U.S. 3d Infantry Division

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{{Infobox Military Unit |unit_name=U.S. 3rd Infantry Division |image=Image:3 Infantry Div SSI.PNG |caption=3rd ID Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |country=USA |allegiance= |type=Division |branch=Regular Army |dates=November 21, 1917 - Present |specialization=Infantry |command_structure=XVIII Airborne Corps |size= |current_commander= |garrison=Fort Stewart |ceremonial_chief= |nickname=Rock Of The Marne |motto="Nous Resterous La" |colors=Blue and White |march= |mascot= |battles= |notable_commanders= |anniversaries= }}

The 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) —nicknamed the Rock of the Marne— is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Contents 1 History 1.1 World War I 1.1.1 Order of battle 1.2 Division lineage 1.3 Division honors 1.3.1 Campaign participation credit 1.3.2 Decorations 1.4 Division artillery lineage 1.5 Division artillery honors 1.5.1 Campaign participation credit 1.5.2 Decorations 1.6 Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division Lineage 1.7 Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division Honors 1.7.1 Campaign participation credit 1.7.2 Decorations 1.8 3rd Infantry Division Band lineage 1.9 3rd Infantry Division Band honors 1.9.1 Campaign participation credit 1.9.2 Decorations 2 Notable members of the 3d Infantry Division 3 See also 4 External links

History

World War I

Image:3 Infantry Div DUI.PNG

Order of battle

5th Infantry Brigade

4th Infantry Regiment

7th Infantry Regiment

8th Machine Gun Battalion

6th Infantry Brigade

30th Infantry Regiment

38th Infantry Regiment

9th Machine Gun Battalion

3d Field Artillery Brigade

10th Field Artillery Regiment (75)

18th Field Artillery Regiment (155)

76th Field Artillery Regiment (75)

3d Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Troops

7th Machine Gun Battalion

6th Engineers

5th Field Signal Battalion

Headquarters Troop

Trains

3d Train Headquarters and Military Police

3d Ammunition Train

3d Supply Train

6th Engineer Train

3d Sanitary Train

5th Field Hospital

7th Field Hospital

26th Field Hospital

27th Field Hospital

History of the 3d Infantry Division "Rock of the Marne!" Slogan: "Nous resterons la!" Translated from the French: "We Shall Remain!."

The 3d Infantry Division has one of the most successful combat records of any U.S. Army division. It has paid a high price for this distinction, suffering more than 50,000 wartime casualties. Forty nine members of the 3d Infantry Division have been awarded the Medal of Honor while serving the United States.

Activated in November 1917 during World War I at Camp Greene, North Carolina. It went into combat for the first time eight months later in France. At midnight on July 14 1918, the Division earned lasting distinction. Engaged in the Aisne-Marne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force to Europe, the Division was protecting Paris with a position on the banks of the Marne River, surrounding units retreated, the 3rd Infantry Division remained rock solid and earned its reputation as the "Rock of the Marne". Although the stand was highly successful, a steep price was paid. General "Black Jack" Pershing said the Division's performance one of the most brilliant of the United States' military history. During the war two members of the division were awarded the Medal of Honor (MOH).

World War II brought even greater glory. The 3d Infantry Division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany and Austria for 531 consecutive days of combat. 3d Infantry Division soldiers earned 36 MOH during World War II. At Anzio the Division fought off three German divisions. While there it suffered more than 900 casualties, the most in one day of any division in World War II. The most highly decorated soldier of the war, LT Audie Murphy served with the 15th Infantry Regiment.

During the Korean War, the Division, was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to crisis. It received ten Battle Stars. The Division fought gallantly throughout the war, insuring the freedom South Korea maintains today. Eleven more MOH recipients were added to the division's list of heroes during the Korean War.

From April 1958 to April 1996, the Marne Division was stationed in Germany. In November 1990, soldiers of the 3d Infantry Division were once again called into action. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, more than 6,000 Marne men and women deployed with the 1st Armored Division on Operation Desert Storm as part of the Allied Coalition. Later nearly 1,000 soldiers deployed to southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq to provide comfort to Kurdish refugees. Another group of nearly 1,000 were part of Task Force Victory rebuilding Kuwait.

As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996, and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division.

In 1996 the Division was restationed at Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The Division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion, and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait. It has also moved sizeable forces to Egypt, Bosnia and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions. Since 11 September 2001 units have been sent to Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Middle Eastern countries to support the War on Terrorism.

Early in 2003 the deployability and fighting capability of the Marne Division was highly visible worldwide when the entire Division deployed in weeks to Kuwait. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein government. Today the Division remains there contributing to stabilization and nation building with Coalition forces and the people of that long oppressed nation.

Beginning in 2004, the 3d began re-organizing. The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four "units of action," which are essentially smaller brigade formations. In late 2005-early 2006, the 3ID completed its deployment in Iraq and all units have returned to their bases at Forts Stewart, Benning, and at Hunter AAF.

• Division Combat Casualties:
  • World War I

1. 3,177 Killed in Action
2. 12,940 Wounded in Action

• • World War II

1. 4,922 Killed in Action
2. 18,766 Wounded in Action
3. 636 Died of Wounds

• • Korean War

1. 2,160 Killed in Action
2. 7,939 Wounded in Action

Division lineage

• Constituted 12 November 1917 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 3d Division
• Organized 21 November 1917 at Camp Greene, North Carolina
• Redesignated 1 August 1942 as Headquarters, 3d Infantry Division
• Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1960 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Infantry Division

Division honors

Campaign participation credit

• World War I:

1. Aisne;
2. Champagne-Marne;
3. Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel;
4. Meuse-Argonne;
5. Champagne 1918

• World War II:

1. Algeria-French;
2. Morocco (with arrowhead);
3. Tunisia;
4. Sicily (with arrowhead);
5. Naples-Foggia;
6. Anzio (with arrowhead);
7. Rome-Arno;
8. Southern France (with arrowhead);
9. Rhineland;
10. Ardennes-Alsace;
11. Central Europe

• Korean War:

1. CCF Intervention;
2. First UN Counteroffensive;
3. CCF Spring Offensive;
4. UN Summer-Fall Offensive;
5. Second Korean Winter;
6. Korea, Summer-Fall 1952;
7. Third Korean Winter;
8. Korea, Summer 1953

Decorations

1. Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for COLMAR
2. French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for COLMAR
3. French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere
4. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for UIJONGBU CORRIDOR
5. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for IRON TRIANGLE
6. Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece) for KOREA

Division artillery lineage

• Constituted 12 November 1917 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 3d Field Artillery Brigade, and assigned to the 3d Division
• Organized 26 November 1917 at Camp Stanley, Texas
• Disbanded 16 October 1939 at Fort Lewis, Washington
• Reconstituted 1 October 1940 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3d Division Artillery, and activated at Fort Lewis, Washington
• Redesignated 1 July 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3d Infantry Division Artillery

Division artillery honors

Campaign participation credit

• World War I:

1. Champagne-Marne;
2. Aisne-Marne;
3. St. Mihiel;
4. Meuse-Argonne;
5. Champagne 1918

• World War II:

1. Tunisia;
2. Sicily (with arrowhead);
3. Naples-Foggia;
4. Anzio (with arrowhead);
5. Rome-Arno;
6. Southern France (with arrowhead);
7. Rhineland;
8. Ardennes-Alsace;
9. Central Europe

• Korean War:

1. CCF Intervention;
2. First UN Counteroffensive;
3. CCF Spring Offensive;
4. UN Summer-Fall Offensive;
5. Second Korean Winter;
6. Korea, Summer-Fall 1952;
7. Third Korean Winter;
8. Korea, Summer 1953

Decorations

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for COLMAR
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm for COLMAR
• French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere
• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for UIJONGBU CORRIDOR
• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for IRON TRIANGLE
• Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece) for KOREA

Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division Lineage

• Constituted 16 March 1985 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division, and activated in Germany

Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division Honors

Campaign participation credit

• None

Decorations

• None

3rd Infantry Division Band lineage

• Constituted 20 August 1943 in the Regular Army as the Band, 3d Infantry Division
• Redesignated 1 December 1943 as the 3d Infantry Division Band and activated in North Africa
• Consolidated 20 March 1963 with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 3d Infantry Division Trains, and consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters, Headquarters and Band, 3d Infantry Division Support Command.
• Reorganized and redesignated 15 March 1968 as Headquarters, Headquarters Company and Band, 3d Infantry Division Support Command.
• Band element withdrawn 21 May 1972 from Headquarters, Headquarters Company and Band, 3d Infantry Division Support Command, and absorbed by the 3d Adjutant General Company
• Band element withdrawn 1 October 1984 from the 3d Adjutant General Company and redesignated as the 3d Infantry Division Band.

3rd Infantry Division Band honors

Campaign participation credit

• World War II - EAME:

1. Tunisia;
2. Sicily (with arrowhead);
3. Naples-Foggia;
4. Anzio (with arrowhead);
5. Rome-Arno;
6. Southern France (with arrowhead);
7. Rhineland;
8. Ardennes-Alsace;
9. Central Europe

• Korean War:

1. CCF Intervention;
2. First UN Counteroffensive;
3. CCF Spring Offensive;
4. UN Summer-Fall Offensive;
5. Second Korean Winter;
6. Korea, Summer-Fall 1952;
7. Third Korean Winter;
8. Korea, Summer 1953

Decorations

1. Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for COLMAR
2. Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for KOREA 1951-1952
3. French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for COLMAR
4. French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere
5. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for UIJONGBU CORRIDOR
6. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for IRON TRIANGLE
7. Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece) for KOREA

Notable members of the 3d Infantry Division

• Audie Murphy
• Major General Lucian Truscott
• Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Richard Kisling
• Sgt. Shawn Gibson
• SFC Paul Smith

See also

• Heavy Metal: a Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad

External links

• 3d Infantry Division Home Page - official site.
• Society of the 3d Infantry Division
• GlobalSecurity.org: 3d Infantry Division
• Blue and White Devils: The Story of the 3d Infantry Division (WWII unit history booklet)de:3. US-Infanteriedivision

fr:3e division d'infanterie américaine sl:3. pehotna divizija (mehanizirana)