united_states infantry division united_states_army headquartered fought world war korean war trace lineage frontier militias operated late 1800s saw major action national_guard units activated world war took intense fighting invasion sicily attack italian campaign slowly advancing italy fought landing france operation joined drive germany ended war europe brief subsequent reorganization unit restricted division returned duty korean war joined united_nations troops lines stalemate second half war constant low level fighting trench warfare people volunteer army china produced little gain division remained lines engagements old end war returning division remained national_guard formation guard units activated replace division carry lineage course history sustained battle casualties men awarded medals honor campaign presidential unit citation history outbreak world war troops national_guard formed units exist today forming forming forming units attached deployed france depot forces provide replacements line units returned home end war units later assigned earn combat participation credit september november france inter war years october organized manned troops arizona colorado new_mexico oklahoma division formed federally recognized national_guard unit august oklahoma assigned colorado consequence militia roots division properly organized members remote frontier regions division commander engaged regular drills major events years division colorado elements called help quell large coal mining strike onset great depression 1930s severely curtailed funding training equipment major general took command followed division troops called time help manage plague affecting colorado division original shoulder sleeve insignia approved august featured common native american symbol tribute region large population native americans rise germany infamous symbol 45th division stopped insignia following long process submissions new designs new shoulder sleeve insignia designed oklahoma native named featuring native american symbol approved august took largest peacetime exercises military history assigned camped near louisiana operating equipment world war division perform exercises poor weather bad equipment criticized officers considered spite deficiencies month later men recalled active duty force concerns impending american entry world war world war september state control regular army force national_guard divisions alongside originally year period men immediately began basic combat training fort oklahoma continued training camp texas moving massachusetts undergo amphibious assault training preparation invasion italy moved new_york briefly winter warfare training hampered continuously poor weather january moved virginia final training division moved camp patrick henry await combat loading transports division combat commands brigades activated army favored smaller versatile regimental commands new conflict instead based assigned division 45th sicily command major general sailed mediterranean region june combat loaded aboard thirteen attack transports cargo attack vessels convoy headed communications ship uss time 45th division landed north_africa june allies largely secured african theater result division sent combat arrival instead commenced training french morocco preparation invasion sicily allied intelligence estimated island defended approximately troops majority drawn weak italian formations german divisions destroyed earlier allies planned land troops including assigned lieutenant general operation division subsequently assigned lead role amphibious assault sicily coming ashore july landing near southernmost objective island division advanced north force eastern flank initially encountering resistance armor division advanced supported landed inland july conducting combat jump war set protect 45th flank german counterattack weapons counter heavy armor rely support armored units german tiger tanks division advanced main objective capture airfields german forces pushed weeks division moved slowly north encountered light resistance italian forces fighting delaying actions italian german forces resisted fiercely hill july days held division allocated drive ordered general cover distance quickly possible spent days city august division withdrawn line rest rear guard patrol duty division assigned lieutenant general preparation invasion mainland italy september italy surrendered allied powers hoping occupy country possible german_army react prepared attack september division conducted second landing southernmost beaches attack opposing elements german 29th stiff resistance 45th pushed week heavy fighting battered pushed german forces september allied forces finally able break establish secure november crossed took division great difficulty moving rivers mountainous terrain advance slow linking advanced south combined force 15th stalled reached january division forward mountains reaching north moving rest area allied forces conducted frontal assault stronghold included assigned detached 15th land enemy lines january mission 1st armored division attached landing schedule surprised germans major general decision consolidate instead attacking gave germans time bring forward oppose landings regiment 45th went ashore landings company advanced north road captured factory encountered heavy resistance german armored units miles lucas ordered rest division deployed southeastern lower january advanced beaches encountered heavy resistance took heavy casualties stopped line perimeter fight battle attrition major german counterattack came early february regiments 45th sent sector reinforce british tank battalion tried recapture repulsed lucas moved rest 45th division left center perimeter west branch months stuck place holding ground repeated german subjected bombardment aircraft artillery february major german attack struck 45th nearly broke february lucas sent famed ranger leader colonel assume command germans repulsed went offensive breaking northeast 45th division forming left half attack german defenses shattered 45th division turned northwest hills rome june 45th crossed rome entered city troops men 45th division allied troops reach vatican june withdrew rest preparation operations time attached seventh united_states_army 45th 36th divisions pulled line italy preparation operation invasion southern france originally planned coincide normandy landings north delayed august shortage landing craft france germany participated fourth assault landing operation august division landed regimental combat teams captured heights meeting 1st special service force german_army pulled short fight overall german withdrawal east following landings soldiers engaged dispersed forces suffering casualties free french forces able advance north quickly september linked united_states_army advancing normandy joining forces slight opposition spearheaded drive gap took strongly defended city september division reassigned advance september division crossed entered western foothills taking remain area month waiting units catch crossing october division remained line sixth southernmost advancing france crossing complete division relieved assigned division allowed month rest resuming advance november attacking forts north forts designed block access plain 45th division crossed pushing defenses time division artillery assets attached provide additional support reassigned new year day january division fought defensively german border withdrawing sent half artillery support infantry division february division pulled line rest training rest period complete division assigned final push german territory 45th moved north area smashed line march taking 21st crossing rhine worms 26th advance continued falling april 20th division crossed april liberated captives concentration camp april division captured munich days occupying city day surrender germany month division remained munich set collection points camps massive numbers surrendering troops german armies number taken years fighting totalled men division slated pacific theater operations participate invasion mainland japan island plans division depart surrender japan day criminal allegations war courts martial convened investigate possible war crimes members division case dubbed massacre american troops alleged shot italian german prisoners july following capture airfield area asked general case dismissed prevent bad press bradley refused non commissioned officer later confessed crimes found guilty officer claimed following orders acquitted second incident army considered court officers lieutenant colonel servicemen accused german soldiers surrendering concentration camp german troops camp guards sick wounded troops nearby hospital soldiers 45th division liberated camp outraged prisoners liberated barely alive victims holocaust entering camp soldiers found filled dead bodies prisoners succumbed starvation minute executions rooms adjacent gas chambers found naked bodies floor ceiling operation soldiers arrived contained bodies skeletons victims apparently died hours entered camp lay died states overwhelmed soldiers senses accounts conflict happened german troops killed investigating incident army considered court officers involved successfully intervened disbanded appointed military governor bavaria placing matter hands veterans said german soldiers killed killed trying surrender admitted killing refusing treat wounded german guards war world war 45th division fought days combat soldiers awarded medal honor service soldiers division received legion merit medals division received seven distinguished unit campaign conflict division suffered killed action wounded action missing action captured non battle casualties total casualties war division returned new_york september went camp texas december division active duty force members reassigned army units following year september national_guard unit instead comprising units states post war 45th oklahoma organization time division reorganized process removed division order battle replaced time underwent drastic reduction size end world war contained divisions active divisions force reserve divisions combat ineffective division retained best officers senior commanders force enjoyed good relationship community 45th time regarded better trained national_guard divisions regardless division troops percent strength authorization percent division officers percent enlisted men combat experience division world war korean war outbreak korean war june looked expand force prepare major conflict invaded divisions occupation duty japan rushed south_korea stand alongside control drastic reductions military spending following end world war divisions equipped worn obsolete weaponry suffered shortage anti armor weapons capable penetrating hulls north korean tanks reinforcement pool initially division provide pool reinforcements divisions sent korean war theater january provided enlisted overseas service later month given new recruits infantry regiments artillery assets unit created week training program prepare new soldiers combat heavy casualties slow reinforcement rates army looked national_guard provide additional units relieve time comprised overwhelmingly high school students recent graduates percent divisional troops conducted training drills division year additionally percent personnel prior experience military service world war division national_guard divisions identified prepared combat based effectiveness equipment training leadership result february alerted sail japan preparation deployment division sent louisiana begin training fill ranks basic training complete division sent japan april advanced training act reserve force fighting korea involvement national_guard fighting korea expanded received warning orders deployment initial struggles september activated national_guard division deployed far_east theater world war deployed korea december advanced training complete following arrival division moved line replace delegated far_east reserve having suffered casualties months fighting 45th remained facto segregated white unit individual unit commanders went great lengths integrate reinforcements different areas ethnicity units fully integrated additionally effort reduce burden national_guard troops division replaced enlisted drafted soldiers active duty force arrived korea half division manpower national_guard troops left july continually replaced active duty troops including increasing number african americans division longer oklahoma unit leaders opted designation time division place battle lines sides largely solidified leaving stationary position conducted attacks ground division command corps conflict deployed assigned protect key routes area seoul terrain difficult weather poor region division suffered casualty december initially division fare improved quickly anti aircraft armor assets mobile artillery continuously chinese positions 45th turn constant artillery mortar attack conducted constant small unit patrols border seeking engage chinese outposts patrols small unit actions majority division combat korea chinese troops dug better trained troops inexperienced 45th suffered casualties frequently attacked division months line chinese forces conducted raids sector retaliation sent tanks raid companies chinese forces ambushed devastated patrol short time later spring division launched effort establish patrol bases old division defended hill series chinese assaults final engagements end war fought repeated chinese attacks line chinese forces frequently attacked old fall year time relinquished command old immediately chinese launched concentrated attack hill forces heavy prevented divisions hill month finally heavily fortified prevent attacks sent assault chinese positions late division held stationary defensive line chinese early north korean forces launched large scale attack hill control ensuing series larger attacks chinese north korean forces produced heavier fighting previous year seen conducted largely order secure better position ongoing truce negotiations chinese forces continued mount concentrated attacks lines forces including division managed hold ground remaining stationary end war summer korean war 45th infantry division suffered casualties consisting killed action wounded action division awarded campaign presidential unit citation soldier division awarded medal honor serving korea korea division briefly patrolled following signing armistice ending war men returned home reverted national_guard status april colors returned oklahoma september year formally ending division presence korea division remained unit participated major actions rest 1950s save regular weekend summer training exercises formation reorganized accordance plan saw establishment 1st 2nd division brigades major deployments events years later year perceived lack need large formations larger reduce number divisions increasing number separate brigades seven place independent separate established received 45th division lineage including shoulder sleeve insignia activated division assets 45th field artillery group later redesignated honors awarded campaign unit award world war campaign unit decoration korean war total campaign unit decorations operational history note similarity dates general commanders beginning general retained korea twin unit activated oklahoma
45th Infantry Division (United States)