78th Division (United States)

78th Division (United States)
Unit name	78th Division (United States)
Caption	Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 78th Division
Dates	1917–1919; 1921–1946; 1946–1952; 1957–1994; 1998–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry, later Training
Nickname	"Lightning"
Motto	"Audax et Cautus"
Battles	World War I: Meuse-Argonne Offensive, St. Mihiel; World War II: Rhineland campaign, Ardennes-Alsace campaign, Central Europe campaign

78th Division (United States) is an infantry and later training formation of the United States Army formed for service in World War I and reactivated for World War II and Cold War service. Nicknamed "Lightning", the division served in major actions on the Western Front (World War I), advanced across France, entered Germany during the final offensives, and was later reorganized as a training division within the United States Army Reserve. The division's lineage links it to institutions such as the Regular Army, National Army (United States), and United States Army Reserve Command.

History

The division was constituted in the National Army in August 1917 and organized at Camp Dix under officers from the Regular Army and volunteer recruits drawn from states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. After demobilization following World War I, it was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve system and called into active duty for World War II in 1942, mobilizing at Camp Butner and later engaging in combat in the European Theater. Postwar demobilization was followed by multiple reactivations, reorganizations, and redesignations during the Cold War, transitioning from combat to training roles as part of the United States Army Reserve.

Organization and Structure

Originally organized as a square infantry division and later triangularized during World War II, the division's World War I order of battle included infantry brigades, field artillery, engineer battalions, and support units provisioned by the American Expeditionary Forces. In World War II the 78th comprised the 309th, 310th, and 311th Infantry Regiments, the 303rd Field Artillery Battalion, divisional engineers, medical battalions, and signal, reconnaissance, and quartermaster components, aligning with tables of organization from the War Department and Chief of Staff of the United States Army. During the Cold War and post-Cold War era the division was reorganized as the 78th Training Division and later the 78th Division (Training Support), subordinate to commands such as the First United States Army and the United States Army Combined Arms Support Command for mobilization and training missions.

World War I

After mobilization at Camp Dix, the division sailed to France and entered the trenches under the aegis of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commanded by General John J. Pershing. Participating in the St. Mihiel campaign and the decisive Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the division fought alongside formations of the British Expeditionary Force, French Army, and units from the Belgian Army in late 1918. Elements of the division were engaged in combined-arms operations involving artillery from the French Army Artillery and infantry coordination consistent with AEF doctrine. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918 the division occupied sections of the Rhine and demobilized at Camp Dix in 1919.

World War II

Reactivated in 1942, the division trained at Camp Cooke and Camp Forrest before embarking for England and then crossing into France after the Normandy invasion. In late 1944 the 78th fought in the Rhineland campaign and played a significant role in breaching the Siegfried Line, advancing through the Hürtgen Forest region, and participating in the Ardennes-Alsace campaign counteractions following the Battle of the Bulge. The division's operations included river crossings of the Rhine River and link-ups with units of the British Second Army and Soviet Red Army as Allied forces closed on the heart of Nazi Germany. The 78th sustained casualties in high-intensity combat and received commendations for its performance in offensive and urban operations.

Postwar and Cold War Service

After World War II the division was inactivated and later allotted to the Organized Reserve Corps; during the Cold War it was redesignated as the 78th Division (Training) and tasked with basic and advanced training missions for reserve and active-component personnel. The division supported mobilization exercises during crises such as the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and provided training oversight during the Vietnam War era. In the 1990s the division reorganized under United States Army Reserve Command structures to focus on pre-mobilization and mobilization training, supporting deployments to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom by preparing units for theater-specific tasks.

Campaigns and Unit Honors

Campaign credits include Meuse-Argonne Offensive, St. Mihiel, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The division and subordinate units earned decorations such as French Croix de Guerre elements, individual Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star awards to soldiers for gallantry, and unit citations from Allied governments. Regimental and battalion-level honors reflect actions during offensives across the Western Front (World War I) and the final campaigns in Germany during World War II.

Notable Commanders and Personnel

Commanders and notable personnel associated with the division include General officers and senior leaders who later served in high office: commanders who had ties to institutions like the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Infantry School (United States), and the Army War College. Individual soldiers received personal decorations such as the Medal of Honor and the Legion of Merit for actions while assigned to regiments of the division. Veterans of the division went on to serve in roles within the Department of Defense, congressional staffs, and veteran organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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