75th INFANTRY DIVISION PATCH

THIS PATCH CAME FROM A BOX DATED 5 - 1945 (THIS IS THE REAL DEAL, genuine WWII) THIS PATCH IS IN MINT CONDITION... NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE ORIGINAL QUARTERMASTER ISSUED BOX OF 200.

LINEAGE of the 75th Division

The history of the 75th Division (Training Support) extends back to its combat days of World War II as the 75th Infantry Division.

· April 1943 The unit activated as the 75th Infantry Division at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri with an authorized strength of 15,514.

· April 1944 The 4th Army Commander recognizes the division with a better than satisfactory rating for their performance in the Louisiana Field Maneuvers.

· November 1944 75th Infantry Division deploys by sea to England.

· December 1944 The unit moved from England to France and found itself a part of the Ardennes Campaign or the "Battle of the Bulge" as it is more commonly known.

THE ARDENNES CAMPAIGN

· January 1945 Units of the 75th Division attached to 3rd Armor Division make contact with the enemy near Ocquier, Belgium.

· January 1945 On the 15th the division had its bloodiest day of combat, and during the month there were 465 killed and 1707 wounded in action.

THE COLMAR CAMPAIGN

· February 1945 The division was assigned to the 7th Army and boarded trains for Alsace, France.

· February 1945 The division secured the North and East flank of the city, and was part of the effort to finally push the Germans out of France.

THE BATTLE OF THE RUHR

· February 1945 The division deployed to Holland as part of the VIII Corps of the Second British Army. The division was in 3 countries and assigned to 4 Army Groups in a short 10 week period.

· March 1945 The battle of the Ruhr would last from 31 March until 15 April.

AFTER VE DAY MAY 8, 1945

The 75th Infantry Division assumed security and military government duties in Westphalia, Germany. For its participation in WWII, unit members received 4 Distinguished Service Crosses, 193 Silver Stars, 7 Legion of Merits, 30 Soldier's Medals, and 1,321 Bronze Star Medals. The Division suffered numerous casualties, including 817 soldiers killed in action, 3,314 wounded in action, and 111 who died from their wounds.

· November 1945 The 75th Infantry Division was de-activated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia.

· November 1950 The 75th Infantry Division re-activated as an Army Reserve Division at Houston, Texas.

· February 1952 The 75th Division was allotted to the Organized Reserve Corps.

The 75th Maneuver Area Command (MAC)

The original mission of the MAC was to plan and coordinate large-scale maneuvers for units in preparation for their overseas deployment.

· In 1955 DA deactivated the Division except for a HQs and HHC. This became the origin of the 75th Infantry Division (MAC).

· February 1957 DA designated the unit the 75th MAC, one of two
prototype units. The original mission of the MAC was to train commanders and staffs of Battalion - Corps level units.

· Early 1960s The MAC continues to grow and accepts new training responsibilities like furnishing umpires and controllers for command post and field training exercises.

THE EXERCISE ERA GAINS MOMENTUM

· In 1966 4th Army gave the MAC the responsibility to perform Army Training Tests, and Command Post Exercises at platoon level.

· In 1967 The MAC administers "Blue Flag Alpha" to the 36th Infantry Brigade, Texas National Guard.

· In 1969 The MAC performed exercises across the country from Fort Lee, VA to Fort Irwin, CA involving more than 9,000 soldiers.

· In 1973 DA initiates the "Total Force Concept" which the 75th MAC is a key player. The MAC had to train the newly developed Military Training Commands.

SIMULATION EXERCISES

· In 1977 The MAC began conducting computer-based exercises. Computer assisted map exercises were one of the first simulations conducted.

· In 1980 The 75th MAC moved fully into the computer age using microcomputers and modern communications equipment.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

· In 1983 Ground breaking for the new SGM Macario Garcia Reserve Center.

· In 1989 The MAC received Army wide recognition with the development of a Battle Projection Center.

· In 1989 The MAC wins an Army Communities of Excellence Award.

· 1990 and 1991 The MAC trained units for deployment to Operations Desert Shield/Storm.

The 75th MAC received numerous awards for excellence, including the Superior Unit Award, the AUSA/ROA Walter T. Kerwin Award, and the ROA Outstanding Large Unit Award.

The 75th Division (Exercise)

The mission of the 75th Division (Ex) remained training. The Division provided simulations exercises, and command and staff training for all Reserve Component battalion and higher headquarters in its area of operation. The division also assumed the responsibility for LANES training exercises for Combat Service Support and selected Combat and Combat Support units.

· October 1993 The 75th MAC restructured and was designated as the 75th Division (Ex) with 5 subordinate Brigades.

· In 1995 The Division won its second Army Communities of Excellence award.

· October 1999 The 75th Division (Ex) was redesignated as the 75th Division (Training Support), integrating Active Component and Reserve Component soldiers into one unit.

The 75th Division (Training Support)

The 75th Division (TS) became an integrated organization with an authorized strength of: 799 Active Component (AC) soldiers, 2,265 Reserve Component (RC) soldiers, 35 National Guard (NG) soldiers and 80 civilians. Operational command and control headquarters of the division is Fifth United States Army, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The mission of the Division changed to align with the Training Support XXI plan. This established a more formal relationship between the division and its client units.

· In 1999 The current division structure has headquarters 75th Division and 1st Brigade located at Houston, Texas. The 2d Brigade is at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the 3d Brigade is at Fort Riley, Kansas, and the 4th Brigade is at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

· In 2000 1st Brigade executed battle command staff training for 39 brigade and battalion-level headquarters.

· In 2000 2d, 3d, and 4th Brigades provided training support and mobilization assistance for a client base composed of 298 Priority and 643 Traditional units throughout the US Army Reserve and Army National Guard.

PRESENT / FUTURE:

The 75th Division (TS) remains a dynamic integrated AC/RC organization dedicated to providing high fidelity, realistic training / assessment / mobilization to our client units located throughout 9 states.