The 8th Infantry Division, ("Pathfinder") was an infantry division of the United States Army during the 20th century. The division served 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 ...

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 opposin ...

, and

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

. Initially activated in January 1918, the unit did not see combat during World War I and returned to the United States. Some units would serve in the American Expeditionary Force to Siberia. Activated again on 1 July 1940 as part of the build-up of military forces prior to the United States' entry into World War II, the division saw extensive action in the

European Theatre of Operations The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

. Following World War II, the division was moved to

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, where it remained stationed at the Rose Barracks in

Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, most well known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in th ...

until it was inactivated on 17 January 1992.http://www.fatherswar.com/8thinfdiv/70s90s/inactivation_orders.jpg Inactivation Orders

History

World War I

*Activated: January 1918 *Overseas: November 1918 *Commanders: **Col. Elmore F. Taggart (5 January – 14 February 1918) ** Col. G. L. Van Deusen (15–24 February 1918) ** Brig. Gen.

Joseph D. Leitch Joseph D. Leitch (March 8, 1864 - October 26, 1938) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, United States occupation of Veracruz, World War I, and ...

(25 February – 9 March 1918; 18 March–17 July 1918; 4–10 August 1918; 12 August – 1 September 1918 ) ** Maj. Gen.

John Frank Morrison Major General John Frank Morrison (December 20, 1857 – October 22, 1932) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I, he attained t ...

(10–17 March 1918) ** Maj. Gen. William S. Graves (18 July – 3 August 1918; 11 August 1918) ** Maj. Gen. Eli A. Helmick (2 September 1918 – 19 November 1918; 26 November 1918 –) ** Brig. Gen. John J. Bradley (20–26 November 1918)

Organization

The 8th Division was organized at

Camp Fremont Camp Fremont was a World War I-era military base located near Palo Alto, California. Construction started in July 1917 and the post closed in September, 1919. The post was named for John C. Frémont, a US Army officer and government official who was ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, from men of the Regular Army, 3 August 1918. * Headquarters, 8th Division * 15th Infantry Brigade ** 12th Infantry Regiment ** 62nd Infantry Regiment ** 23rd Machine Gun Battalion * 16th Infantry Brigade ** 8th Infantry Regiment ** 13th Infantry Regiment ** 24th Machine Gun Battalion * 8th Field Artillery Brigade ** 2nd Field Artillery Regiment (155 mm) **

81st Field Artillery Regiment The 81st Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. History Pershing 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery Regiment The 1st Missile Battalion, 81st Artillery was formed at Fort Sill in 1963 and deployed ...

(75 mm) ** 83rd Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) ** 8th Trench Mortar Battery * 22nd Machine Gun Battalion * 319th Engineer Regiment * 320th Field Signal Battalion * Headquarters Troop, 8th Division * 8th Train Headquarters and Military Police ** 8th Ammunition Train ** 8th Supply Train ** 8th Engineer Train ** 8th Sanitary Train *** 11th, 31st, 32nd, and 43rd Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals

Moving abroad

Major General Graves, with his staff, 5000 men, and 100 officers, transferred to

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

in August 1918 to occupy the city of

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

in Russia as part of the intervention in the Russian Civil War, and Major General Eli A. Helmick succeeded Graves in command of the division. The overseas movement of the division to Europe began 30 October 1918. The 8th Field Artillery Brigade, 8th Infantry Brigade, 16th Infantry Brigade headquarters, and the 319th Engineer Regiment were the only divisional units to go to France. The 13th and 62nd Infantry Regiments were at sea when recalled after the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...

, and the 12th Infantry did not leave its pre-embarkation point at

Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, because it was quarantined for

Spanish influenza The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

. The troops who did reach France became the garrison of

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

and assisted in building huge camps for troops about to embark for return to the United States. The 8th Infantry Regiment became part of the American occupation forces in Germany until August 1919 and the remainder returned to the United States in January 1919, after which the division disbanded.

Between wars

The 8th Division officially demobilized at

Camp Lee Fort Lee, in Prince George County, Virginia, United States, is a United States Army post and headquarters of the United States Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM)/ Sustainment Center of Excellence (SCoE), the U.S. Army Quartermaster Scho ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, in September 1919. The division was partially reconstituted on 24 March 1923, allotted to the Third

Corps Area A Corps area was a geographically-based organizational structure (military district) of the United States Army used to accomplish administrative, training and tactical tasks from 1920 to 1942. Each corps area included divisions of the Regular Army ...

for mobilization purposes, and assigned to the III Corps. Camp George G. Meade, Maryland, was its designated mobilization station for reactivation. The 16th Infantry Brigade (12th and 34th Infantry Regiments), the 1st Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, the 15th Ordnance Company, and the 8th Tank Company (Light) were assigned to the division in October 1933 as Regular Army active units and formed the force from which the remainder of the division would be reactivated in the event of war. The commanding general of the brigade was considered the division commander for planning purposes. The 16th Infantry Brigade was stationed at Fort Howard, Maryland, from 1922 to 1928;

Fort Hunt Fort Hunt is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The area is named after Fort Hunt, which was built on the bank of the Potomac River in 1897 to defend Washington, D.C. from naval attack and is now a public ...

, Virginia, from 1928 to 1931; in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, from 1931 to 1936; and at Fort Meade from 1936 to the activation of the division. The division headquarters was organized in April 1926 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a Regular Army Inactive unit using personnel of the

Organized 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 ...

, and by mid-1927, most of the division's other inactive elements were also organized as such. The active units of the division conducted annual training with the III and XIII Corps and the 79th, 80th, and 99th Divisions. Summer training camps were usually conducted at Camp Meade., pp. 216–217 The 16th Infantry Brigade's 12th and 34th Infantry Regiments, reinforced by the 3d Cavalry and the

District of Columbia National Guard The District of Columbia National Guard is the branch of the United States National Guard based in the District of Columbia. It comprises both the District of Columbia Army National Guard, D.C. Army National Guard and the District of Columbia A ...

's 260th Coast Artillery, were called out on 28 July 1932 to quell potential trouble from the

Bonus Army The Bonus Army was a group of 43,000 demonstrators – 17,000 veterans of U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups – who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932 to demand early cash redemption of their servi ...

The 12th Infantry was ordered to clear the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

and the camps on the Anacostia Flats of the veterans that afternoon. From June 1936 to August 1937, the 16th Brigade was commanded by

Lorenzo D. Gasser Lorenzo D. Gasser (May 3, 1876 – October 29, 1955) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, United States Military Government in Cuba, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War ...

, who went on to serve as the army's assistant chief of staff for personnel (G-1) and Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army. The division was also provisionally organized in 1939 for the First Army Maneuvers at

Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...

, with the 16th Brigade reinforced by the 66th Infantry (Light Tanks). In preparation for becoming a "triangular" division, the 8th Infantry Division was reactivated on 1 July 1940 at Fort Jackson,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, without its Reserve units and assigned to the

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

World War II

*Activated: 1 July 1940 at Camp Jackson, South Carolina *Trained'' at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in late 1942 *Trained'' at

Camp Laguna The Camp Laguna was a sub camp of the US Army, Desert Training Center in Riverside County, California. The main headquarters for the Desert Training Center was Camp Young, this is where General Patton's 3rd Armored Division was stationed. ...

in Arizona in 1943 *Overseas: 5 December 1943 *Campaigns: **

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

** Northern France **

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

*Days of combat: 266. *Distinguished Unit Citations: 5 *Awards:

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 valor. ...

– 3 ;

Distinguished Service Cross (United States) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the United States Army's second highest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be o ...

– 33 ; Distinguished Service Medal (United States) – 2 ;

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

– 768; LM – 12 ; DFC – 2 ; SM – 24; BSM – 2,874; PH – 1 ; AM – 107. *Commanders: **Maj. Gen. Philip B. Peyton (June 1940 – December 1940) ** Maj. Gen. James P. Marley (December 1940 – February 1941) ** Maj. Gen. William E. Shedd (February 1941) ** Maj. Gen.

Henry Terrell Jr. Major general (United States), Major General Henry Terrell Jr. (October 14, 1890 – October 3, 1971) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. Terrell commanded the 90th Infantry Division (United States), 90th Infantry Di ...

(March 1941) ** Maj. Gen. James P. Marley (April 1941 – July 1942) ** Maj. Gen. Paul E. Peabody (August 1942 – January 1943) ** Maj. Gen. William C. McMahon (February 1943 – July 1944) ** Maj. Gen. Donald A. Stroh (July 1944 – December 1944) ** Maj. Gen. William G. Weaver (December 1944 – February 1945) ** Maj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore (February 1945 – November 1945) ** Maj. Gen. William M. Miley (November 1945 to inactivation). *Returned to U.S.: 10 July 1945. *Inactivated: at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, 20 November 1945.

Order of battle

* Headquarters, 8th Infantry Division * 13th Infantry Regiment * 28th Infantry Regiment * 121st Infantry Regiment * Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 8th Infantry Division Artillery ** 28th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm) ** 43rd Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) ** 45th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) ** 56th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) * 12th Engineer Combat Battalion * 8th Medical Battalion * 8th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) * Headquarters, Special Troops, 8th Infantry Division ** Headquarters Company, 8th Infantry Division **708th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company **8th Quartermaster Company **8th Signal Company ** Military Police Platoon ** Band *8th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment Major General William C. McMahon was relieved shortly after the division arrived in

. His replacement, Major General Donald A. Stroh was temporarily relieved during the Hurtgen fighting; the death of his son Harry, a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces who was shot down over Brittany, had made a deep psychological impact. After a rest, Stroh went on to command the 106th Infantry Division.

Combat chronicle

During World War II, the 8th Infantry Division was sent to Europe to fight against the Axis. After training in Northern Ireland the 8th Infantry Division landed on

Utah Beach Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named la ...

, 4 July 1944, and entered combat on 7 July. Shortly after its arrival, the division captured the French cities of Rennes and Brest. Fighting through the hedgerows, it crossed the

Ay River The Ay ( ba, Әй, ''Äy''; russian: Ай) is a river in Bashkortostan and Chelyabinsk Oblast in Russia, a left tributary of the Ufa. The river is long, and its drainage basin covers .Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

, 8 August, and attacked

Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...

in September. When U.S. Brigadier General Charles Canham, who was at the time the deputy commander of the 8th Infantry Division, arrived to accept the surrender of German troops in Brest, the commander of the Brest garrison, General

Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (24 January 1889 – 4 July 1968) was a German general of paratroop forces during World War II. He led units in Crete, North Africa, Italy, the Soviet Union and France, and was captured by American forces at the concl ...

asked the lower-ranking man to show his credentials. Canham pointed to his nearby troops and said "These are my credentials". That phrase has since become the 8th Infantry Division's motto. Following these actions, the 8th turned eastward toward the German border, taking part in the heavy fighting in the Hürtgen Forest in November 1944. The Crozon Peninsula was cleared on 19 September, and the division drove across France to

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, moved to the

Hürtgen Forest The Hürtgen forest (also: Huertgen Forest; german: Hürtgenwald) is located along the border between Belgium and Germany, in the southwest corner of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Scarcely in area, the forest lies within a ...

, 20 November, cleared Hürtgen on the 28th and Brandenberg, 3 December, and pushed on to the

Roer The Rur or Roer (german: Rur ; Dutch and li, Roer, , ; french: Rour) is a major river that flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right (eastern) tributary to the Meuse ( nl, links=no, Maas). About 90 perce ...

. That river was crossed on 23 February 1945, Duren taken on the 25th and the Erft Canal crossed on the 28th. The 8th reached the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

near Rodenkirchen, 7 March, and maintained positions along the river near

Koeln Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...

. In early March 1945, the 8th had advanced into the Rhineland. It fought its way into the Ruhr region the following month. On 6 April the division attacked northwest to aid in the destruction of enemy forces in the Ruhr Pocket, and by the 17th had completed its mission. After security duty, the division, under operational control of the

British Second Army The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...

, drove across the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

, 1 May, and penetrated to

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

when the war in Europe ended. On 2 May 1945, as it advanced into northern Germany, the 8th Infantry Division encountered the

Neuengamme concentration camp Neuengamme was a network of Nazi concentration camps in Northern Germany that consisted of the main camp, Neuengamme, and more than 85 satellite camps. Established in 1938 near the village of Neuengamme in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, th ...

Wöbbelin subcamp, near the city of

Ludwigslust Ludwigslust () is a central castle town of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. Since 2011 it has been part of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. Ludwigslust is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The former royal re ...

. The SS had established Wöbbelin in early February 1945 to house concentration camp prisoners who had been evacuated from other Nazi camps to prevent their liberation by the Allies. Wöbbelin held some 5,000 inmates, many of whom suffered from starvation and disease. The sanitary conditions at the camp when the 8th Infantry Division and the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

arrived were deplorable. There was little food or water, and some prisoners had resorted to cannibalism. In the first week after liberation, more than 200 inmates died. In the aftermath, the United States Army ordered the townspeople in Ludwigslust to visit the camp and bury the dead. The 8th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the U.S. Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988.

Casualties

*Total battle casualties: 13,986Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths in World War II, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953) *Killed in action: 2,532 *Wounded in action: 10,057 *Missing in action: 729 *Prisoner of war: 668

Assignments in the European Theater of Operations

*30 November 1943: Attached to First Army. *24 December 1943: XV Corps. *1 July 1944: VIII Corps, attached to First Army. *1 August 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. *5 September 1944: VIII Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group. *22 October 1944: VIII Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group. *19 November 1944: V Corps. *18 December 1944: VII Corps. *20 December 1944: Attached, with the entire First Army, to the

British 21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

. *22 December 1944: XIX Corps, Ninth Army (attached to British 21st Army Group), 12th Army Group. *3 February 1945: VII Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group. *2 April 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps. *26 April 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group, but attached for operations to the British Second Army in the British 21st Army Group.

Medals of Honor

Three soldiers of the 8th Division were awarded the

in World War II. *Private First Class Ernest Prussman, 13th Infantry Regiment. Prussman took over his squad on 8 September 1944 during the advance on Les Coates '' rong transliteration of Loscoat, near

]'' in Brittany, and disarmed several Germans, including a machine gun crew. Shot by a German rifleman, his dying act was to unleash a hand grenade that killed the man who shot him. His Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously. *Private First Class Walter C. Wetzel, 13th Infantry Regiment. As acting squad leader in the regimental Anti-Tank Company, PFC Wetzel defended his platoon's command post from an enemy attack on 3 April 1945. Wetzel threw himself on either 1 or 2 enemy grenades (sources vary) thrown into the C.P. His Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously. *Staff Sergeant John W. Minick, Company I, 121st Infantry Regiment. After his battalion was halted by enemy minefields during an advance on 21 November 1944 during the Hurtgen fighting, he led four men through the obstacle, then successfully destroyed an enemy machine gun post that had opened fire on the small party. Moving forward again, he single-handedly engaged an entire company of enemy soldiers, killing 20 men and capturing 20 more. Resuming the advance, he tried to scout through another minefield, but detonated a mine in the attempt. His Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously.

After World War II

The 8th Infantry Division was reactivated in 1950 as a training division at

Fort Jackson, South Carolina Fort Jackson is a United States Army installation, which TRADOC operates on for Basic Combat Training (BCT), and is located within the city of Columbia, South Carolina. This installation is named for Andrew Jackson, a United States Army gene ...

and in 1954 became a regular infantry division. In 1956-57 it was sent to

, initially on a temporary basis in

Operation Gyroscope Operation Gyroscope was a United States Army program implemented between 1955 and 1959 during the Cold War that modified the replacement system so that entire divisions were rotated out of overseas service together rather than as individuals. The p ...

, but remained in West Germany for decades. The Division's First Brigade (with subordinate units) was stationed in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

, the Second Brigade (with subordinate units) was stationed in

Baumholder Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verba ...

, and the Third Brigade (with subordinate units) was stationed in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

(Sullivan and

Coleman Barracks Coleman Barracks/Coleman Army Airfield ( ICAO: ETOR) is a United States Army military installation located in the Sandhofen district of Mannheim, Germany. It is assigned to U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR) and administered by the U.S. Army Installat ...

). In 1974, an amendment by Senator

Sam Nunn Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr. (born September 8, 1938) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Georgia (1972–1997) as a member of the Democratic Party. After leaving Congress, Nunn co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiat ...

of Georgia led to two more brigades being organized for European service. The 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division ("Brigade-76") was dispatched to Europe in the fall of 1976. It was stationed in

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

, attached to the 8th Infantry Division, and for eight years, made it unique - the 8th ID became the Army's only four-brigade division. In 1984, the 4th Brigade was inactivated and the division's size fell to the standard three brigades. From December 1957, until it was inactivated in January 1992, the 8th Infantry Division was headquartered at

. From the late 1950s until the early 1960s, the 8th Infantry Division was organized as a partially Airborne Pentomic division, with two of its five battle groups (the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry, and 1st Airborne Battle Group, 505th Infantry) on jump status. In 1963 the division was reorganized into a brigade structure with the 1st Brigade on jump status, and 1-504th was reorganized and reflagged as the 1st Battalion (Abn), 509th Infantry and 1-505th as the 2d Battalion (Abn), 509th Infantry. Supporting units throughout the division (for example, one field artillery battalion, one company of the engineer battalion, one platoon of the MP company, etc.) were also on jump status. The 8th Infantry Division operated its own jump school at

Wiesbaden Air Base Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

to support its 1st Brigade as well as other elements of the United States Army, Europe. In 1973 elements of the 1st Brigade were transferred to Vicenza, Italy, to establish a separate Airborne battalion combat team (1-509th INF) and the two Airborne infantry battalions were reorganized and reflagged as the 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry and the 2d Battalion, 87th Infantry. The reorganized 1st Brigade included a tank unit, the 4th Battalion, 69th Armor.

Desert Storm

Four battalions deployed to

. * Attached to 3d Armored Division: ** 4th Battalion,

34th Armor The 34th Armor Regiment is an armored regiment of the United States Army formed in 1941. History The 1st Battalion, 34th Armor was constituted in the Regular Army on 28 August 1941 as Company A, 34th Armor Regiment. The unit was activated short ...

** 12th Engineer Battalion ** 5th Battalion, 3d Air Defense Artillery * Attached to the 42d Field Artillery Brigade: ** 2d Battalion, 29th Field Artillery (M109A2/A3 155mm SP)

Inactivation

The 8th Infantry Division inactivated on 17 January 1992, with some elements being "reflagged" as part the 1st Armored Division, which had been stationed in southeastern West Germany.

Commanders

* Maj. Gen. Frank McConnel Aug 50 Jan 51 * Maj. Gen.

Harry J. Collins Major general (United States), Major General Harry John Collins (December 7, 1895 – March 8, 1963) was a decorated senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who commanded the 42nd Infantry Division (United States), 42nd "Rainbow ...

Jan 51 Feb 52 * Maj. Gen. W.P. Sheppard Feb 52 Jan 53 * Brig. Gen. John A. Dabney Jan 53 Jan 54 * Maj. Gen. Riley E. Ennis Jan 54 Jun 54 * Maj. Gen.

Jun 54 Aug 54 * Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Harold Aug 54 Nov 54 * Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Sherburne Sept 54 Nov 54 * Maj. Gen. John G. Van Houten Nov 54 Jan 56 * Maj. Gen. Thomas M Watlington Jun 56 Aug 57 * Maj. Gen. Philip F. Lindman Aug 57 Mar 59 * Maj. Gen. Loyd R. Moses Mar 59 Oct 60 * Maj. Gen. Edgar C. Doleman Oct 60 Oct 61 * Maj. Gen.

Andrew Goodpaster Andrew Jackson Goodpaster (February 12, 1915 – May 16, 2005) was an American Army General. He served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), from July 1, 1969, and Commander in Chief of the United States European Command (CINC ...

Oct 61 Oct 62 * Maj. Gen.

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 ...

Nov 62 Apr 64 * Maj. Gen. Joseph R. Russ Apr 64 Apr 66 * Maj. Gen.

Patrick F. Cassidy Patrick Francis Cassidy (22 March 1915 – 5 January 1990) was a United States Army officer who served in World War II. Military career While serving as commander of 502nd Infantry Regiment (United States), 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantr ...

Apr 66 Jun 68 * Maj. Gen. George L. Mabry Jr. Jun 68 Feb 69 * Maj. Gen. Elmer H. Almquist Feb 69 Aug 70 * Maj. Gen. Donald V. Rattan Aug 70 May 72 * Maj. Gen. Frederic E. Davison May 72 Oct 73 * Maj. Gen. Joseph C. McDonough Oct 73 Jul 75 * Maj. Gen. John R.D. Cleland Jul 75 Jun 77 * Maj. Gen. Paul F. Gorman Jun 77 May 79 * Maj. Gen.

William J. Livsey William James "Lipp" Livsey (June 8, 1931 – June 18, 2016) was a United States Army general who served as the Commander in Chief of United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea ...

May 79 Jun 81 * Maj. Gen. Carl E. Vuono Jun 81 Jun 83 * Maj. Gen. Charles W. Dyke Jun 83 Jun 85 * Maj. Gen. Orren R. Whiddon Jun 85 Jun 87 * Maj. Gen. Calvin A. H. Waller Jun 87 Jun 89 * Maj. Gen. David M. Maddox Jul 89 Nov 90 * Maj. Gen. John P. Otjen Nov 90 Jan 92

In Popular Culture

2010 movie '' A-Team'', General Morrison (portrayed by actor

Gerald McRaney Gerald Lee McRaney (born August 19, 1947) is an American television and film actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows ''Simon & Simon'', '' Major Dad'', ''Promised Land'' and ''House of Cards''. He currently stars ...

) wears the UCP version of the 8th I.D. patch. Soldiers in the camp are seen wearing the same patch in UCP. In the 2002 WW2 Hallmark movie, "Silent Night", the US soldiers wear the 8th Infantry Division Patch.

References

External links

8th Infantry Division Association

8th Infantry Division Archives

* ttp://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/008id.htm United States Army Center of Military History – 8th Infantry Division
Interview conducted with Arthur C. Neriani, World War II veteran and member of the 8th Infantry Division during its liberation of the Wobbelin concentration camp near Ludwigslust, Germany

* * Combat History of the 8th Division in World War II https://web.archive.org/web/20070526061151/http://www.techwarrior.cx/~roliver/8th/8th-pdf.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:8th Infantry Division (United States) 008th Infantry Division, U.S. 08 Infantry Division, U.S. 008 Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1992 1918 establishments in California