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

Page 14 text:

9-refs K 4 , fl. is,,, ,M The 51h Armored Division's hisfory is filled wiih accoun'I's of fradilion, acfion, and glory. Ac+iva+ed on I Ocfober l94I, fhe Division was assigned +o Fori Knox, Kenfucky, for fraining as a pari of fhe Armored Force. ln March i942 il' was iransferred fo Camp Cooke, California. A+ +his lime 'I'he Division was commanded by Major General Jack W. Heard. From Augusr +o Ocfober i942 The 5+h was acfively engaged in 'Phe maneuvers in ihe Deserf Training Cenfer Area. ln February I943, Major General Lunsford E. Olivei- assumed command. He was 'io remain wifh fhe Division 'Through 'ihe remaining years of The war: +o +rain, lead, and figh+ wifh +he Division. ln March I943 +he 5+h Armored par+icipa+ed in ihe Second Army maneu- vers in Tennessee. ln July 1943 if 'rransferred fo Pine Camp, New York, preparalory fo embarking for overseas. Embarking for fhe European Theafer of Operafions in February I944, +he division 'rrained a+ Camp Chiseldon, Ogbourne, S+. George and Tidworfh-Perham Downes in Wilfshire, England. As The U.S. Firsf Army embarked for +he invasion of France, +he 5+h Armored operared hundreds of camps, servicing 'ihe invasion uni'rs. Augus+ I944 found +he Vic+ory Division in +he 'Thick of +he Normandy campaign and rapidly moving up on LeMans. As par'I' of General PaHon's Third Army, +he division jumped-off on a 300-mile exploifaiion behind +he lines of 'rhe German Sevenih Army. Af'rer +he Fall of LeMans, 'rhe 5+h pursued 1'he enemy io The Seine, wrecking 'lheir armor and inflicfing high casual+ies. Following +his drive +o +he Seine, +he 5+h Armored Division

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COLONEL SHELBY F. LITTLE COLONEL DOUGLAS G. DWYRE Commanding Officer, CCR Commanding Officer, Division Ariiilery STAFF Vx . ....,1 -' F75 M.. COL. W. K. NOEL LT. COL. WALTER K. CARROLL LT. COL. GERALD R. MOMEYER Judge Advocaie Engineering Officer Provosf Marshal 1 . -i 6:1 iw, X' 1 MAJ. K. W. WASHBOURNE CAPT. JACK B. FELTON CAPT. MYRON E. MCENDARFER CAPT. LONNIE W. PERRY CAPT. RALPH THOMAS Adiufanf General Posf Exchange Officer Headquarfers Cornrnandanf Disbursing Officer, Posf Finance Public Inforrnahon Officer

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,hy , qw, 1-msg? gi' ,- ,,,, l T .' m . , T Q image -X V.,. i n .E Amer' fonTilili:nH:l:g1o'ra:,ogs info me ,ow ow 4 n f '5 Avtidhe 'Gad if x::Tic'wairi'a'd orsiilwin F 'c'- as The A M A . wrecked germs smoke of by rnericans , n 6,-mor ores Tle hangs ' '- France disTinguished iTselT in The Eure-Seine Campaign winning a commendaTion Trom The XV Corps Commander SepTember II944 Tound Th 5Th . e , now shiTTed To The FirsT Army, ready To sTarT a l30-miie push Trom Paris norTh + B I . . . . . . o egium. On This operahon, The division cuT Through The Compiegne F'oresT, crossed The rivers Oise, Aisne and Somme The uniT w Th . . as en senT racing anoTher I00 miles To The Meuse River. Pushing onward, The 5Th To k T ' h l' o par in T e uberafion of Luxembourg. On II SepTember I944 Germany was peneTraTed: The Our River was crossed, in The viciniTy of STalzembourg. The 5Th Then parTicipaTed in The TirsT cr ' T h ossmg o T e Moselle in November I944. The mosT biTTer TighTing experienced by The division occured in December during The baTTle oT The HurTgen ForesT and The approaches To The Roer River. The weaTher was as biTTer as The TighTing. The savage TighTing aT HurTgen broke The German spiriTg never again did The enemy TighT wiTh such TerociTy and Tenaciousness. The 5Th d by The T k was TT10 last gehicle ?ria1Ti:o?:ce oi Tx: 1' ef an 1 . 'ant ' .20 AW- ' T This knocked tag' mghi Trona Eggfseas' the gown. France German? In rican BSWUN VNC Terriiic 'U' i if ,X 1' A. iv. l X -yr ' ' N ug .-.., , M 1 if ti 1 '