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6th Army


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6thArmy.jpg

 

NAME:

6th Army / Sixth Army / Sixth United States Army

 

NICKNAME:

"Alamo Force"

 

BATTLE HONORS:

 

World War II

New Guinea

Bismarck Archipelago

Leyte

Luzon

 

ACTIVATED:

Jan 1943

March 1, 1946

 

DEACTIVATED:

Jan 26, 1946

Oct 1, 1994

 

PATCH HISTORY:

"The 6th Army was inactive at the beginning of World War II and was assigned to the Organized Reserve. However, the first 6th Army designed patch was approved on January 26, 1927.

 

The 1927 approved 6th Army patch saw little use in World War II, as the 6th Army leaders began pushing for a newer design.

 

This new design was approved in January 1945. The 6 pointed star and the 6 sided shape suggest the unit number. The red and white color is the standard identifer of a field army."

 

(This information presented by collector and long-time insignia historian and researcher, Craig Pickrall)

 

 

 

HISTORY:

World War II

 

The United States Sixth Army was activated in January 1943, commanded by Lieutenant General Walter Krueger. Under the code name Alamo Force, it assumed control of the majority of US Army units involved in Operation Cartwheel, the campaign to isolate the neutralise the Japanese base at Rabaul in New Britain. Following the completion of Cartwheel, Sixth Army joined Australian Army and other US forces on the north coast of New Guinea. Similar in conception to the island hopping operations of the central Pacific, the object of the attacks was to land, establish a garrison and airfield which could support the next strike, and then move on.

 

In September 1944, Sixth Army was released from operations in New Guinea by the US Eighth Army. On 20 October 1944, X Corps and XXIV Corps, under Sixth Army, invaded Leyte in the Philippines. By December, Leyte was almost secure, and Sixth Army was relieved again by Eighth Army to prepare for the invasion of Luzon. As a prelude to that invasion, the island of Mindoro was invaded by the Western Visayan Task Force comprising the 19th and 503rd Regimental Combat Teams. Luzon itself was invaded on 9 January 1945 by I and XIV Corps. Sixth Army units fought south until they met up those of Eighth Army advancing from around Manila. Sixth Army then continued to clear the north of Luzon until the end of the war.

 

Sixth Army was to have provided the ground forces for the first phase of the invasion of Japan, but the surrender changed that. Occupation duty then followed for a short while until Sixth Army returned to the United States. Sixth Army then took responsibility for training of Army forces from part of the continental United States until it was inactivated as part of force reductions.

 

 

Post-World War II

 

Following World War II, the Sixth Army was reactived on March 1, 1946. This time the 6th Army (later officially named the Sixth United States Army) had its headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco. All ground and, until 1947, all air installations in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona were under its administration.

 

Throughout the late 40s until its deactivation, the 6th Army's primary goal and mission objective was to provide training to the Reserve Units serving these twelve states. It did well as was proven in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

 

On October 1, 1994, the Sixth U.S. Army and Presidio of San Francisco was deactivated.

 

 

Divisional history from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Sixth_Army

http://www.franciscodacosta.com/articles/sixth_army.html

www.nps.gov/prsf/history/hrs/thompson/tt21.pdf

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  • 7 months later...

6th Army variations

 

Honor Guard tab and patch (both) cut edge

 

Merrowed edge (different back)

post-1035-1183750028.jpg

post-1035-1183750080.jpg

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On 12/27/2022 at 5:02 PM, seanmc1114 said:

First style SSI worn by Master Sergeant Charles Banks, the sergeant major of the 21st Infantry Regiment during World War II. 

Sixth Army.Old Style.4.jpg

Now the $ 64,000 Question is.

 

Where dos the 21s Infantry fit in with this?

 

The 21st Infantry was in the Hawaiian/24th Infantry Division forever,

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  • 7 months later...

Found another 1st Type 6th Army patch being worn, portrait probably taken in Japan in 45 as he is wearing ribbons and lots of Overseas Bars and is not wearing a Ruptured Duck.

6th army.PNG

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