6th Infantry Division (United States)

6th Infantry Division (United States). The 6th Infantry Division is a unit of the United States Army with a long and varied history of service. Activated during World War I, it saw extensive combat in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Following the war, the division was repeatedly activated and inactivated, serving in Korea, Vietnam, and Alaska before its final inactivation in the 1990s.

History

The lineage of the 6th Infantry Division began with its initial organization at Camp Forrest in Tennessee in 1917, following the American entry into World War I. It was inactivated after the war but reconstituted in the interwar period. The division's history is marked by multiple cycles of activation for major conflicts, including World War II and the Korean War, and subsequent periods of inactivation during peacetime. Its final active period was as a light division based at Fort Richardson in Alaska.

Organization

Throughout its existence, the division's organization evolved with Army doctrine. Its core combat elements traditionally included three infantry regiments: the 1st, 20th, and 63rd Infantry Regiments. These were supported by division artillery battalions, such as the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, and various combat support units including engineer, signal, and medical battalions. As a light infantry division in its final iteration, it was structured for rapid deployment.

World War I

The 6th Division was organized in late 1917 but did not arrive in France until July 1918. As part of the American Expeditionary Forces, it served in a quiet sector near Lys and did not see major combat as a complete unit before the Armistice of 11 November 1918. Some of its artillery units were detached and saw action with other divisions, including the 92nd Infantry Division. The division participated in the post-war Occupation of the Rhineland before returning to the United States and being inactivated at Camp Grant in 1921.

World War II

Reactivated in 1939, the division trained extensively in the United States before deploying to the Pacific Theater. Under the command of Major General Edwin D. Patrick and later Major General Charles E. Hurdis, it engaged in the New Guinea campaign, notably at the Battle of Lone Tree Hill. The division later played a crucial role in the Philippines campaign (1944–1945), fighting in the Battle of Luzon, including operations to secure Bataan and Corregidor. It was preparing for the invasion of Japan when the war ended.

Post-World War II and inactivation

After occupation duty in South Korea, the division was inactivated in 1949. It was briefly reactivated during the Korean War as a training division at Fort Ord. The division saw subsequent service, with its headquarters providing command and control for units in Vietnam without deploying as a whole. Its most notable late Cold War role was as the 6th Infantry Division (Light) in Alaska, where it was part of USARAK. It participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama and was finally inactivated at Fort Wainwright in July 1994.

Commanders

Notable commanders of the division include Major General Walter H. Gordon, who led it during its initial World War II training. Major General Franklin C. Sibert commanded during early Pacific operations. In the postwar era, Major General James F. Hamlet commanded the division in Alaska. The final commander before the 1994 inactivation was Major General Johnny M. Huston, who oversaw its transition and stood down the unit.