27th Infantry Division

27th Infantry Division
Unit name	27th Infantry Division
Dates	1917–1946 (US Army National Guard unit legacy continued)
Country	United States
Branch	National Guard
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Nickname	Empire Division
Notable commanders	John F. O'Ryan

27th Infantry Division The 27th Infantry Division was a United States Army formation raised from the New York National Guard that served in major twentieth‑century conflicts, most prominently during World War I and World War II. Activated under the authority of the National Defense Act of 1916 and federal mobilization of the American Expeditionary Forces, the division earned battle credits across the Western Front and the Pacific War while featuring leaders and units that intersected with broader institutions such as the War Department, General John J. Pershing, and the United States Army National Guard.

Formation and Early History

Organized in 1917 from the New York National Guard, the division drew personnel from metropolitan and upstate formations including units tied to New York City, Buffalo, New York, and Rochester, New York. Federalization brought the division under the command of figures connected to the Army Service Forces and the War Plans Division, coordinating training at camps such as Camp Wadsworth and logistical support from the Quartermaster Corps. During this period the division’s infantry, artillery, engineer, and medical elements established lineage with regiments like the 69th Infantry Regiment (New York), connecting civic institutions such as the New York State Militia to expeditionary formations deployed overseas.

World War I Service

Deployed to Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, the division participated in operations on the Western Front during the 1918 campaigns, serving alongside formations of the British Expeditionary Force, the French Army, and units coordinated by General John J. Pershing. Elements of the division were engaged in the Second Battle of the Marne-era operations and subsequent offensives that culminated in the Hundred Days Offensive. The division’s artillery cooperated with units from the Royal Artillery and used tactics influenced by lessons from the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Verdun. Casualty evacuation and medical treatment linked division support to the American Red Cross and the United States Army Medical Department. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the division took part in occupation duties before demobilization, interacting with organizations such as the Bureau of War Risk Insurance and transportation agencies including the United States Railroad Administration.

Interwar Period and Reorganization

Reconstituted in the interwar years within the New York National Guard, the division underwent structural changes influenced by doctrine from the General Staff and the Infantry School at Fort Benning. The division’s peacetime training involved maneuvers with Regular Army units, including exchanges with formations based at Fort Bragg and Fort Dix. Budgetary constraints from the National Defense Appropriations Act and political debates in the New York State Legislature shaped force composition, while the division maintained civic ties through events hosted with the Governor of New York and municipal authorities. Interwar reorganization incorporated advances from the Field Artillery School and the Engineer School, preparing the division’s units for mobilization as global tensions escalated in the 1930s.

World War II Operations

Federalized again for World War II, the division deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations and participated in campaigns in the Aleutian Islands Campaign and the Battle of Okinawa after amphibious training with elements of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The division’s infantry regiments executed assaults supported by the United States Army Air Forces close air support and naval gunfire from Task Force 50-type formations. Command relationships placed the division under higher headquarters in theaters coordinated by leaders connected to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and theater commanders such as officers involved with the Southwest Pacific Area and the Pacific Ocean Areas. Combat actions led to interactions with medical evacuation chains including Army Air Transport Service assets and casualty processing through the Army Service Forces.

Postwar Activity and Cold War Era

After inactivation as a wartime division, the unit’s heritage continued within the New York Army National Guard during the early Cold War era as the United States reorganized forces under policies driven by the National Security Act of 1947 and the Department of Defense. Former divisional units were reflagged and assigned to territorial defense and civil support missions alongside federal entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency precursors and state authorities. Personnel and leaders from the division integrated into the evolving United States Army Reserve and contributed to training doctrines at institutions including the Command and General Staff College and the National War College.

Organization and Order of Battle

The division’s wartime table of organization typically comprised infantry regiments, an artillery brigade, engineer and medical battalions, reconnaissance and signal elements, and support detachments. Regiments and battalions traced lineage to historic units like the 69th Infantry Regiment (New York), while artillery units drew from formations identified with the Coast Artillery Corps in earlier periods. Battalion and company-level organizations trained with materiel from the Ordnance Corps and transportation coordinated with the Transportation Corps. Command posts and staff included officers who later served in institutions such as the Office of Strategic Services and the Armed Forces Staff College.

Legacy, Honors, and Memorials

The division’s service is commemorated by memorials in locations including Albany, New York and New York City with ceremonies involving veterans’ groups such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Honors awarded to division personnel included decorations issued by the Department of War and allied recognition through emblems associated with campaigns in the Aleutians and Okinawa. Historical study of the division appears in archives maintained by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, scholarly work at institutions like the United States Army Center of Military History, and collections in museums including the National Museum of the United States Army and the National World War II Museum.

Category:Infantry divisions of the United States Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1917 Category:Military units and formations of New York (state)