US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Polk, LA)

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386th ENGINEER BATTALION , . 'L IQ9 Ist MEDIUM TANK BATTALION 112th ARMOR ISI ARMORED RIFLE BATTALION 'I44Ih INFANTRY I I 2d NOWITZER BATTALION I3IsI ARTILLERY 49 'fl' I ,yu gm! I M,x,X,.., ....- ' 'I A. 249th SIGNAL BATTALION QQ! afffg. U,,:-23. I AV l.w1'.JP' 2d MEDIUM TANK BATTALION II2Ih ARMOR 2d ARMORED RIFLE BATTALION I44fh INFANTRY 'Ist IIOWITZER BATTALION I32d ARTILLERY ,U BS 3d MEDIUM TANK BATTALION TI2Ih ARMOR 3d ARMORED RIFLE BATTALION I44fh INFANTRY ,T E E f,Swf.,x- Sth RECONNAISSANCE SOUADRON TI2Ih ARMOR I E 1,g,,:Bf ' 4m MEDIUM TANK aAmuoN mm Amon 4th ARMORED RIFLE BATTALION I44Ih INFANTRY I 2d HOWITZER BATTALION 3d ROCKET IIOWITZER BATTALION I32d ARTILLERY I32d ARTILLERY 949th ORDNANCE BATTALION II7Ih MEDICAL BATTALION 249th QUARTERMASTER BATTALION

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The 49th Armored Division was the first of its kind in Na- tional Guard history. Inclusion of armored divisions on the post-World War ll National Guard troop allotments continued a sequence which, falteringly begun on the Somme in 1916, saw the tank dominant on every major European field in World War ll. Two National Guard armored divisions were projected in 1946. One of these, the 49th, was allocated to Texas. The 50th was allotted to New Iersey. Special reasons existed for organizing one of the new divisions in Texas. Here veteran members of the National Guard, experienced in every theater of World War ll, were available and eager to undertake the complex task of organizing and training such a division. Large numbers of temporarily inactivated local units, mo- bilized in 1940, were available in the state for reactivation and reorganization as armor and armor support commands. Good climate and proximity of Camp tlater Fortl Hood facilities favored National Guard armor training. Finally, a Texas record of mounted service and spirited support of peacetime National Guard training promised that the 49th Armored Division would be organized, manned and trained in the best traditions of Armor, Actual organization of the division involved the selection of major commanders and staffs, appoi ent of unit com- manders and officers, and recruitme ff initial members for lll units located in 56 Texas towns and cities. The organizational foundation of the 49th Armored Divi- sion was primarily those companies and troops which com- prised the 144th Infantry, 112th Cavalry, and 124th Cavalry regiments of the pre-World War ll Texas National Guard. Numerous battery elements of the l3lst Field Artillery and l32nd Field Artillery, as these regiments existed prior to 1942, were also incorporated into the division. Many officer veterans of these old commands were active in organizing the division. Major General tlater Brevet Lieu- tenant Generall Albert S. johnson, previously 112th Cavalry, Brigadier General flater Brevet Major Generall john W. Nay- lor, previously 124th Cavalry, Brigadier General tlater Major Generall Clayton P. Kerr, previously 144th Infantry, Colonel tlater Brevet Major Generall Gaston S. Howard, previously 144th Infantry, Colonel tlater Brevet Brigadier Generall Iohn F. B. Lyons, previously 124th Cavalry, Lieutenant Colonel tlater Brigadier Generall Luther E. Orrick, previously l3lst Field Artillery, Lieutenant Colonel tlater Brigadier Generall lames D. Scott, previously 124th Cavalry, and many others directed and supervised the effort. Associated with them in it were hundreds of officers and men whose National Guard experience extended back to the 1920's and early l93U's, with a few who were veterans of World War l Lone Star men of the 1947-1948 period recall the FWD ordinary conversions of military We-. .... 1 ., - .5 ' i- , ,J '-' 1 lj V1 T' I ' . , . ..,. - W 'r.., - 3--fr-rf' ' - V, V - 1 .i . .... if if I H 1-Q-4-wt'If' 1 .. .. . 1 ' . in . 1' Lff .1 1 'za' ,,,-'- Lg 1 1 1 . 4 -11 1 'V i .1 ..- .i1iQ5 f' T t N fl lr X, t.'1 1 ' ff, NX , fi Q f 1 1 f - V f , L Of... ARMCRED DIVISION