| 32nd Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:32nd_infantry_division_shoulder_patch.svg) 32nd Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Active | 1917–1919 1924–1946 1946–1967 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | "Les Terribles"; "Red Arrow Division" |
| Mascot(s) | Vicksburg |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Clovis E. Byers Edwin F. Harding William H. Gill Robert Bruce McCoy |
The United States 32nd Infantry Division was formed from Army National Guard units from Wisconsin and Michigan and fought primarily during World War I and World War II. With roots as the Iron Brigade in the American Civil War, the division's ancestral units came to be referred to as the Iron Jaw Division. During tough combat in France in World War I, it soon acquired from the French the nickname Les Terribles, referring to its fortitude in advancing over terrain others could not.[3] It was the first allied division to pierce the German Hindenburg Line of defense,[3] and the 32nd then adopted its shoulder patch; a line shot through with a red arrow, to signify its tenacity in piercing the enemy line. It then became known as the Red Arrow Division.[4]
During World War II, the division was credited with many "firsts". It was the first United States division to deploy as an entire unit overseas and among the first[5] of seven U.S. Army and U.S. Marine units to engage in offensive ground combat operations during 1942. The division was among the first divisions to engage the enemy and were still fighting holdouts after the official Japanese surrender. The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division.[4][6] The unit was inactivated in 1946 after occupation duty in Japan.
During 1961, the division was called up for a one-year tour of service in the state of Washington during the Berlin Crisis. In 1967, the 32nd Infantry Division (now made up completely of units from Wisconsin) was inactivated and partially reorganized as the 32nd Infantry Brigade, the largest unit of the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
- ^ "Organization of the 32D Division during WWI - 32D 'Red Arrow' Veteran Association". www.32nd-division.org. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- ^ "The History of the 32d Division National Guard". Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- ^ a b "The 32nd Division in World War I: From the 'Iron Jaw Division' to 'Les Terribles'". The 32nd 'Red Arrow' Veteran Association. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
- ^ a b Hubbuch, Chris (11 November 2008). "Remembering Wisconsin's citizen soldiers". La Crosse Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
michiganwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Wisconsin National Guard Museum". Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2016.