Sixth Army is a theater army of the United States Army. The Army service component command of
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, o ...
, its
area of responsibility
Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and con ...
includes 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and the Caribbean. It is headquartered at
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview),
US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Repres ...
.
The Sixth Army saw extensive service in the South Pacific during World War II, including in
New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the D ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
, and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Postwar it served stateside training army forces until its inactivation during force reduction in 1995. The army was reactivated in 2007.
History
The Sixth United States Army was activated in January 1943, commanded by Lieutenant General Walter Krueger. Under the code name Alamo Force, it assumed control of the majority of
US 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, c ...
units involved in
Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel (1943–1944) was a major military operation for the Allies in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Cartwheel was an operation aimed at neutralising the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The operation was directed by the ...
, the campaign to isolate and neutralize the Japanese base at
Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
in
New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the D ...
. Following the completion of Cartwheel, Sixth Army joined the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
and other US forces on the north coast of
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
. Similar in conception to the island hopping operations of the central Pacific, the object of the attacks was to land, establish a garrison and airfield which could support the next strike, and then move on.
In September 1944, Sixth Army was relieved from operations in New Guinea by the
Eighth United States Army
The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which is the commanding formation of all United States Army forces in South Korea. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys,X Corps and XXIV Corps, under Sixth Army, invaded
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. By December, Leyte was secured, and the Sixth Army was relieved again by Eighth Army to prepare for the invasion of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...
. As a prelude to that invasion, the island of
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...
19th
19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...
and 503rd Regimental Combat Teams. Sixth Army took part in the
Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf ( fil, Paglusob sa Golpo ng Lingayen), 6–9 January 1945, was an Allies of World War II, Allied Amphibious warfare, amphibious operation in the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Philippines during World War II. In t ...
on 9 January 1945 with the subordinate units of I and XIV Corps. Sixth Army units fought south until they met up those of Eighth Army advancing from around
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
. Sixth Army then continued to clear the north of Luzon until the end of the war. Sixth Army was to have provided the ground forces for the first phase of the invasion of Japan, though after Japan's early surrender Sixth Army was reassigned to occupation duty in Japan. Sixth Army returned to the United States in 1946, and was headquartered at the
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...
.
After the war, Sixth Army took responsibility for training of Army forces from part of the continental United States. It was eventually inactivated in June 1995 due to force reductions.
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview),
US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Repres ...
Soto Cano Air Base
Soto Cano Air Base is a Honduras, Honduran military base to the south of Comayagua in Honduras and from November 2021 will be the principal gateway to Honduras. It houses 1,200–1,500 U.S. troops and is also used by the Honduran Air Force acade ...
377th Theater Sustainment Command
The 12th Port of Embarkation, later designated 377th Theater Sustainment Command, was constituted on 2 July 1942 and was activated 5 July 1942 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The unit was converted, reorganized, and redesignated 7 November 1942 as the ...
Fort Douglas, Utah
Camp Douglas was established in October 1862, during the American Civil War, as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. I ...
*GEN Walter Krueger (16 February 1943 – 28 January 1946)
*Inactive (29 January 1946 – 28 February 1946)
*GEN Joseph W. Stilwell (1 March 1946 – 12 October 1946)
*MG George Price Hays (13 October 1946 - June 1947)
*GEN Mark W. Clark (June 1947 - 30 September 1949)
*LTG
Albert C. Wedemeyer
General Albert Coady Wedemeyer (July 9, 1896 – December 17, 1989) was a United States Army commander who served in Asia during World War II from October 1943 to the end of the war. Previously, he was an important member of the War Planning Board ...
(1 October 1949 – 31 July 1951)
*LTG
Joseph M. Swing
Lieutenant General Joseph May Swing (February 28, 1894 – December 9, 1984) was a senior United States Army officer, who fought in World War I and commanded the 11th Airborne Division during the campaign to liberate the Philippines in World War ...
(1951–1954)
*LTG
Willard G. Wyman
General Willard Gordon Wyman (March 21, 1898 – March 29, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer who served as Commanding General of Continental Army Command from 1956 to 1958.
Military career
Wyman was born in Augusta, Maine. He en ...
Charles D. Palmer
General Charles Day Palmer, Jr. (February 20, 1902 – June 7, 1999) was a senior United States Army officer who served as Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command from 1959 to 1962. His brother, Williston B. Palmer, was also a ...
(1958 – 31 August 1959)
*LTG
Robert M. Cannon
Robert Milchrist Cannon (August 16, 1901 – September 3, 1976) was a United States Army Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general. He was notable for his World War II service in the China Burma India Theater and his command of the S ...
(1 September 1959 – 31 August 1961)
*LTG John L. Ryan (1 September 1961 – 31 July 1963)
*LTG Frederic J. Brown II (1 August 1963 – 31 July 1965)
*LTG
James L. Richardson
James Lowell "Walking Jim" Richardson Jr. (12 June 1909 – 20 January 1987) was a United States Army lieutenant general during the Cold War.
A graduate of West Point who began his military service in the 1930s, Richardson served in Europe during ...
(1 August 1965 – 1967)
*LTG
Ben Harrell
Ben Harrell (March 15, 1911 – July 26, 1981) was a United States Army four star general who served as Commander, Allied Land Forces South East Europe from 1968 to 1971. A 1933 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Harrell also se ...
(1967–1968)
*LTG Stanley R. Larsen (1968–1971)
*LTG Alexander D. Surles (1971–1972)
*LTG Richard G. Stilwell (1972–1973)
*LTG Elvy B. Roberts (1973–1975)
*LTG Edward M. Flanagan Jr. (1975–1978)
*LTG Eugene P. Forrester (1978–1980)
*LTG Charles M. Hall (1980–1981)
*LTG
David E. Grange Jr.
David E. Grange Jr. (April 9, 1925 – September 11, 2022) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army.
Early life
Grange was born on April 9, 1925, in Richmond Hill, New York, New York City, and grew up in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. He j ...
Frederick F. Woerner Jr.
Frederick F. Woerner Jr. (born August 12, 1933) is a retired four-star general of the United States Army, former Commander-in-Chief of United States Southern Command, former Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, and Professor Emer ...
(1986–1987)
*LTG James E. Moore Jr. (1987–1989)
*LTG
William H. Harrison
William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...