9th INFANTRY DIVISION; Return to Table of Contents "Hitler's Nemesis" The division insignia is a red-and-blue octofoil — a design of eight petals with a white center. The 90th Infantry Division landed in England, 5 April 1944, and trained from 10 April to 4 June. 24th Infantry Division. With February came the awaited Tet offensive. In June the solution came with the formation of the Mobile Riverine Force. The 28th Infantry Division after training in England, landed in Normandy, France, 22 July 1944, and entered the hedgerow struggle north and west of St. Once the VC and North Vietnamese Army units exposed themselves, they immediately were shoved on the defensive by the Divisions inexorable counterthrust. Action in the 3d Brigades area of operation came with fewer, but more sizeable contacts as the Go Devils killed 641 of the enemy. The MRFA is launching our “Historical Data Project” (HDP), featuring as much MRF TF-117 data as possible. Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. The roman "V" signifies the division nickname, "Victory Division", and the Arabic "9" and Roman "V" represent the division's number. Deeper in the Mekong Delta on May 2, elements of the 2d Brigade collided with a force from the 5l4th VC Battalion. Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! A captured North Korean officer … mounted 105mm howitzers on floating barges and began to navigate the Delta waterways. The OLD RELIABLES will continue to serve their country Whenever and Wherever they are needed. Three light infantry brigades were activated, and the 9th Infantry Division was reactivated. This website provides information about the World War Two actions of the American 9th Infantry Division. Explore a glossary of terms, manuals, statistics, historical accounts and reports, maps and articles by MRFA members. Especially in the area of Civil Actions, the 9th US Inf. Encouraged by the success of CORONADO II, soldiers of the 2d Brigade, combined with two battalions of the 3d Brigade and ARVN units, continued combat probes into the enemy haven of Cam Son. This is essentially a MEDCAP except the team moves into the area in the afternoon, treats those in need of attention and then spends the night with the people to win their confidence. Pacification is the second part of the division’s two-fold mission in Vietnam. The 44th Infantry Division landed in France via Cherbourg, 15 September 1944, and trained for a month before entering combat, 18 October 1944, when it relieved the 79th Division in the vicinity of Foret de Parroy, east of Luneville, France, to take part in the Seventh Army drive to secure several passes in the Vosges Mountains. Division. The largest enemy contact of the month occurred one Feb.20 when three companies of the 2d Brigade Mobile Riverine Force with supporting air cav, jets, and artillery killed 90 VC 10 miles east of Ben Tre. In this case, the sponsoring battalion pays the adults living expenses for the duration of the child’s stay. It is a chance to get to know the people and make friends. Operation Speedy Express was one significant operation in which the division took part during the war, while the Battle of Ap Bac was one of 22 major combat engagements with North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong main force units as well as thousands of small contacts during this period during division's presence in Vietnam. -Unit Citation Streamer in Gallantry Cross Color with Palm for the 9th US Infantry Division Guidon and its Units mentioned in the list enclosed herewith, Loudspeakers, both aerial and ground, leaflet dissemination and face to face contact are used extensively. The 9th Infantry Division, an excellent unit, always raised the brave fighting spirit. In October, e1ements of the 1st Brigade, 3d/5th Cav and supporting units turned up a massive system of tunnels and bunkers 13 miles south- east of Bearcat which was at the time the largest arms cache ever found in Vietnam. It is measured in the confidence and friendship that the Vietnamese people give to the Government of Vietnam and the Allied Forces and in this battle the 9th Infantry Division has proven a winner. Often a movie projector is taken on the NIGHTCAP and movies are shown to the people after dark. The haul included four 75mm howitzers, the first artillery pieces taken from the VC by U.S. forces. Many battalions within the division have instituted what is known as the civilian hospital sponsorship program to supplement their MEDCAP work. Many new schools, churches, orphanages, bridges and roads have been constructed through the joint effort of the Americans and Vietnamese. The awards are in recognition of the division’s exceptional valor and extraordinary performance in combat from 1 January to 31 May 1969, and significant accomplishments in civic action since its arrival in Vietnam in December 1966 to 30 June 1969. With the exception of a brigade of the 25th, all of the combat units activated and alerted during the second half of 1965 deployed to South Vietnam during 1966 and 1967. History. If you have pictures, documents, items, anything related to this Division, I would be thrilled to see them, and make sure they will be used to complement the website. -Actively participating in the above glorious victories, the. They left their homes, families and friends, went to Europe, and fought in unknown places to liberate us, so we can live in freedom today. The 8th Infantry Division, ("Pathfinder") was an infantry division of the United States Army during the 20th century.The division served in World War I, World War II, and Operation Desert Storm.Initially activated in January 1918, the unit did not see combat during World War I and returned to the United States. In two periods, May 11-12 and May 22-24, fighting reached its heights as all three infantry Brigades were in heavy contact with enemy units grouped for a possible spring offensive in the Delta. 3d and 5th Battalions, 60th Infantry, boxed in the disorganized enemy and took a heavy toll. The Indian 19th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, and played a prominent part in the final part of the Burma Campaign. The lst Brigade under Colonel John P. Geraci and Colonel Ira A. The largest contact was made when the 3d Brigade killed 78 enemy northwest of Tan An Jan. 26. 2d Brigade, Naval Task Force 117 and ARVN Rangers, Marines and infantrymen counted 285 dead VC. west of Rach Kien. The division has done much to assist the innocent victims of the war. The battle of civil affairs is fought daily, but success is not measured in body count. This is the 9th Infantry Division. In the pre-dawn hours of March 20. The largest contact came when elements of the 6th Battalion. Under the leadership of Major General Harris W. Hollis, the 9th Division eliminated 6,157 enemy during April and May 1969. Welcome to the U.S. 9th Infantry Division in WWII website. The Division went through eight battles and was already a “veteran Division” by the time… - 9th Infantry Division Distinctive Insignia - Distinctive Insignia: Distinctive Insignia (DI), sometimes also known as Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), is a metal heraldic device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. Later, U.S. and ARVN commanders credited the Division with achieving one of the biggest victories of the war. 26th Infantry Division. Under the program, a battalion MEDCAP team will seek out area civilians with serious conditions or deformities and refer them to affiliated hospitals in Saigon. 31st Infantry and lst Battalion, l6th Infantry (later re-designated 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry) killed 138 Viet Cong during fierce fighting 12 miles west of My Phuoc Tay Oct. 4-5. 30th Infantry Division. They conduct educational programs, distribute supplies to the needy, lend medical attention through Medical Civic Action Projects (MEDCAPS), rebuild and renovate buildings and facilities and conduct extensive psychological operations (PSYOPS) to win the hearts and minds of the people. Another heated engagement came two weeks later as elements of the 1lth Armored Cavalry conducted a major jungle clearing operation along Highway 20 in Long Thanh Province. The 60th Infantry spearheaded the November 1942, invasion of French Morocco at Port Lyautey in Operation Torch, winning the arrowhead assault landing device in an action which … Using material and advice from the Americans, the Vietnamese demonstrate their energy and ingenuity in project after project throughout the Delta. In this sweep, the 3d and 4th Battalions, 47th Infantry, joined by elements of the 7th ARVN Division and several Naval river assault teams, killed 11 enemy. The 9th Division (第9師団, Dai-Kyū Shidan) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. With this website, I thank each and everyone of you. More than 300 schools have been reconstructed and equipped, 447 bridges, more than 700 miles of road and 27 pagodas have been repaired or replaced as a result of the division’s program. 2,273 recoilless rifle shell. Suddenly besieged by an estimated battalion of the 275th VC Regiment. One significant encounter came when elements of the 2d Battalion, 60th Infantry killed 40 VC near the Bo Bo Canal in the Plain of Reeds. Early in August, the water-borne infantrymen plunged into the previously secure enemy lair of U-Minh Forest. Totals for the 27-day Operation CORONOADO V in September were 330 enemy killed and one crew served and 11 individual weapons with 11,200 rounds of small arms ammo seized from enemy supply caches. THE CHIEF OF JOINT GENERAL STAFF OF THE REPUBLIC OF VN ALLIED FORCES CITES AT ARMED FORCES LEVEL : Republic of Viet-Nam Department or Defense Joint General Staff/RVNAF Adjutant General. The most significant achievements include numerous victories over Main Force Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units from the Demilitarized Zone to the Mekong Delta, formation of a Mobile Riverine Force, suppression of the VC terror campaign during Tet, 1968 , and of a follow up attempt to invade Saigon 1n May and a record number of enemy killed during intense fighting in the first months of 1969. 28 June 1969 More than 12,000 enemy were killed while 55.0 were taken prisoner and 248 rallied under the Chieu Hoi program. -Many weapons of all kind, ammunition and important documents captured, Troops of the 2d and 3d Brigades, who normally slosh through the Mekong mire, tracked down marauding bands of invaders in World War II style street fighting at Ben Tre and My Tho. Messina fell on August 17th, 1943. -550 others caught alive, -248 returnees, The 9th Infantry Division saw its first combat in the North African invasion, 8 November 1942, when its elements landed at Algiers, Safi, and Port Lyautey. The contact was begun when radio monitors of the 2d Battalion, 4th Artillery picked up a strange signal and followed it to its source. Click most pictures to enlarge. 62 RPG launchers, two heavy machine guns. The official entry of the Division to Vietnam was recorded Dec. 19 when Major General George S. Eckhardt led an increment of 5,000 Old Reliables onto the beaches of Vung Tau, where they were welcomed by General Wiiliam C. Westmoreland, the Commander of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. The lst Recondo Brigade had four contacts each totaling near 50 during the month, but most of the other contacts were with squad size units as the enemy remained in small groups avoiding contact. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." The Secretary of Defense has announced the redeployment of the Division Headquarters and lst Recondo Brigade to Hawaii and the inactivation of the 2nd Brigade, while the 3rd brigade Go Devils will continue the mission in Long An to inflict heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. On Sept. 21, after months of preparation by the 9th Division, the 2,200 man Royal Thai Army Volunteer Regiment landed in Vietnam as the fifth free world force to join the South Vietnamese in their struggle. APO.4002; resulted in 93 -, enemy killed. Combat activity slackened the first month of 1968. A well known biblical passage does much to sum up the Division’s esprit-de-corps. To award the Civil Actions Honor Medal, first class to, THE NINTH US ARMY INFANTRY DIVISION Serving in Viet-Nam from 19 Dec 1966 to the present, the 9th US Infantry Division has obtained many significant results in the spheres or Warfare and Civil Actions. 32nd Infantry Division. -In the psywar area, the 9th US Inf Div has carried out many loud speaker and leaflet dropping missions resulting in 8,949 VC Cadres ra111ed to the National Cause. The enemy did not get their offensive off the ground in the Delta as the Division units killed almost 2,000, topping last year’s Tet total. After four hours of fierce fighting. Nearly two weeks of extensive digging and counting yielded 1,140 weapon., a1mo.t 95.000 rounds of small arms ammo, 3,634 grenades. Infantrymen were air inserted and pressed from two sides while artillery pounded at each end of the enemy position and gun ships sought out individuals and small groups of enemy soldiers. 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