Reactivation: Basic Training



During the first desperate months following Pearl Harbor, The Rolling W, on June 15, 1942, was only one of many divisions to be reactivated is those hectic days. At reactivation, the 89th was composed of these units: 353rd, 354th and the 255th Infantry Regiments; 340th, 341st, 342nd, and 914th Field Artillery Battalions; 89th Signal Co.; Headquarters Company; and 89th Calvary Reconnaissance troop. Most of these units had seen action with the Division in World War I.

After construction was completed at Camp Carson (named after the Western scout, Kit Carson), five miles south of Colorado Springs at the base of abruptly Cheyenne Mountain, division training began in earnest. Arrival of filer replacements increased during the fall months, but it was not until the end of December that the Division received its full quota. Training and classes continued at top speed throughout January 1943. In February, the Division passed the Corps test, the goal towards which all training had been directed. Despite two major handicaps, delay in filler replacements and shortage of equipment, the 89th had completed its first mission.

Reactivation: Combined Training >>