3rd Infantry Division (United States)

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U.S. 3rd Infantry Division
3rd ID Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
ActiveNovember 21, 1917 - Present
CountryUSA
BranchRegular Army
TypeDivision
RoleInfantry
Part ofXVIII Airborne Corps
Garrison/HQFort Stewart
Nickname(s)Rock Of The Marne
Motto(s)"Nous Resterons Là"
"We Shall Remain"
ColorsBlue and White
Commanders
Notable
commanders		John Lucas
Lucian Truscott

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

History

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.

World War I

3rd ID Distinctive Unit Insignia

Commanders

  1. MG J. T. Dickman (28 November 1917)
  2. BG J. A. Irons (11 February 1918)
  3. MG J. T. Dickman (13 February 1918)
  4. BG J. A. Irons (27 February 1918)
  5. BG Charles Crawford (8 March 1918)
  6. BG J. A. Irons (10 March 1918)
  7. BG Charles Crawford (19 March 1918)
  8. MG J. T. Dickman (12 April 1918)
  9. BG F. W. Sladen (18 August- 1918)
  10. MG Beaumond B. Buck (27 August 1918)
  11. BG Preston Brown (18 October 1918)
  12. MG Robert L. Howze (19 November 1918).

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


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

Commanders

  1. MG Charles F. Thompson (July 1940-August 1941)
  2. BG Charles P. Hall (August 1941-September 1941)
  3. MG John P. Lucas (September 1941-March 1942)
  4. MG Jonathan W. Anderson (March 1942-March 1943)
  5. MG Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. (March 1943-February 1944)
  6. MG John W. O'Daniel (February 1944-December 1945)
  7. MG William R. Schmidt (July 1945-August 1946),

Order Of Battle

1941
  • HQ, 3rd Division
  • Headquarters & Military Police Company
    • 7th Infantry Regiment
    • 15th Infantry Regiment
    • 30th Infantry Regiment
    • 10th Engineer Battalion
    • 3rd Medical Battalion
    • 3rd Quartermaster Battalion
    • 3rd Reconnaissance Troop
    • 3rd Signal Company
  • HHB, 3rd Division Artillery
    • 9th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
    • 10th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
    • 39th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
    • 41st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
    • 3rd Antitank Battalion (Provisional)
1944/45
  • Headquarters Special Troops
    • Headquarters Company, 3rd Infantry Division
    • 7th Infantry Regiment
    • 15th Infantry Regiment
    • 30th Infantry Regiment
    • 10th Engineer Battalion (Combat)
    • 3rd Medical Battalion
    • 3rd Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
    • 3rd Quartermaster Company
    • 703rd Ordnance Company (Light Maint)
    • 3rd Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
    • 3rd Signal Company
    • 3rd Military Police Platoon
  • HHB, 3rd Division Artillery
    • 9th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
    • 10th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
    • 39th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
    • 41st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)

Narrative

  • The 3rd Division is the only American Division which fought the Nazi on all European fronts.
  • The Division first saw action in the North African invasion, landing at Fedala, November 8, 1942, and capturing half of French Morocco.
  • On July 10, 1943, the Division made an assault landing on Sicily, fought its way into Palermo before the armor could get there, and raced on to capture Messina, thus ending the Sicilian campaign.
  • Nine days after the Italian invasion, September 18, 1943, the 3d landed at Salerno and in intensive action drove to and across the Volturno and to Cassino. After a brief rest, the Division was ordered to hit the beaches at Anzio, January 22, 1944, where for four months it maintained its toe-hold against furious German counterattacks. On February 29, 1944, the 3d fought off an attack by three German Divisions. In May the Division broke out of the beachhead and drove on to Rome, and then went into training for the invasion of Southern France.
  • On August 15, 1944, another D-day, the Division landed at St. Tropez, advanced up the Rhone Valley, through the Vosges Mountains, and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg, November 26 – November 27, 1944. After maintaining defensive positions it took part in clearing the Colmar Pocket, 23 January 18 February 1945, and on 15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrucken. The Division smashed through the defenses and crossed the Rhine, March 26, 1945 ; then drove on to take Nurnberg in a fierce battle, capturing the city in block-by-block fighting, 17-20 April. The 3d pushed on to take Augsburg and Munich, 27-30 April, and was in the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended.

Korean War

During the Korean War, the Division, was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to crisis. It received ten Battle Stars. Eleven more MOH recipients were added to the division's list of heroes during the Korean War.

1950 thru 2000

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.

Global War on Terror

Since September 11, 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.

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. 

                          modern units
                   UNITS

1st brigade, Charlie Troop 1st CAV, 1-41 FA, 11th ENG Bn (Combat) "Jungle Cats, 103rd MI Bn "Top of the Rock", 123rd SIG Bn "Voice of the Rock", 3rd FSb, Alpha Battery, 1-3 ADA, 92nd Chemical Company, 1/3 MP Company,

2nd brigade, 3-15 IN (Mech) "China", 1-64 AR "Desert Rogues", 4-64 AR "Tusker", Eagle Troop 9th CAV, 1-9 FA "Battlekings" (M109A6), 26th FSB, 10th ENG Bn, U/I Co 123rd Signal Bn,

3rd brigade, HHC (6 - M-577), 1-15 IN, 1-30 IN, 2-69 AR "Panthers", Delta Troop 10th CAV "BlackJack", 1-10 FA "Rock's Support", 203rd FSB, 3rd Brigade Troop Battalion,

4th brigade, HHC, 3-7 IN, 4-64 AR, 6-8 CAV, 1-76 FA, 703rd Brigade Support BN, 4th Special Troops BN,

aviation brigade, 1-3 AVN (AH-64D/AH-64DW), 2-3 AVN (UH-60A/UH-60L), 3-3 AVN (AH-64D), 4-3 AVN, 3-7 CAV,


  • 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

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

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

See also

[[sl:3. pehotna divizija (mehanizirana

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