Nickname: Santa Fe Division. (Named because ancestors of personnel blazed the old Santa Fe Trail.) . Shoulder Patch; Santa Fe Cross, original marker on Santa Fe Trail. Patch has blue outer circle with Inner, white circle containing white cross which divides circle into quarters. . Source; Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska National Guard troops. . History: Originally formed: Aug., 1917, but some of the units date back to the Indian Wars. This division had an artillery officer, Capt. Harry S. Truman, now President of the United States. . Training: Reactivated: Dec., 1940, Camp Robinson. Reorganized as triangular, Mar. 1, 1942. Assigned AGF, Jan., 1943. Maneuvers: Louisiana, Tennessee, Stations in Zone of Interior: Camp San Luis Obispo, Camp Rucker and Camp Butner. Overseas: May, 1944. . Commanding Generals: Maj. Gen. R. E. Truman, Dec., 1940, to Oct., 1941; Maj. Gen. William H. Simpson, Oct., 1941, to Apr., 1942; Maj. Gen. Maxwell Murray, May, 1942, to Jan., 1943; Maj. Gen. Paul W. Baade (then BG), Jan., 1943, to present. . Component Units: (As of May, 1944) 134th, 137th and 320th Infantry Regiments; 127th (M), 218th, 219th and 161st (L) FA Battalions. Higher Commands: First, Third and Ninth Armies. . Combat Highlights: The crack Santa Fe Division justified its nickname (from a long trail) in France and Germany, where it traveled over 1300 miles. Pouring into Omaha Beach, July 5-7, the Division headed for St. Lo. They reached La Meauffe and “Purple Heart Corner.” taking Chateau St. Gilles. Elements of the Division next launched a drive north of St. Lo toward forbidding Hill 122, dominating the town. Emilie fell after house-to-house combats. In three intensive days, the Nazis counterattacked 12 times but gained only 100 yards. The 35th took Hill 122 and the road to St. Lo was open. Plunging across the Cherbourg peninsula, the 35th threw back a counterattack threatening Avranches and to the east recaptured ground near Mortain, rescuing the 30th’s famed “lost battalion.” Streaking through France, the 35th crossed the Loing, Seine, Loire, Marne and Meuse rivers and by mid-September captured Nancy. On Dec. 5, the 35th fired its first shot into Germany, taking Saarguemines the next day. Von Rundstedt launched his counterattack and the 35th plunged into the Battle of the Bulge Dec. 27, beating back four Nazi divisions in the first onslaught. Subsequent actions Included crossing of the Rhine, crushing of the Wesel pocket, drive into the Ruhr, capture of Villers, Lutrebois and Lutremange. In the jump-off for the Rhine, the 35th rolled 30 miles and took 23 towns in less than a week. The Division took Recklinghausen Apr. 3 and a week later, Herne.