ADMIN Posted November 20, 2006 Share #1 Posted November 20, 2006 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germanymp Posted July 6, 2007 Share #2 Posted July 6, 2007 6th Army variations Honor Guard tab and patch (both) cut edge Merrowed edge (different back) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriscoHare Posted January 27, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 27, 2009 Example of an Old 6th Army SSI Whiteback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36-tex Posted June 25, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 25, 2011 6th Army variations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36-tex Posted August 10, 2012 Share #5 Posted August 10, 2012 Post WWII German made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36-tex Posted August 10, 2012 Share #6 Posted August 10, 2012 reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vzemke Posted May 16, 2015 Share #7 Posted May 16, 2015 Occupation era, Japanese hand embroidered examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted June 25, 2021 Share #8 Posted June 25, 2021 A nice close up of the 1958-68 Flat Edge AG44 Type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanmc1114 Posted December 27, 2022 Share #9 Posted December 27, 2022 First style SSI worn by Master Sergeant Charles Banks, the sergeant major of the 21st Infantry Regiment during World War II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted January 4, 2023 Share #10 Posted January 4, 2023 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. 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, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredhed2 Posted January 4, 2023 Share #11 Posted January 4, 2023 Here's an early 6th Army patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiaiokalewa Posted January 5, 2023 Share #12 Posted January 5, 2023 Croak. And double croak!!! What a great patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted August 9, 2023 Share #13 Posted August 9, 2023 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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