US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Chaffee, AR)

Page 12 text:

The 5+h Armored Division's hisfory is filled wi'rh accoun+s of iradifion, ac+ion, and glory. Acfivafed on I Oc+ober I94I, 'rhe Division was assigned +o For+ Knox, Kenfucky, for fraining as a parf of ihe Armored Force. ln March I942 ii' was 'iransferred +o Camp Cooke, California. Ai 'rhis +ime 'ihe Division was commanded by Maior General Jack W. Heard. From Augus+ +o Ociober i942 ihe 5+h was aciively engaged in ihe maneuvers in 'rhe Deserf Training Cenfer Area. In February I943, Major General Lunsford E. Olive? assumed command. He was +o remain wi+h +he Division +hrough +he remaining years of +he warg +o irain, lead, and figh+ wi+h +l1e Division. In March I943 'rhe 5+h Armored parficipaied in +he Second Army maneu- vers in Tennessee. In July 1943 i'I' fransferred +o Pine Camp, New York, preparaiory fo embarking for overseas. Embarking for 'rhe European Theafer of Operalions in February I944, +he division 'frained a+ Camp Chiseldon, Ogbourne, S+. George and Tidworih-Perham Downes in Wilishire, England. As 'Phe U.S. Firsi Army embarked for +he invasion of France, ihe 5'rh Armored operaied hundreds of camps, servicing +he invasion uni'rs. Augusi' I944 'found 'lhe Vic'l'ory Division in +he ihick of +he Normandy campaign and rapidly moving up on LeMans. As par+ of General PaHon's Third Army, 1'he division iumped-off on a 300-mile exploifaiion behind ihe lines of 'rhe German Sevenih Army. Af+er ihe fall of LeMans, 'rhe 5+h pursued +he enemy fo fhe Seine, wrecking fheir armor and inflicfing high casualfies. Following -This drive 'io 'Phe Seine, 'rhe 5+h Armored Division

Page 11 text:

COLONEL LEO J. CONWAY Commanding Officer, Division Arfillery LT. COL. LESLIE L. BRYANT LT. COL. CHARLES C. FARGO LT. COL. CARROL V. KING LT. COL. W. S. LUCAS Division Chaplain lnspecfor General Transporfafion Officer Ol'df16flCe OHICCI' AJ. R. E. T. SHEFFIELD MAJ. WILLIAM W.. DEAN, JR. CAPTAIN D. M. FORD CAPT. JOHN J. MAWN CAPT. ALAN W. STANBERRY HCJS- Commandanl ' slgnal Officer Chemical Officer Public lnforrnafion Officer Posf Exchange Officer

Page 13 text:

American . arm , fonhnue yheirorarolls info fhe ,ow DW and 1 P'd adv of Dr 15 he roqd - MCB few ,eUX. Fra Aug.,-14, IS strewn with :,::ckZgrrEeIT:'e sgfgie agffltainmericang e disfinguished iiself in ihe Eure-Seine Campaign, winning a commendaiion from 'rhe XV Corps Commander. Sepiember I944 found 'The 5+h, now shif+ed To 'rhe Firs+ Army, ready +o s+ar+ a l30-mile push from Paris norih +o Belgium. On +his operaiion, fhe division cu'r 'rhrough fhe Compiegne Forest crossed +he rivers Oise, Aisne, and Somme. The uni? was Then seni racing anoiher IOO miles 'io The Meuse River. Pushing onward, ihe 5'rh fook par? in +he liberaiion of Luxembourg. On ll Sepiember I944 Germany was peneiraied: +he Our River was crossed, in +he viciniiy of S+alzembourg. The 5+h ihen parficipafed in 'rhe firsf crossing of fhe Moselle in November I944. The mos'I' biHer 'fighiing experienced by The division occured in December during 'rhe baHle of +he Hurigen Foresi and +he approaches 'ro fhe Roer River. The weaiher was as biHer as +he figh+ing. The savage fighiing ai Hurigen broke +he German spirih never again did +he enemy figh+ wiih such feroci+y and +enaciousness. The 5+h last ve 'C - Qhe face 0 . 1 nk was fha F nce. In Aug., knocked ou, Tiqmhi irom Arqeniamihdiiown. Francik. 20 This ' their iliq . h iiberaied Germani ' - an assault whic ierriiic Amen: dn .3 han rmor. Dreux' pmncgf 5 ihe h' le abandoned i ihe