Trieste United States Troops

TRUST shoulder patch--Coat of arms of Trieste superimposed on the blue 88th Infantry division patch under a scroll with the letters TRUST

The Army command Trieste United States Troops (TRUST) was established 1 May 1947[1] in accord with a protocol to the Treaty of Peace with Italy which created the Free Territory of Trieste as a new independent, sovereign State under a provisional regime of Government[2] and under the direct responsibility of the United Nations Security Council.[3]

According to the protocol, when the Italian peace treaty came into force, the United Kingdom, the United States and Yugoslavia were each authorized to station 5,000 troops in the Free Territory of Trieste. British Element Trieste Force (BETFOR) was the UK organization in the free territory.

The United States Army assigned the mission of providing troops for the Free Territory of Trieste to the 88th Infantry Division which was on occupation duty in Italy along the Morgan Line between Italy and Yugoslavia. The 351st Infantry Regiment[4][5] of the 88th Division was assigned as the major unit that would deploy to the free territory.[6] Major General Bryant E. Moore, commander of the 88th Division, was assigned to command TRUST.

  1. ^ General Order Number 1, Headquarters Trieste United States Troops, dated 1 May 1947
  2. ^ Article 21 and Annex VII, Instrument for the Provisional Regime of the Free Territory of Trieste. See: https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%2049/v49.pdf
  3. ^ see: United Nations Security Council 16, 10 January 1947: http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/16(1947)
  4. ^ "351st Regiment Heraldry". United States Army Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  5. ^ "351st REGIMENT - Lineage and Honors Information - U.S. Army Center of Military History". Archived from the original on 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
  6. ^ “Blue Devil” 88th Division newspaper, 1 March 1947.