42nd Infantry Division (Rainbow Division)

42nd Infantry Division (Rainbow Division)
Unit name	42nd Infantry Division (Rainbow Division)
Caption	Shoulder sleeve insignia of the Rainbow Division
Dates	1917–present
Country	United States
Type	Infantry
Role	Combined arms
Size	Division
Nickname	Rainbow Division
Battles	See Combat Operations
Decorations	See Honors and Decorations
Notable commanders	See Notable Commanders and Personnel

42nd Infantry Division (Rainbow Division) The 42nd Infantry Division, nicknamed the Rainbow Division, is a formation of the United States Army with service in World War I, World War II, and subsequent conflicts, and a lineage extending into the National Guard. Raised from National Guard units across multiple states, the division gained early fame for its actions in major campaigns and for notable commanders and soldiers. Its organization, distinctive insignia, and list of honors reflect a long history of American expeditionary operations and domestic missions.

History

The division traces its origins to the National Guard mobilizations of 1917 during the entry of the United States into World War I, formed by federalizing units from New York (state), New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia and others to create a patchwork "rainbow" of states. Under the command of leaders who later became prominent in World War II and interwar affairs, the division served with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front, participating in the final 1918 offensives. Reconstituted between the wars within the National Guard of the United States framework, the division expanded during mobilization for World War II and deployed to the European Theater, fighting through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany during major operations. Postwar reorganizations during the Cold War converted parts of the division into different brigade and battalion formations, with elements serving in Operation Desert Storm, peacekeeping in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and deployments to Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) as subordinate units of various National Guard brigades.

Organization and Structure

Originally organized as a square division in World War I, the Rainbow's initial order of battle included infantry regiments from several state National Guards, machine gun battalions, field artillery, engineers, signal units, and support services drawn from those same state formations. During World War II the division was reorganized as a triangular division, aligning with contemporaneous United States Army doctrine, with three infantry regiments, division artillery, headquarters company, engineer combat battalion, medical battalion, reconnaissance troop, and support units. In the postwar period, the division's headquarters, brigade combat teams, infantry battalions, armor, artillery, aviation, and sustainment units were reshaped under the United States Army Regimental System and Army National Guard conversions, producing subordinate formations tied to state National Guards such as the New York Army National Guard, New Jersey National Guard, and New York National Guard. Modern organization typically reflects modular brigade combat team structures, including infantry, engineer, recon, signal, and support elements, although specific unit designations have changed through reorganizations under Total Force Policy and Army Transformation initiatives.

Combat Operations

In World War I the division fought in the St. Mihiel offensive sector and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, operating alongside formations of the British Expeditionary Force and other AEF units, engaging in trench warfare, offensive patrols, and combined-arms assaults. During World War II the division landed in France and advanced through the Lorraine Campaign, took part in the liberation of Paris-area operations and the drive into Alsace, later contributing to the encirclement of enemy forces and the clearance of fortifications in Germany, including actions in the Rhineland Campaign and combat during the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign. Elements of the division have also fought in late 20th- and early 21st-century operations when National Guard brigades and battalions bearing Rainbow lineage were mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and multinational stabilization missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, supporting counterinsurgency, security force assistance, and peace enforcement tasks.

Notable Commanders and Personnel

The division's early leadership included officers who later held key positions during interwar years and World War II; among those associated with the division at various times were generals who served in both continental and expeditionary commands. Prominent personnel who served in Rainbow formations included decorated regimental commanders, battalion leaders, and enlisted soldiers recognized in major campaigns; some later received high-level awards and advanced to senior commands in the United States Army. The division's ranks have included recipients of the Medal of Honor, holders of the Distinguished Service Cross, and officers who later served in civilian posts and as state officials within New York (state) and New Jersey administrations.

Unit Insignia and Traditions

The Rainbow Division earned its nickname from a 1917 comment envisioning the division stretching "over the whole country like a rainbow" when formed from numerous state National Guard units; the nickname was adopted into its distinctive shoulder sleeve insignia depicting an arc-shaped rainbow motif and often combined with other heraldic devices. Traditions include annual observances of World War I and World War II campaign anniversaries, regimental reunions, and preservation efforts by veterans' associations and state historical societies such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Unit ceremonies frequently invoke campaign streamers from the National Color and regimental lineage honors displayed at state armories and division headquarters facilities maintained by the Army National Guard.

Honors and Decorations

The division and its subordinate units have received campaign credits for major World War I campaigns such as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and World War II campaigns including Northern France, Rhineland Campaign, and Central Europe Campaign. Individual soldiers and units have been awarded decorations including the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, unit citations such as the Presidential Unit Citation, and foreign awards from allied governments for service in multinational operations. State governments have also issued commendations and proclamations recognizing the division's role in both overseas combat and domestic emergency responses, reflected in collections held by military museums and archives associated with the National Guard Bureau and state military history repositories.

Category:Infantry divisions of the United States Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1917