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47th Infantry Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 47th Infantry Division was a formation of the Army National Guard
active from 1946 to 1991. The Division was created on 10 June 1946 as a National Guard infantry division from the efforts of Minnesota's Adjutant General Ellard Walsh. The division was built from scratch with veteran transfers and new recruits, mostly from Minnesota and North Dakota, under the command of Brigadier General Norman Hendrickson. General Hendrickson was the Chief-of-Staff for the 34th Division in the North African and Italian campaigns in 1943.
Units of the division were allotted to the Minnesota National Guard
, and North Dakota National Guard
. The division never saw combat throughout its history, although it was federalized and sent to Camp Rucker
, Alabama
from 1951 to 1954 during the Korean War
. During the Korean War the division was used as a replacement division, and its men and units transferred to Regular Army units. It returned to state control, and its home state, in 1953. The unit returned to Minnesota, with active army personnel from Camp Rucker taking a convoy from Fort Benning, Georgia in 1954.
The division's North Dakota elements were transferred out in 1959 during a service-wide reconfiguration to the Pentomic
structure, and so became an entirely Minnesotan division. The division became mixed again in further Pentagon restructuring in 1968 when Iowa's 34th and Illinois' 66th Infantry Brigades joined.
The division was deactivated in 1991. Immediately afterward, the division's former units were reactivated as the 34th Infantry Division. Effectively, the division was renamed, but for official lineage purposes, the Department of the Army
does not recognize any continuity.
The 47th Infantry Division has the notoriety of remaining on the rolls longer than any other National Guard
division that did not see combat (45 years of service). The only Army division that did not see combat to have remained on the rolls longer is the Army Reserve
's 108th Division, elements of which have seen action now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
active from 1946 to 1991. The Division was created on 10 June 1946 as a National Guard infantry division from the efforts of Minnesota's Adjutant General Ellard Walsh. The division was built from scratch with veteran transfers and new recruits, mostly from Minnesota and North Dakota, under the command of Brigadier General Norman Hendrickson. General Hendrickson was the Chief-of-Staff for the 34th Division in the North African and Italian campaigns in 1943.
Units of the division were allotted to the Minnesota National Guard
Minnesota National Guard
The Minnesota National Guard is composed of approximately 14,000 soldiers of the Minnesota Army National Guard and Airmen of the Minnesota Air National Guard, serving in 63 communities across the state. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal...
, and North Dakota National Guard
North Dakota National Guard
The North Dakota National Guard consists of the:*North Dakota Army National Guard*North Dakota Air National GuardIt is part of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
. The division never saw combat throughout its history, although it was federalized and sent to Camp Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
from 1951 to 1954 during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. During the Korean War the division was used as a replacement division, and its men and units transferred to Regular Army units. It returned to state control, and its home state, in 1953. The unit returned to Minnesota, with active army personnel from Camp Rucker taking a convoy from Fort Benning, Georgia in 1954.
The division's North Dakota elements were transferred out in 1959 during a service-wide reconfiguration to the Pentomic
Pentomic
Pentomic refers to a structure for infantry divisions adopted by the U.S. Army in 1957 in response to the perceived threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons use on the battlefield....
structure, and so became an entirely Minnesotan division. The division became mixed again in further Pentagon restructuring in 1968 when Iowa's 34th and Illinois' 66th Infantry Brigades joined.
The division was deactivated in 1991. Immediately afterward, the division's former units were reactivated as the 34th Infantry Division. Effectively, the division was renamed, but for official lineage purposes, the Department of the Army
United States Department of the Army
The Department of the Army is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Army is the Federal Government agency which the United States Army is organized within, and it is led by the Secretary of the Army who has...
does not recognize any continuity.
The 47th Infantry Division has the notoriety of remaining on the rolls longer than any other National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
division that did not see combat (45 years of service). The only Army division that did not see combat to have remained on the rolls longer is the Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
's 108th Division, elements of which have seen action now in Iraq and Afghanistan.