The 91st Infantry Division (famously nicknamed as the "Wild West Division"
with a "Fir Tree" as its Division insignia to symbolize its traditional home of the Far West) is an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
that fought in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. From 1946 until 2008, it was part of the
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
Since July 2020 ...
. It was briefly inactivated from 2008 until 2010 when it was elevated back to a division size element as the 91st Training Division (Operations).
History
World War I
Constituted on 5 August 1917 at
Camp Lewis, Washington, near
Tacoma, the division, commanded by Major General
Henry Alexander Greene
Henry Alexander Greene (August 5, 1856 – August 19, 1921) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I.
Biography
Greene was born on August 5, 1856, in Matte ...
, soon thereafter departed for England in the summer of 1918. In September 1918, the division's first operation was in the
St. Mihiel Offensive
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
in France. Serving under the U.S. Army's
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to:
France
* 5th Army Corps (France)
* V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
, the division, now commanded by Major General
William Johnston Jr., fought in the
Meuse-Argonne Offensive and successfully helped to destroy the
German First Guard Division and continued to smash through three successive enemy lines.
Twelve days before the end of World War I, the division, as part of the VII Corps of the
French Sixth Army
The Sixth Army (french: 6eme Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II.
World War I
The Sixth Army was formed 26 August 1914, composed of troops from various disparate French armies: two active army corps, th ...
, helped drive the Germans east across the
Escaut River in the
Battle of the Lys and the Escaut. The division was awarded separate campaign streamers for its active role in the Lorraine, Meuse-Argonne and
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...
-Lys campaigns.
In 1919, the 91st was inactivated at the
Presidio of San Francisco.
The Division was composed of the following units:
* Headquarters, 91st Division
*
181st Infantry Brigade
**
361st Infantry Regiment
**
362nd Infantry Regiment
** 347th Machine Gun Battalion
* 182nd Infantry Brigade
**
363rd Infantry Regiment 363rd or 363d may refer to:
* 363d Expeditionary Operations Group, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 363d Bombardment Squadron or 19th Antisubmarine Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 363d Fighter Squadron or 164th Airlift Squa ...
**
364th Infantry Regiment
** 348th Machine Gun Battalion
* 166th Field Artillery Brigade
**
346th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm)
**
347th Field Artillery Regiment (4.7")
**
348th Field Artillery Regiment (155 mm)
** 316th Trench Mortar Battery
* 348th Machine Gun Battalion
* 316th Engineer Regiment
* 316th Medical Regiment
* 316th Field Signal Battalion
* Headquarters Troop, 91st Division
* 316th Train Headquarters and Military Police
** 316th Ammunition Train
** 316th Supply Train
** 316th Engineer Train
** 316th Sanitary Train
*** 361st, 36nd, 363rd, and 364th Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals
Interwar period
After being reconstituted in 1921 as part of the Organized Reserves and being assigned to the state of California, the division then served as an administrative control center for the next 21 years.
World War II
As the early battles of
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
involving the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
were being fought, the division was reactivated at
Camp White, Oregon on 15 August 1942, under the command of Major General
Charles H. Gerhardt
Major general (United States), Major General Charles Hunter Gerhardt (June 6, 1895 – October 9, 1976) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he commande ...
. After initial training at Camp White, the division participation in the
Oregon Maneuver combat exercise in the fall of 1943.
Order of battle
* Headquarters, 91st Infantry Division
* 361st Infantry Regiment
* 362nd Infantry Regiment
* 363rd Infantry Regiment
* Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 91st Infantry Division Artillery
** 346th Field Artillery Battalion
** 347th Field Artillery Battalion
** 348th Field Artillery Battalion
** 916th Field Artillery Battalion
* 316th Engineer Combat Battalion
* 316th Medical Battalion
*
91st Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
* Headquarters, Special Troops, 91st Infantry Division
** Headquarters Company, 91st Infantry Division
** 791st Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
** 91st Quartermaster Company
** 91st Signal Company
** Military Police Platoon
** Band
* 91st Counterintelligence Corps Detachment
Then, the division, now under Major General
William G. Livesay, departed for the European Continent on 3 April 1944. There, on the
Italian Front, the
361st Regimental Combat Team was detached to participate in the
battles for Rome and the Arno River. It became the first formation of the
U.S. Fifth Army to reach the river. In September 1944, the division crossed the Sieve River, outflanked the famous
Gothic Line, and captured the Futa Pass. For its part in combat, the division was awarded the North Apennines, Po Valley and Rome-Arno campaign streamers.
The division returned to the United States where it was inactivated at
Camp Rucker,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
, in December 1945.
Two members were awarded the Medal of Honor during the war,
Roy W. Harmon and
Oscar G. Johnson.
World War II statistics
Command structure
*Commanding generals: Major general
Charles H. Gerhardt
Major general (United States), Major General Charles Hunter Gerhardt (June 6, 1895 – October 9, 1976) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he commande ...
(May 1942 – 22 July 1943); Major general
William G. Livesay (July 1943 – 5 November 1945); BG
Neal C. Johnson
Neal (Neil) is a given masculine name and surname of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Irish Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "hono ...
(6 November 1945 - December 1945)
*Assistant Commanding generals: BG
Percy W. Clarkson (- September 1942); BG
Charles L. Bolte
General Charles Lawrence Bolte (May 8, 1895 – February 11, 1989) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. In World War II he distinguished himself as commander of the 34th Infantry Division durin ...
(September 1942 – February 1943); BG
William E. Crist (April 1943 – December 1943); BG
Raymond E. S. Williamson
Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Raymond Eccleston Serveira Williamson (September 1, 1894 – September 27, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army who served in both World War I and World War II. A gradu ...
(14 January 1944 – 18 October 1945)
*Commanding Officers Artillery: BG
Edward S. Ott (1942-1943); BG
Ralph Hospital
Brigadier General Ralph Hospital was born January 27, 1891, in Washington, D.C. He was commissioned in November 1913 as a Field Artillery officer and saw service with the 15th Cavalry Regiment during the Mexican Campaign in Douglas, Arizona and ...
(1943-1945)
Other statistics
Awards: MH-2 ; DSC-2 ; DSM-1 ; SS-528; LM-33; SM-43 ; BSM-4,152.
Theater: Mediterranean
Days of combat: 271
Campaigns:
*Rome-Arno (22 Jan 44 – 9 Sep 44)
*North Apennines (10 Sep 44 – 4 April 45)
*Po Valley (5 Apr 45 – 8 May 45)
Casualties
[Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953)]
*Total battle casualties: 8,744
*Killed in action: 1,400
*Wounded in action: 6,748
*Missing in action: 262
*Prisoner of war: 334
Army Reserve
![Training Division 1966](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Training_Division_1966.jpg)
In December 1946, the 91st was reactivated at the Presidio of San Francisco as part of the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1959, the division was reorganized and redesignated as the 91st Division (Training). In 1993, the division was again reorganized and redesignated as the 91st Division (Exercise) and again in 1999 as the 91st Division (Training Support).
Its headquarters was at
Parks Reserve Forces Training Area
Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (PRFTA), commonly known as Camp Parks, is a United States Army base located in Dublin, California, that is currently an active military and training center for U.S. Army Reserve personnel to be used in case o ...
(PRFTA),
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, California, when the
2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It was the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in ...
recommended the Department of Defense relocate the 91st Division to
Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army fort in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuve ...
.
The four brigades of the 91st Division were redesignated as separate brigades:
*1st Brigade (PRFTA) is now 5th Brigade,
75th Division.
*2nd Brigade (
Fort Carson
Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Springs ...
) is now
5th Armored Brigade.
*3rd Brigade (
Travis AFB
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, California ...
) is now the
402nd Field Artillery Brigade.
*4th Brigade (
Fort Lewis) is now
191st Infantry Brigade.
The 91st Division moved its headquarters to Fort Hunter Liggett on 1 May 2009, was reorganized and re-designated as the 91st Training Brigade (Operations) on 1 October 2009 and was then re-designated as the 91st Training Division (Operations) on 1 October 2010.
Subordinate units
As of 2017 the following units are subordinated to the 91st Training Division (Operations):
* 1st Brigade
** 11th Battalion, 104th Regiment
** 3rd Battalion, 290th Regiment
** 2nd Battalion, 378th Regiment
** 3rd Battalion, 381st Regiment
** 1st Battalion, 417th Regiment
Notable members
*
William Borders, Army Catholic Chaplain, was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, while serving with the 362 Infantry Regiment in bitter fighting in Italy. He later became the Archbishop of Baltimore.
*
Frederick Lippitt
Frederick Lippitt (December 29, 1916 – May 11, 2005) was an American military officer, attorney, politician, public servant and philanthropist.
He was the scion of a distinguished Rhode Island colonial family, the son of United States Senat ...
, politician and philanthropist.
*
Oscar Franklin Miller
Oscar Franklin Miller (October 25, 1882 – September 29, 1918) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I.
Early life
Miller was born in ...
,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
recipient.
*
Deming Bronson
Deming Bronson (July 8, 1894 – May 29, 1957) was a United States Army officer who received the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I.
Bronson was born on July 8, 1894, in Rhinelander, Wiscons ...
,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
recipient.
*
Harold Hitz Burton
Harold Hitz Burton (June 22, 1888 – October 28, 1964) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 45th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, as a U.S. Senator from Ohio, and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Sta ...
,
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
*
Earl Warren,
Chief Justice of the United States
In the Media
The soldiers in the TV show ''
Combat!
''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American so ...
'' portray members of the 363rd (is 361st in S2Ep25&26 & others) Infantry Regiment.
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
File:WWI_91st_Div.jpg, SSI for the 91st Infantry Division in World War 1
File:WWI_91st_Div_V2.jpg, Variation SSI for the 91st Infantry Division in World War 1
File:WWII_91st_IN_Div.jpg, SSI for the 91st Infantry Division in World War 2
References
External links
*
*
The Story of the 91st Division 1919*
ttp://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/div/091d.htm 91st Division official lineage & honors''The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950 reproduced at CMH. ''Answering the Call (Third Edition)'', Stephen L. Wilson, 2016.
{{DEFAULTSORT:091
091st Infantry Division, U.S.
Infantry Division, U.S. 091st
Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II
United States Army divisions of World War I
Military units and formations established in 1917
Training divisions of the United States Army