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 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, ...

that fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. 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 20 ...

. 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 Matt ...

, soon thereafter departed for England in the summer of 1918. In September 1918, the division's first operation was in the St. Mihiel Offensive 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 Army ...

, the division, now commanded by Major General

William Johnston Jr. Major General William Hartshorne Johnston Jr. (October 19, 1861 – February 19, 1933) was a United States Army officer who served his country with distinction for almost forty years, being involved in the Spanish–American War, the Philippine� ...

, 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, helped drive the Germans east across the

Escaut River The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding ...

in the

Battle of the Lys and the Escaut The Battle of the Lys and the Escaut was the third and last phase of the Second Battle of Belgium (french: 2ème Bataille de Belgique) or the Ypres-Lys Offensive, and took place in Belgium between 20 October and 11 November 1918. Background In ...

. 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 ...

-Lys campaigns. In 1919, the 91st was inactivated 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 ...

. The Division was composed of the following units: * Headquarters, 91st Division * 181st Infantry Brigade **

361st Infantry Regiment 361st may refer to: *361st Bombardment Squadron or 1st Antisubmarine Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *361st Fighter Group, World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization *361st Fighter Squadron or 461st Flight Test S ...

** 362nd Infantry Regiment ** 347th Machine Gun Battalion * 182nd Infantry Brigade ** 363rd Infantry Regiment ** 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

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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

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 Charles Hunter Gerhardt (June 6, 1895 – October 9, 1976) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he commanded the 29th Infantry Division from 1943 until the end ...

. After initial training at Camp White, the division participation in the

Oregon Maneuver The Oregon Maneuver was a large scale military training exercise held in Central Oregon in September through November 1943. The exercise was designed to test United States Army units prior to deployment in support of Allies of World War II, All ...

combat exercise in the fall of 1943. United_States_World_War_II_Infantry_Division_1942_Structure

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 The United States Army North (ARNORTH) is a formation of the United States Army. An Army Service Component Command (ASCC) subordinate to United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ARNORTH is the joint force land component of NORTHCOM.

to reach the river. In September 1944, the division crossed the Sieve River, outflanked the famous

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of ...

, 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 = 135,7 ...

, 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

(May 1942 – 22 July 1943); Major general William G. Livesay (July 1943 – 5 November 1945); BG Neal C. Johnson (6 November 1945 - December 1945) *Assistant Commanding generals: BG Percy W. Clarkson (- September 1942); BG Charles L. Bolte (September 1942 – February 1943); BG William E. Crist (April 1943 – December 1943); BG Raymond E. S. Williamson (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) CasualtiesArmy 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

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 of ...

(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 ...

, 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) is now 5th Armored Brigade. *3rd Brigade ( Travis AFB) 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, politician and philanthropist. * Oscar Franklin Miller,

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 val ...

recipient. * Deming Bronson,

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 An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of ...

Earl Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presided over a major shift in American constitutio ...

, Chief Justice of the United States

In the Media

The soldiers in the TV show '' Combat!'' 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