90th Infantry Division

Nickname: Tough ‘Ombres. Shoulder Patch: Blood-red letter “T,” lower part of which bisects letter “O,” also red. Letters, superimposed on a square khaki-colored patch, stand for Texas and Oklahoma. History: Activated: August, 1917, Camp Travis, Texas Elements went overseas, June and July, 1918. Training: Reactivated: March 25, 1942, Camp Barkeley, Texas, Redesignated September, 1942, as motorized division; following May changed back to regular infantry division. Third Army maneuvers, Louisiana September, 1943, Desert Training Center, then Fort Dix, New Jersey, leaving March, 1944, for ETO. Commanding Generals: Maj. Gen. Henry Terrell, Jr., March, 1942, to January, 1944; Brig. Gen. Jay W. MacKelvie, January to July, 1944; Maj. Gen. Eugene M. Landrum, July-August, 1944; Maj. Gen. Raymond S. McLain, August-October, 1944; Maj. Gen. James A. Van Fleet, October, 1944, to February, 1945; Maj. Gen. Lowell W. Rooks, February-March, 1945; Maj. Gen. Herbert L. Earnest, March, 1945, to present. Component Units: (As of March, 1944) 357th, 358th and 359th Infantry Regiments; 343rd, 344th, 345th (M) and 915th (L) FA Battalions. Higher commands: Third Army and First Army. Awards: The 3d Battalion of the 358th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for action In France, July 10-12, 1944. Combat Highlights: Cutting off the Cotentin Peninsula, aiding in capture of Cherbourg, closing of Falaise Gap and driving into Saar are major accomplishments of the 90th, The division landed on Normandy beaches on D-Day; first task was to deepen the VII Corps bridgehead established by the 82nd Airborne Division. During the first month the division fought at Pont 1’Abbe, Gourbesville and Portbail. In July the 90th fought at Foret de Mont Castre; in August seized Seine bridges, took St. Hilaire du Harcouret, Le Mons and helped tie the Falaise pocket. During August 16 to 22 the 90th took 12,000 prisoners as a result of closing the gap. The same month the division took Chambois. In September the 90th thrust east to start the campaign for Metz, attacking that strongly fortified city. In November it started a crossing of the Moselle River and went on early in 1945 to drive into the Saar. By March, 1945, the 90th had swept down the east bank of the Rhine, stormed the gates of Mainz and captured the walled city of Boppard. In April it was fighting south of Eisenach and entered Barchfield. It helped to take Plausen, Germany, and by slashing through the rail center of Hof late in April cut Germany virtually in half. Early in May the “Tough ‘Ombres” crossed into Czechoslovakia.

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