93d Infantry Division (United States)

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93rd Infantry Division
93rd Infantry Division Shoulder Patch
Active	1917-1919; 1942-1946
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Infantry assault
Nickname	"Blue Helmets"
Battles/wars	World War I ("Champagne-Marne Defensive") Second Battle of the Marne Meuse-Argonne Offensive Oise-Aisne Offensive World War II Solomon Islands campaign New Guinea Campaign Bismarck Archipelago Campaign N.B. In World War I, the division was broken up; not all regiments participated in all campaigns

The 93d Infantry Division was a "colored" segregated unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.

1 World War I
2 World War II
3 Units
4 General
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] World War I

The 93d was known initially as the 93d Infantry Division (Provisional). When it was fully formed, the unit became known as the 93d Infantry Division (Colored) and was comprised of the following regiments:

U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment ("The Harlem Hellfighters"; formerly the 15th New York National Guard Regiment). Now 719th Trans. Co of 369th Tans. Batt {See Link}
U.S. 370th Infantry Regiment-awarded the Fourragere. Now lineage is carried on by 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Ill National Guard.
U.S. 371st Infantry Regiment
U.S. 372d Infantry Regiment Made up of units from District of Columbia; Connecticut; Massachusetts; Ohio[1] and Maryland National Guard. Now lineage is carried on by 229th Main Support Battalion, Maryland National Guard.

The division was activated in December 1917 and sent to France; however, the troops never fought together as a division. Over the objections of the division's commander, Brig. Gen. Roy Hoffman (appointed December 15, 1917), its regiments were detached and seconded to the French Army.

The main American Expeditionary Force (AEF) refused to have African-American soldiers in combat, as did the British, to whom the division was originally offered. (Ironically, the commander of the AEF, Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing had earned his nickname and reputation as a leader in command of the 10th Cavalry, then still a black Buffalo Soldier regiment. While Pershing was an early supporter of having "colored" soldiers in the military, he seems to have bowed to political expediency in this case.)

The regiments fought in several battles alongside French troops, who were already used to colonial North and Sub-Saharan African "colored" soldiers (noirs). All regiments acquitted themselves well and received unit citations from the French. Numerous individual soldiers exhibited extraordinary heroism and were highly decorated by the French. One of these was Cpl. Freddie Stowers, who decades after his death would be awarded the American Medal of Honor.

Total casualties from all regiments were 3,534 (killed-in-action 467; wounded-in-action 3,067).

[edit] World War II

Activated: 15 May 1942.
Overseas: 24 January 1944.
Campaigns: New Guinea, Northern Solomons, Bismarck Archipelago.
Awards: DSC-1 ; DSM-1 ; SS-5; LM-5; SM-16 ; BSM-686 ; AM-27.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Charles P. Hall (May-October 1942), Maj. Gen. Fred W. Miller (October 1942-May 1943), Maj. Gen. Raymond G. Lehman (May 1943-August 1944), Maj. Gen. Harry H. Johnson (August 1944-September 1945), Brig. Gen. Leonard R. Boyd (September 1945 to inactivation).
Returned to U.S.: 1 February 1946.
Inactivated: 3 February 1946.

[edit] Units

25th Combat Team consisted of [[2]]{For reference only}
- 25th Infantry Regiment
- 593rd Field Artillery Battalion
- 596th Field Artillery Battalion
- Co A, 318th Combat Engineer Battalion
- Co A and 1 platoon of Co D, 318th Medical Battalion
- 93rd Reconnaissance Troop
- 93rd Signal Company (Detachment)
- 793rd Ordance Company {Detachment}
- 93rd Military Police Platoon {Detachment}