Alamo scouts
Encyclopedia
The Alamo Scouts was a reconnaissance unit of the Sixth United States Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations
during World War II
. The unit is best known for its role in liberating American prisoners of war (POWs) from the Japanese Cabanatuan POW camp
near Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija
, Philippines in January 1945.
, New Guinea
, on 28 November 1943. Their purpose was to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater
. They were under the personal command of Lieutenant General Walter Krueger
, Commanding General of the U.S. Sixth Army.
Krueger sought to create an all volunteer elite unit consisting of small teams which could operate deep behind enemy lines. Their primary mission was to gather intelligence for the Sixth U.S. Army. The unit was so named because of Krueger's association with San Antonio, Texas and because of his admiration for the defenders
of the Alamo
.
In the Scouts' first two years of operation they were credited with liberating 197 Allied prisoners in New Guinea. In January 1945 they provided tactical support for the 6th Ranger Battalion during the raid of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp
. The Scouts were credited with the capture of 84 Japanese prisoners of war, and only two Scouts were wounded in the mission.
The Alamo Scouts performed 106 known missions behind enemy lines, mainly in New Guinea
and the Philippines without losing a single man. Thus, the Scouts had one of the finest records of any elite unit in World War II.
The unit was disbanded at Kyoto
, Japan, in November 1945. In 1988, the Alamo Scouts were individually awarded the Special Forces Tab
in recognition for their services in WWII and are included in the lineage of the current United States Army Special Forces.
Troop 253 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan has an Alamo Scouts patrol, named in honor of the original unit. Its patrol motto is "Remember!" and the patrol patch was adapted from the World War II unit logo. Five of the seven Tenderfoot Scouts who formed the patrol in 2001 earned their Eagle Rank.
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The unit is best known for its role in liberating American prisoners of war (POWs) from the Japanese Cabanatuan POW camp
Raid at Cabanatuan
The Raid at Cabanatuan was a rescue of Allied prisoners of war and civilians from a Japanese camp near Cabanatuan City, in the Philippines...
near Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
, Philippines in January 1945.
Origins
The Scouts were organized on Fergusson IslandFergusson Island
Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of just over 500 square miles , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, on 28 November 1943. Their purpose was to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
. They were under the personal command of Lieutenant General Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger was an American soldier of German descent and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II...
, Commanding General of the U.S. Sixth Army.
Krueger sought to create an all volunteer elite unit consisting of small teams which could operate deep behind enemy lines. Their primary mission was to gather intelligence for the Sixth U.S. Army. The unit was so named because of Krueger's association with San Antonio, Texas and because of his admiration for the defenders
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...
of the Alamo
Alamo Mission in San Antonio
The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, and now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas....
.
Accomplishments and Legacy
Raid at Cabanatuan
The Raid at Cabanatuan was a rescue of Allied prisoners of war and civilians from a Japanese camp near Cabanatuan City, in the Philippines...
. The Scouts were credited with the capture of 84 Japanese prisoners of war, and only two Scouts were wounded in the mission.
The Alamo Scouts performed 106 known missions behind enemy lines, mainly in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
and the Philippines without losing a single man. Thus, the Scouts had one of the finest records of any elite unit in World War II.
The unit was disbanded at Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan, in November 1945. In 1988, the Alamo Scouts were individually awarded the Special Forces Tab
Special Forces Tab
The Special Forces Tab is a service school qualification tab of the United States Army, awarded to any soldier completing either the Special Forces Qualification Course, or the Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course , at the U.S. Army John F...
in recognition for their services in WWII and are included in the lineage of the current United States Army Special Forces.
Alamo Scouts in the BSA
Former Alamo Scout Sergeant Major Kittleson founded the Alamo Scouts, a local Venture Scouting unit, in his hometown area of Toeterville, Iowa after his retirement from the military. The organization offers a military style training environment for local youth.Troop 253 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan has an Alamo Scouts patrol, named in honor of the original unit. Its patrol motto is "Remember!" and the patrol patch was adapted from the World War II unit logo. Five of the seven Tenderfoot Scouts who formed the patrol in 2001 earned their Eagle Rank.