Sixth Army is a
theater army
Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs) are U.S. Army commands responsible for recommendations to the Joint Force Commander on the allocation and employment of U.S. Army forces within a combatant command or further assigned to subordinate unified c ...
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 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. Represen ...
.
The Sixth Army saw extensive service in the South Pacific during World War II, including in
New Britain,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, 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
Walter Krueger (26 January 1881 – 20 August 1967) was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century. He commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. He rose fr ...
. 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, cla ...
units involved in
Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel (1943–1944) was a major military operation for the Allies of World War II, Allies in the Pacific War, Pacific theatre of World War II. Cartwheel was an operation aimed at neutralising the major Empire of Japan, Japanes ...
, the campaign to isolate and neutralize the Japanese base at
Rabaul in
New Britain. 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
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
. 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 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to:
France
* 10th Army Corps (France)
* X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...]
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 ...
. 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 ...
was invaded by the
Western Visayan Task Force comprising the
19th 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 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to:
* XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...
. 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 of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. 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
Operation Downfall was the proposed Allied plan for the invasion of the Japanese home islands near the end of World War II. The planned operation was canceled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ...
, 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.
Reactivation
In 2007 it was decided that
US Army South would be redesignated as US Army South (Sixth Army) under the
Army modularization program. It is garrisoned at the
Old Brooke Army Medical Center building 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. Represen ...
.
Organization of the army after reformation is as follows:
* United States Army South Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion,
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
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. Represen ...
*
470th Military Intelligence Brigade,
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
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. Represen ...
* 56th Signal Battalion,
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
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. Represen ...
* Army Forces,
Honduras (Joint Task Force Bravo),
Soto Cano Air Base
Soto Cano Air Base is a 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 academy. The ...
,
Honduras
* Geospatial Planning Cell, 512th Engineer Detachment,
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
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. Represen ...
*
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 ...
,
*
807th Deployment Support Medical Command,
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. In ...
* 525th Military Police Battalion,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
* 1st Battalion,
228th Aviation Regiment,
Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras
Commanding officers
*GEN
Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger (26 January 1881 – 20 August 1967) was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century. He commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. He rose fr ...
(16 February 1943 – 28 January 1946)
*Inactive (29 January 1946 – 28 February 1946)
*GEN
Joseph W. Stilwell
Joseph Warren "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army general who served in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. An early American popular hero of the war for leading a column walking o ...
(1 March 1946 – 12 October 1946)
*MG
George Price Hays
Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General George Price Hays (September 27, 1892 – August 7, 1978) was a United States Army general who served during World War I and World War II. He earned the Medal of Honor as a young artillery of ...
(13 October 1946 - June 1947)
*GEN
Mark W. Clark
Mark Wayne Clark (May 1, 1896 – April 17, 1984) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He was the youngest four-star general in the US Army during World War II.
During World War I ...
(June 1947 - 30 September 1949)
*LTG
Albert C. Wedemeyer (1 October 1949 – 31 July 1951)
*LTG
Joseph M. Swing (1951–1954)
*LTG
Willard G. Wyman (1954–1955)
*LTG
Robert N. Young
Robert Nicholas Young (January 14, 1900 – October 19, 1964) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He gained prominence in the 1950s as the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War and as commander of the Sixth ...
(1955–1957)
*LTG
Lemuel Mathewson
Lemuel Mathewson (March 29, 1899 – February 26, 1970) was a United States Army lieutenant general.
Early career
Mathewson was born in Bath, New York on March 29, 1899. A 1917 graduate of Bath's Haverling High School, he graduated from the Un ...
(1957–1958)
*LTG
Charles D. Palmer (1958 – 31 August 1959)
*LTG
Robert M. Cannon (1 September 1959 – 31 August 1961)
*LTG John L. Ryan (1 September 1961 – 31 July 1963)
*LTG
Frederic J. Brown II
Frederic J. Brown II (July 9, 1905 – March 13, 1971) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of World War II, he was most notable for serving in senior command assignments, including the 3rd Armored Division (United States), 3 ...
(1 August 1963 – 31 July 1965)
*LTG
James L. Richardson (1 August 1965 – 1967)
*LTG
Ben Harrell (1967–1968)
*LTG
Stanley R. Larsen
Stanley Robert Larsen (November 11, 1915 – November 1, 2000) was a United States Army lieutenant general who served as commander of I Field Force, Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Military career
Larsen attended the United States Military Acade ...
(1968–1971)
*LTG Alexander D. Surles (1971–1972)
*LTG
Richard G. Stilwell
Richard Giles Stilwell (February 24, 1917 – December 25, 1991) was a United States Army General (United States), general who served as Commander United States Forces Korea from 1973 to 1976, and acting Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific from Sep ...
(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. (1981–1984)
*LTG
Robert Arter
Robert Arter (born September 7, 1929) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general and former commanding general of the Sixth United States Army.
Born and raised in Massillon, Ohio, Arter graduated from Washington High School in 1946. He ...
(1984–1986)
*LTG
Frederick F. Woerner Jr. (1986–1987)
*LTG James E. Moore Jr. (1987–1989)
*LTG
William H. Harrison (1989–1991)
*LTG
Glynn C. Mallory Jr. (1991–1995)
References
External links
List of former commandersof 6th United States Army and United States Army South at ''United States Army South'' website
Born of War ... Dedicated to Peace*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:006
006 Army
Military units and formations established in 1943