Rainbow Division Veterans Association

Rainbow Division Veterans Association

The Rainbow Division Veterans Association is a long‑standing American veterans organization formed by veterans of the 42nd Infantry Division after World War I to preserve the legacy of the 42nd Infantry Division and support veterans and their families. The association connects veterans of the 42nd Infantry Division with successor units, links service history spanning World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and post‑Cold War deployments, and maintains relationships with national institutions and memorials.

History

The association traces origins to returning soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division who served in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Second Battle of the Marne, and the Champagne-Marne sector during World War I. Early veterans organized reunions in the 1920s linked to memorial activities at sites associated with the American Expeditionary Forces, General John J. Pershing, and veteran commemoration in cities like New York City and Chicago. Between the wars, members engaged with American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and civic bodies to promote remembrance of campaigns such as the St. Mihiel Offensive and operations involving allied formations like the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force. During World War II, veterans supported successors who fought in the Normandy campaign, Operation Market Garden, and the Rhineland Campaign; in the Korean War era the association aligned with units involved in the Pusan Perimeter and the Battle of Inchon. Post‑Cold War, association initiatives referenced deployments under commands such as United States European Command and United States Central Command, while commemorative efforts engaged institutions including the American Battlefield Monuments Commission and the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

Membership and Organization

Membership traditionally includes veterans who served in the 42nd Infantry Division or its descendants, veterans of units such as the 42nd Infantry Regiment and National Guard formations from states including New York (state), New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The organization’s governance has mirrored structures found in groups like the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars with elected officers, regional chapters, and state delegations that coordinate via conventions held in locales such as Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Affiliations and membership categories often reference honors and institutions like the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Service Cross, and service in theaters recognized by the Campaign Medal system. The association’s corporate identity has interfaced with state National Guard headquarters and federal entities including the Department of Defense for veterans’ records and lineage verification.

Activities and Events

Annual reunions, wreath‑laying ceremonies, and memorial parades have taken place in historic sites tied to the division’s campaigns, including visits to the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, and observances at the National WWI Memorial in Washington Monument (Washington, D.C.) environs. The association sponsors battlefield pilgrimages to European sites such as Belleau Wood, Château-Thierry, and the Somme battlefields, coordinating with organizations like the American Battle Monuments Commission and international partners including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the French Ministry of Defense. Educational outreach has been conducted in partnership with museums such as the National World War I Museum and Memorial, the Imperial War Museums, and the National Museum of the United States Army, and with academic institutions including Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, and regional veterans studies programs. Commemorative events often align with national observances like Veterans Day, Memorial Day (United States), and centennial programs marking World War I anniversaries.

Publications and Memorials

The association has produced newsletters, unit histories, and commemorative books documenting actions in campaigns like the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Alsace Offensive, and later 20th‑century operations. Publications have featured personal accounts referencing leaders and figures tied to the division’s history such as soldiers who served under commanders associated with names like Douglas MacArthur, Omar Bradley, and contemporaries from the interwar period. The group has collaborated on monuments, plaques, and interpretive markers installed at sites including the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, municipal memorials in cities like Newark, New Jersey and Albany, New York, and exhibit contributions to institutions such as the National World War I Museum and Memorial and regional history museums. Archival materials and oral histories have been deposited with repositories including the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and university special collections at institutions such as Rutgers University and University of Michigan.

Relations with Military and Veteran Organizations

The association maintains ties with the United States Army, state National Guard (United States) headquarters, and veteran service organizations including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. It has engaged legislative and commemorative programs with entities such as the United States Congress and the White House for ceremonial recognition and veterans’ issues, and collaborates with nonprofit organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project and historical societies including the American Historical Association and the Society for Military History. International liaison has occurred with European veterans associations, archival bodies like the Imperial War Museums, and governmental agencies such as the French Ministry of Defense and the German War Graves Commission.

Category:Veterans organizations Category:United States military history