressed
into service on 10 October 1993 to provide security for the withdrawal of the 10th
Mountain Division in Somalia after the debacle that killed 18
Army Rangers.
|
|
ARMY
TIMES PUBLICATION INFORMATION
|
|
These insets published 27 Feb. 1995 with similar
insets from each of the 12 divisions under review
for inactivation or retention. |
|
 |
|
| Additional information
is being developed and will be published here in the near
future. |
| |
