7th Infantry Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=U.S. 7th Infantry Division


caption=7th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
countryUSA
allegiance=
type=Division
branch=Infantry
dates=1917-1923
1940-1971
1975-1994
1999-2006
specialization=Light Infantry
command_structure=
size=Light
current_commander=
garrison=Inactive
ceremonial_chief=
nickname=Bayonet
motto=Light, Silent, And Deadly
colors=
march=
mascot=Black Widow
battles=World War I
World War II
Korean War
Armed Forces Expeditions - Panama
notable_commanders=BG. C. H. Barth
BG. Tiemann N. Horn
BG. C. H. Barth
BG. Tiemann N. Horn
BG. C. H. Barth
BG. Lutz Wahl
MG. Edward Wittenmyer
MG. Joseph W. Stillwell
MG C. H. White
MG A. E. Brown
MG. Eugene M. Landrum
BG. A. V. Arnold
MG. C. H. Corlett
MG. A. V. Arnold
BG. J. L. Ready
BG. L. J. Stewart
MG. Andrew D. Bruce
BG. Harlan N. Hartness
MG. William F. Dean
MG. Pete Dawkins
anniversaries=US Infantry
previous=6th Infantry Division ("Inactive")
next=8th Infantry Division ("Inactive")The 7th Infantry Division, nicknamed Lightfighters or Bayonet was an infantry division of the United States Army. It was deactivated on 22 August 2006.

History

World War I

The U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division was created at Camp Wheeler, Georgia on 6 December 1917 and served in Alsace-Lorraine, France in World War I. The division served as occupation forces in the post-war period and was later deactivated in 1923.

World War II

It was later reactivated 1 July 1940 at Camp Ord, California and was used primarily for construction and training activities during the early part of the war. Redesignated 9 April 1942 as 7th Motorized Division, the division was preparing to deploy to the African Theater of War. However, it was re-designated on 1 January 1943 as 7th Infantry Division and was prepared to fight in the Pacific theater instead of Africa.

*Subrdinate Units:
*31st Infantry Regiment
*53rd Infantry Regiment
*159th Infantry Regiment
*184th Infantry Regiment
*31st Field Artillery Battalion
*48th Field Artillery Battalion
*49th Field Artillery Battalion
*57th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
*7th Signal Company
*707th Ordnance Company
*7th Quartermaster Company
*7th Reconnaissance Troop
*13th Engineer Battalion
*7th Medical Battalion
*7th Counter Intelligence Detachment
*7th Admin CompanyIn 1943 the division was trained in amphibious warfare and later participated in the liberation of the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska. On 31 January 1944 the division landed on islands in the Kwajalein Atoll in conjunction with the 4th Marine Division, and in a week of heavy fighting, wrested them from the Japanese. Elements took part in the capture of Engebi in the Eniwetok Atoll, 18 February 1944. The division then moved to Oahu, T. H., remaining there until mid-September when it sailed to join the assault on the Philippines. On 20 October 1944, the division made an assault landing at Dulag, Leyte, and after heavy fighting secured airstrips at Dulag, San Pablo, and Buri. The troops moved north to take Dagami, 29 October, and then shifted to the west coast of Leyte, 26 November, and attacked north toward Ormoc, securing Valencia, 25 December. An amphibious landing by the 77th Infantry Division effected the capture of Ormoc, 11 December 1944, and the 7th joined in its occupation. Mopping up operations continued until early February 1945. The next D-day for the division was 1 April 1945, when it made an assault landing on Okinawa. It drove from the west to the east coast on the first day and engaged in a savage 51-day battle in the hills of southern Okinawa. The division accepted the surrender of the Japanese Army in South Korea. After the war the division served as an occupation force in Korea and Japan.

Korean War

When troops were pulled back from the Korean peninsula, the 7th Infantry Division was currently stationed in Japan at the outbreak of the Korean War. They were present during the Inchon Landing and were at the Yalu River when the Chinese entered the war. The 7th led the charge to the north, and was one of the first units to reach the Yalu River. Task Force Faith, a regimental sized unit formed from several division elements, was trapped east of the Chosin Reservoir by two Chinese divisions and wiped out in furious fighting. The 7th participated in battles such as Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, Battle of Porkchop Hill, and the Battle of Old Baldy. Alongside them for much of the time were members of the three successive Kagnew Battalions sent by Emperor Haile Sellassie of Ethiopia as part of the United Nations forces.

Twelve members of the Division received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the Korean War. Six members were with the 17th Infantry Regiment, Charles H. Barker (June 4, 1953), Raymond Harvey (March 9, 1951), Einar H. Ingman, Jr. (February 26, 1951), William F. Lyell (August 31, 1951), Joseph C. Rodriguez (May 21, 1951) and Richard Thomas Shea (July 6, July 7, and July 8, 1953). Four members were with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Jack G. Hanson (June 7, 1951), Ralph E. Pomeroy (May 20, 1951), Edward R. Schowalter, Jr. (October 14, 1952) and Benjamin F. Wilson (June 5, 1951). The 1st Battalion of the 32nd Infantry Regiment's commanding officer was a recipient, Don C. Faith, Jr. (November 27 through December 1, 1950). The 13th Engineer Combat Battalion also had a recipient, Daniel D. Schoonover (July 8 to July 10, 1953).

Between 1953 to 1971, the 7th Infantry Division defended the DMZ. Its main garrison was Camp Casey, South Korea.

Post Korean War history

On 2 April 1971, the division was inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington. In Fiscal Year 1975 the 7th was reactivated at its former garrison, Fort Ord. The unit did not see any action in Vietnam or during the post war era, but was tasked to keep a close watch on South American developments. On 1 October 1985, the division was re-designated as the first "Light Infantry Division" and the various battalions of the 17th, 31st and 32nd Regiments were replaced by battalions from other regiments, these units were the 21st Infantry Regiment (GIMLETS) and the 27th Infantry Regiment (WOLFHOUNDS). The 7th's regiments 27th Infantry WOLFHOUNDS & the 9th Infantry Regiment MANCHUS participated in Operation Golden Pheasant in Honduras in 1988 and Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989.

The BRAC Commission of 1991 recommended the closing of Fort Ord. This was primarily done because the cost of living and location was driving up extremely high on the Central California coastline. By 1994, the garrison was closed. However, elements of the division (the entire 2nd BDE, to include HHC, and other assigned military police companies) participated quelling the 1992 Los Angeles Riots called Operation Garden Plot, before being inactivated once again in 1994.

In 1993 the division moved from Fort Ord to Fort Lewis, Washington. The Pentagon and BRAC Commission did not keep their promise and the entire division was reflagged as other units instead of keeping the 7th Infantry Division (Light) name. The 1st Brigade was reflagged as the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division while the 2nd Brigade was inactivated and the 3rd Brigade of the 7th was reflagged as the 1st Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division. Both brigades are currently active at Fort Lewis today.

ervice 1999-2006

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 7th Infantry Division (Light) was formally reactivated on 4 June 1999, at Fort Carson, Colorado, as the first Active Component/Reserve Component division. The reserve formations that made up the 7th Infantry Division were the U.S. 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard, the 41st Enhanced Separate Brigade of the Oregon National Guard and the 45th Enhanced Separate Brigade of the Oklahoma National Guard. Fort Carson was the headquarters for the division.

One of the division's brigades, the 39th Enhanced Separate Brigade was activated for occupation duty in Iraq during the fall of 2003. Also deployed from the division was the 2d Battalion, 162d Infantry of the 41st Enhanced Separate Brigade, attached to the 39th Enhanced Separate Brigade. During the deployment B Company, 2-162 IN was selected to act as the 1st Cavalry Division's quick reaction force (QRF).

On 22 August 2006, the HHC, 7th Infantry Division (Light) was inactivated at Fort Carson, Colorado. The division was re-organised as Training Support Division West, First United States Army. The unit will oversee training and mobilization of Reserve and National Guard units in 21 states west of the Mississippi River, except Minnesota.

Publications

*"History of the 7th Infantry Division": by Capt. Edmund Love and unit members; [https://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/| The Infantry Journal (Now US Army Infantry Homepage)] .

External links

* [http://www.carson.army.mil/UNITS/F7ID/F7ID.htm 7th Infantry Division Home Page] - No longer Active
* [http://7id.us 7th Infantry Division Association]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/7id.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 7th Infantry Division (Light)]
* [http://www.robsmith.org/184th-inf/ Soldiers of the 184th Infantry, 7th ID in the Pacific, 1943-1945]