NAME:
Thirty-Fifth Infantry Division / 35th Division
NICKNAME:
"Sante Fe"
BATTLE HONORS:
World War I
Meuse-Argonne
World War II
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
ACTIVATED:
Aug 1917
Dec 23, 1940
Aug 25, 1984
DEACTIVATED:
April 1919
Dec 7, 1945
PATCH HISTORY:
Symbolism:
The Santa Fe Cross was a symbol used to mark the old Santa Fe trail, an area where the unit trained, and was officially designated as an identifying device for the unit by Headquarters, 35th Division, General Orders Number 25, dated March 27, 1918. The organization is referred to as the Santa Fe Division.
Background:
The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 35th Division on 29 Oct 1918 by telegram and officially announced on 8 Jun 1922. It was redesignated on 17 Oct 1963 for the 35th Command Headquarters (Divisional). On 23 Jul 1968 the insignia was assigned to the 35th Engineer Brigade. The shoulder sleeve insignia was restored to the 35th Infantry Division and amended to change the description and add a symbolism on 27 Aug 1984.
HISTORY:
World War I
The 35th Division insignia is a white cross within a white wagon wheel on a blue field. Built around a nucleus of Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri National Guard units, the division trained for World War I in the vicinity of the old Sante Fe trail, and therefore adopted the insignia which represents the Sante Fe Cross
Activated: August 1917 (National Guard Division from Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska).
Overseas: May 1918.
Major operations: Meuse-Argonne.
Casualties: Total - 7,296 (KIA - 1,018 ; WIA - 6,278).
Commanders: Maj. Gen. William M. Wright (25 August 1917), Brig. Gen. L. G. Berry (18 September 1917), Maj. Gen. William M. Wright (10 December 1917), Brig. Gen. Nathaniel F. McClure (15 June 1918), Maj. Gen. Peter E. Traub (2 November 1918), Brig. Gen. T. B. Dugan (25 November 1918), Maj. Gen. Peter E. Traub (7 December 1918), Brig. Gen. Thomas Dugan (27 December 1918).
Returned to U.S. and inactivated: April 1919.
World War II
Activated: 23 December 1940 (National Guard Division from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska).
Overseas: 12 May 1944.
Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 264.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 6.
Awards: MH-1 ; DSC-44 ; DSM-1 ; SS-688 ; LM-10; DFC-1 ; SM-22 ; BSM-3,435 ; AM-133.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. R. E. Truman (December 1940-October 1941), Maj. Gen. William H. Simpson (October 1941-April 1942), Maj. Gen. Maxwell Murray (May 1942-January 1943), Maj. Gen. Paul W. Baade (January 1943 to inactivation).
Returned to U. S.: 10 September 1945.
Inactivated: 7 December 1945.
Combat Chronicle
The 35th Infantry Division arrived in England, 25 May 1944, and received further training. It landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, 5-7 July 1944, and entered combat 11 July, fighting in the Normandy hedgerows, north of St. Lo. The Division beat off 12 German counterattacks at Emelie before entering St. Lo, 18 July. After mopping up in the St. Lo area, it took part in the offensive action southwest of St. Lo, pushing the Germans across the Vire River, 2 August, and breaking out of the Cotentin Peninsula. While en route to an assembly area, the Division was "flagged off the road," to secure the Mortain-Avranches corridor and to rescue the 30th Division's "Lost Battalion," 7-13 August 1944.
Then racing across France through Orleans and Sens, the Division attacked across the Moselle, 13 September, captured Nancy, 15 September, secured Chambrey, 1 October, and drove on to the German border, taking Sarreguemines and crossing the Saar, 8 December. After crossing the Blies River, 12 December, the Division moved to Metz for rest and rehabilitation, 19 December. The 35th moved to Arlon, Belgium, 25-26 December, and took part in the fighting to relieve Bastogne, throwing off the attacks of four German divisions, taking Villers-laBonne-Eau, 10 January, after a 13-day fight and Lutrebois in a 5-day engagement. On 18 January 1945, the Division returned to Metz to resume its interrupted rest. In late January, the Division was defending the Foret de Domaniale area.
Moving to the Netherlands to hold a defensive line along the Roer, 22 February, the Division attacked across the Roer, 23 February, pierced the Siegfried Line, reached the Rhine at Wesel, 10 March, and crossed, 25-26 March. It smashed across the Herne Canal and reached the Ruhr River early in April, when it was ordered to move to the Elbe, 12 April. Making the 295-mile dash in 2 days, the 35th mopped up in the vicinity of Colbitz and Angern, until 26 April 1945, when it moved to Hanover for occupational and mopping-up duty, continuing occupation beyond VE-day. The Division left Southampton, England, 5 September, and arrived in New York City, 10 September 1945.
Assignments in the European Theater of Operations
5 May 1944: XV Corps, Third Army.
8 July 1944: Third Army, but attached to the XIX Corps of First Army.
27 July 1944: V Corps.
1 August 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to the V Corps of First Army.
5 August 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group.
6 August 1944: XX Corps.
9 August 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to the VII Corps of First Army.
13 August 1944: XII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
23 December 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group.
24 December 1944: XX Corps.
26 December 1944: III Corps.
18 January 1945: XX Corps.
23 January 1945: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
30 January 1945: XVI Corps, Ninth Army, attached to the British 21st Army Group, 12th Army Group.
4 April 1945: XVI Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.
13 April 1945: XIX Corps, for operations, and the XIII Corps for administration.
16 April 1945: XIII Corps.
Post War
After several activations and reactivations in the immediate postwar years, the 35th Infantry Division (Mechanised) was reactivated on August 25, 1984 from the 67th Infantry Brigade (Mech) of Nebraska, the 69th Infantry Brigade (Mech) of Kansas, and the 149th Armored Brigade from Kentucky. It continues in service today.
As part of ongoing transformation, the new composition of the Division was announced in 2005. It will include:
33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, (IL NG)
2-130th Infantry Battalion
1-178th Infantry Battalion
2-106th Cavalry Squadron(RSTA)
2-122nd Field Artillery Battalion
634th Support Battalion
33BCT Special Troops Battalion
45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Oklahoma)
1-179th Infantry Battalion
1-180th Infantry Battalion
1-279th Cavalry Squadron (RSTA)
1-160th Field Artillery Battalion
700th Support Battalion
45BCT Special Troops Battalion
48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (GA NG)
1-121st Infantry Battalion
2-121st Infantry Battalion
1-108th Cavalry Squadron (RSTA)
1-118th Field Artillery Battalion
148th Support Battalion
48BCT Special Troops Battalion
218th Armored Brigade Combat Team (SC NG)
1-118th Infantry Battalion (Combined Arms) (SC NG)
2-137th Infantry Battalion (Combined Arms) (KS NG)
1-263rd Cavalry Squadron (RSTA) (SC NG)
1-178th Field Artillery Battalion (SC NG)
163rd Support Battalion (SC NG)
218BCT Special Troops Battalion (SC NG)
35th Aviation Expeditionary Brigade
1-134th Aviation Battalion (S&S) (NE NG)
1-135th Aviation Battalion (Attack) (MO NG)
2-211th Aviation Battalion (General Support) (UT NG)
U/I Aviation Battalion (Assault)
Divisional history from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_35th_Infantry_Division
http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_bookl...ntry/index.html
http://www.35thinfdivassoc.com/
