The 102nd Infantry Division ("Ozark"
[) was a ]unit
Unit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''
* Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation
Music
* ''Unit'' (a ...
of the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
in World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. The unit is currently active as the 102nd Training Division (Maneuver Support).
Interwar period
The division was constituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921, allotted to the Seventh Corps Area
The Seventh Corps Area was a Corps area, effectively a military district, of the United States Army active from 1920 to 1941. It initially was responsible for army forces in Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri (but not Jefferson Barracks), North Dakota, So ...
, and assigned to the XVII Corps, with Arkansas and Missouri as its home area. The headquarters was organized on 2 September 1921 at 3d and Olive Streets in St. Louis, and relocated in 1923 to the Old Customhouse. The HQ remained there until activated for World War II. To encourage esprit de corps, the division adopted the nickname “Ozark
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...
” after the mountainous region that ran through both home area states, and the division staff published a newsletter titled “Ozark.” The division formed rapidly and by November 1922, it was up to 95 percent strength in its complement of officers as required by its peacetime tables of organization. The designated mobilization and training station for the division was Fort Riley, KS. The HQ and staff usually trained at Fort Leavenworth, KS. The subordinate infantry regiments of the division held their summer training primarily with the 17th Infantry Regiment at Fort Leavenworth.
In the 1920s and 1930s Harry S. Truman, a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...
in the Officers' Reserve Corps, commanded the division's 1st Battalion, 379th Field Artillery Regiment. After promotion to colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
, Truman advanced to command of the 379th Field Artillery Regiment.
World War II
*Ordered into active military service: 15 September 1942 at Camp Maxey
Camp Maxey is a Texas Army National Guard training facility that was originally built as a U.S. Army infantry-training camp during World War II. It was occupied from July 1942 to early 1946 in Lamar County, Texas. Its main entrance was located n ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
*Overseas: 12 September 1944
*Campaigns: Rhineland
The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section.
Term
Historically, the Rhinelands ...
, Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
*Days of combat: 173
*Distinguished Unit Citations: 4
*Awards: DSC-8; DSM-1 ; SS-686; LM-15; SM-39 ; BSM-5,498 ; AM-91.
*Commanders: Major General John B. Anderson
John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member ...
(September 1942 – December 1943), Major General Frank A. Keating
Major General Frank Augustus Keating (February 4, 1895 – April 28, 1973) was a career officer of the United States Army who commanded the 102nd Infantry Division during World War II, was Governor of the U.S. Zone of Germany, and was Chief U.S ...
(8 January 1944 – February 1946), Brigadier General Charles M. Busbee (February 1946 to inactivation).
*Assistant Division Commanders (partial list): Lloyd D. Brown
Major General Lloyd Davidson Brown (July 28, 1892 – February 17, 1950) was a senior United States Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he commanded the 28th Infantry Division, including during t ...
(May 1942 – February 1943), Alonzo Patrick Fox (April 1943 – May 1945)
*Returned to U.S.: 11 March 1946.
*Inactivated: 23 March 1946.
Order of battle
* Headquarters, 102nd Infantry Division
* 405th Infantry Regiment
* 406th Infantry Regiment
* 407th Infantry Regiment
* Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 102d Infantry Division Artillery
** 379th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
** 380th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
** 381st Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm)
** 927th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
*327th Engineer Combat Battalion
*327th Medical Battalion
*102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
*Headquarters, Special Troops, 102nd Infantry Division
**Headquarters Company, 102nd Infantry Division
**802nd Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
**102nd Quartermaster Company
**102nd Signal Company
**Military Police Platoon
**Band
* 102nd Counterintelligence Corps Detachment
Combat chronicle
The 102nd Infantry Division, under the command of Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
Frank A. Keating
Major General Frank Augustus Keating (February 4, 1895 – April 28, 1973) was a career officer of the United States Army who commanded the 102nd Infantry Division during World War II, was Governor of the U.S. Zone of Germany, and was Chief U.S ...
, arrived on the Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
* Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
in the European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
(ETO) at Cherbourg
Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Febr ...
, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, 23 September 1944, and, after a short period of training near Valognes
Valognes () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
Geography
Valognes is situated in the Cotentin Peninsula, southeast of Cherbourg. Valognes station has rail connections to Caen, Paris and Cherbourg.
Histo ...
, moved to the German-Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
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border. On 26 October, elements attached to other divisions entered combat and on 3 November the division assumed responsibility for the sector from the Wurm to Waurichen. A realignment of sectors and the return of elements placed the 102nd in full control of its units for the first time, 24 November 1944, as it prepared for an attack to the Roer. The attack jumped off, 29 November, and carried the division to the river through Welz, Flossdorf, and Linnich
Linnich is a town in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the River Rur (Roer river), approx. 10 km north-west of Jülich.
Economy
Linnich is the home of SIG Combibloc, the specialist fo ...
.
After a period of aggressive patrolling along the Roer, 4–19 December, the division took over the XIII Corps sector from the Wurm River, north of the village of Wurm, to Barmen
Barmen is a former industrial metropolis of the region of Bergisches Land, Germany, which merged with four other towns in 1929 to form the city of Wuppertal.
Barmen, together with the neighbouring town of Elberfeld founded the first electr ...
on the south, and trained for river crossing. On 23 February 1945, the 102d attacked across the Roer (Operation Grenade
During World War II, Operation Grenade was the crossing of the Roer river between Roermond and Düren by the U.S. Ninth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General William Hood Simpson, in February 1945, which marked the beginning of the Allied ...
), advanced toward Lövenich and Erkelenz
Erkelenz (, li, Erkelens ) is a town in the Rhineland in western Germany that lies southwest of Mönchengladbach on the northern edge of the Cologne Lowland, halfway between the Lower Rhine region and the Lower Meuse. It is a medium-sized town ...
, bypassed Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach (, li, Jlabbach ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border.
Geography Municipal subdivisions
Since 2009, the territory of Möncheng ...
, took Krefeld
Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, ...
, 3 March, and reached the Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
. During March the division was on the defensive along the Rhine, its sector extending from Homburg south to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...
. Crossing the river on 9 April on pontoon bridge, the division attacked in the Wesergebirge
The Weser Hills (''Wesergebirge''), also known in German as the ''Weserkette'' ("Weser Chain"),"Ein anderes Bild als die Bergländer der oberen Weser bieten die ''Weserkette'', das ''Wiehengebirge'' und der ''Teutoburger Wald'', see Christian Deg ...
, meeting stiff opposition. After 3 days and nights of terrific enemy resistance Wilsede and Hessisch-Oldendorf
Hessisch Oldendorf ( is a town in the Hamelin-Pyrmont district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Weser, approximately northwest of Hamelin. The adjective "Hessisch" has been used since 1905 to distinguish it from other towns ...
fell, 12 April 1945, and the 102d pushed on to the Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
, meeting little resistance. Breitenfeld fell, 15 April, and the division outposted the Elbe River, 48 miles from Berlin, its advance halted on orders. Storkau experienced fighting on the 16th, EHRA on the 21st along with Fallersleben. On 3 May 1945 the 102nd shook hands with the Russian 156th Division just outside Berlin.
On 15 April the division discovered a war crime in Gardelegen. About 1,200 prisoners from the Mittelbau-Dora
Mittelbau-Dora (also Dora-Mittelbau and Nordhausen-Dora) was a Nazi concentration camp located near Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany. It was established in late summer 1943 as a subcamp of Buchenwald concentration camp, supplying slave labour f ...
and Hannover-Stöcken concentration camps were forced from a train into an empty barn measuring approximately a hundred by fifty feet on the outskirts of the town. The barn was then set afire, killing those inside. About 1,016 people were killed. However, two men survived, buried under a shield of dead bodies, protecting them from the gunfire and flames. When the first soldiers arrived at the barn, the two came crawling out from under the dead and burning bodies. Major General Keating ordered that the nearby civilian population be forced to view the site and to disinter and rebury the victims in a new cemetery. After digging the graves and burying the bodies, they erected a cross or a Star of David over each grave and enclosed the site with a white fence.
The division patrolled and maintained defensive positions until the end of hostilities in Europe, then moved to Gotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the Gotha (district), district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine House of Wet ...
for occupation duty.
Casualties
*Total battle casualties: 4,922[Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths in World War II, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953)]
*Killed in action: 932
*Wounded in action: 3,668
*Missing in action: 185
*Prisoners of war: 137
Assignments in the European Theater of Operations
*28 August 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
The Twelfth United States Army Group was the largest and most powerful United States Army formation ever to take to the field, commanding four field armies at its peak in 1945: First United States Army, Third United States Army, Ninth United Stat ...
.
*5 September 1944: III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to:
France
* 3rd Army Corps (France)
* III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of t ...
.
*10 October 1944: XVI Corps.
*3 November 1944: XIX Corps.
*7 November 1944: XIII Corps.
*20 December 1944: XIII Corps, Ninth Army (attached to the British 21st Army Group
The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
), 12th Army Group.
*1 April 1945: XIII Corps (for administration), Ninth Army, but attached for operations to the Fifteenth Army.
*4 April 1945: XIII Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.
Post-war History (1946–1965)
* Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 102nd Infantry Division
** Inactivated 12 March 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
** Assigned 22 October 1946 to the Fifth Army.
** Activated 19 May 1947 at St. Louis, Missouri.
** Inactivated 31 December 1965 at St. Louis, Missouri.
On 1 June 1959, the division was reorganized as a Pentomic
Pentomic (cf. ''Greek pent(e)-'' +''-tome'' "of five parts") was a structure for infantry and airborne divisions adopted by the US Army between 1957 and 1963, in response to the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons, on future battlefields. ...
Division. The division's three infantry regiments were inactivated and their elements reorganized into five infantry battle groups. On 1 April 1963, the division was reorganized as a Reorganization Objective Army Division
The history of the United States Army began in 1775. From its formation, the United States Army has been the primary land based part of the United States Armed Forces. The Army's main responsibility has been in fighting land battles and military ...
(ROAD). Three Brigade Headquarters were activated and Infantry units were reorganized into battalions:
* 405th Infantry Regiment
** Inactivated 1 June 1946 at Bayreuth, Germany.
** Activated 31 October 1946 with headquarters at Minneapolis, Minnesota.
** Inactivated 3 January 1947 at Minneapolis.
** Activated 24 January 1947 with headquarters at St. Louis, Missouri.
** Headquarters relocated to Danville, Illinois 15 March 1948, to Anna, Illinois 1 February 1950, to Marion, Illinois 2 January 1956, and to East St. Louis, Illinois 24 November 1956.
** Inactivated 31 May 1959 at East St. Louis, concurrently, Headquarters and Headquarters Company consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company Headquarters, 3d Battle Group, 9th Infantry.
** The Battle Group was activated 1 June 1959 with headquarters at Quincy, Illinois. Reorganized and redesignated as the 3d Battalion, 9th Infantry on 1 April 1963, and inactivated at Quincy on 31 December 1965.
* 406th Infantry Regiment
** Inactivated 16 March 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
** Activated 3 January 1947 with headquarters at Kansas City, Missouri.
** Inactivated 11 May 1959 at Kansas City, concurrently, Headquarters and Headquarters Company consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company Headquarters, 3d Battle Group, 14th Infantry.
** The Battle Group was activated 1 June 1959 with headquarters at Kansas City, Missouri. Reorganized and redesignated as the 3d Battalion, 14th Infantry on 1 April 1963, and inactivated at Kansas City on 31 December 1965.
* 407th Infantry Regiment
** Inactivated 16 March 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
** Activated 15 March 1948 with headquarters at St. Louis, Missouri.
** Inactivated 31 May 1959 at St. Louis, concurrently, Headquarters and Headquarters Company consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company Headquarters, 4th Battle Group, 6th Infantry.
** The Battle Group was activated 1 June 1959 with headquarters at St. Louis, Missouri. Reorganized and redesignated as the 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry on 1 April 1963, and inactivated at St. Louis on 31 December 1965.
Two additional Battle Groups were also formed:
* The 3d Battle Group, 7th Infantry was activated 1 June 1959 with headquarters in Danville, Illinois and inactivated there on 1 April 1963.
* The 3d Battle Group, 4th Infantry was activated 1 June 1959 with headquarters at Fairfield, Illinois. Reorganized and redesignated as the 3d Battalion, 4th Infantry on 1 April 1963, and inactivated at Fairfield on 31 December 1965.
The division and subordinate elements were inactivated on 31 December 1965. Later, when the 102d Army Reserve Command was formed as a regional headquarters for Army Reserve units within the same general area where the 102d Infantry Division had been located, the shoulder sleeve insignia was authorized for wear by units of the 102d ARCOM, such as the military police unit stationed at Richards Gebaur AFB near Belton, Missouri
Belton is a city in northwestern Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 23,116 at the 2010 census.
History
Belton was platted in 1871. The city was likely named for surveyor Capt. Marcus Lindsey Belt. A post office called Belto ...
. The lineage of the 102d Division is perpetuated by the 102d Training Division.
Subordinate units
The division was reactivated on September 16, 2008 as the 102nd Training Division; with headquarters concurrently activated at Fort Snelling
Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint Anth ...
, Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
. The division's location was changed on April 1, 2017 to Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of The City of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard W ...
, Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
,
As of 2017 the following units are subordinated to the division:
* 1st Brigade (Engineer)
** 80th Battalion (Engineer)
** 95th Battalion (Engineer)
** 100th Battalion (Engineer)
** 104th Battalion (Engineer)
** 108th Battalion (Engineer)
* 2nd Brigade (Military Police)
** 80th Battalion (Military Police)
** 95th Battalion (Military Police)
** 100th Battalion (Military Police)
** 104th Battalion (Military Police)
** 108th Battalion (Military Police)
* 3rd Brigade (Chemical)
** 80th Battalion (Chemical)
** 95th Battalion (Chemical)
** 100th Battalion (Chemical)
** 104th Battalion (Chemical)
** 108th Battalion (Chemical)
* 5th Brigade (Signal)
** 2nd Battalion (Signal), 104th Regiment
** 3rd Battalion (Signal), 80th Regiment
** 3rd Battalion (Signal), 95th Regiment
** 3rd Battalion (Signal), 100th Regiment
** 3rd Battalion (Signal), 108th Regiment
** High Tech Regional Training Site-Maintenance (Sacramento)
** High Tech Regional Training Site-Maintenance (Tobyhanna)
** Signal School Detachment (D113), Fort Gordon, GA
References
External links
With the 102d Infantry Division through Germany
{{Army Divisions (United States)
102d Infantry Division, U.S.
Infantry Division, U.S. 102d
Military units and formations established in 1921
1942 establishments in Texas
1946 disestablishments in New Jersey
Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II
Training divisions of the United States Army