Elvis and Unit Designations

Elvis Presley would turn over in his grave if he knew that 1st Battalion, 32d Armor, the tank unit he served in Friedberg, Germany, was now the 1st Squadron, 32d Cavalry. How could the armored battalion he made so famous on the front line of freedom during the Cold War have lost its tank designation and be assigned, of all places, to Fort Campbell, Kentucky? The 32d Cavalry is not even assigned to an armored division. During World War II, it was an armored regiment in the Spearhead (3d) Armored Division; it is now a unit in the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). Elvis and Armor The connection between Elvis and the 32d Armor goes back to the late 1950s when Elvis was first assigned to Company A, 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor. The battalion was stationed at Ray Barracks on the outskirts of Friedberg, Hessen, north of Frankfurt-am-Main, in Germany. The kaserne became the focal point for the Elvis Presley fan club, which still thrives today. Until 2008, there remained an American presence at the small post with its very restricted nearby maneuver area. The barracks was last occupied by elements of the 1st Armored Division, which are in the process of returning to the United States. Why Ray Barracks was not closed years ago is conjectural; perhaps it was politically incorrect to close (until the last moment) the one remaining vestige of Elvis’ military service presence overseas. Economics, policy, transformation not withstanding, was it that Elvis must still live in Germany today? In actual fact, since most of Fort Campbell is located outside Clarksville, Tennessee, and Elvis is buried in Memphis, Tennessee, perhaps it is appropriate that the 1st Squadron, 32d Cavalry be assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. Because Elvis spent most of his service time in Germany as platoon leader of the battalion’s scout platoon (read cavalry platoon), is it not good reason that, as a former cavalryman in a tank unit, he be honored by having an appropriately designated cavalry unit stationed on his former stomping grounds? Cavalry and Armor It would seem that Elvis and the redesignation of the 32d Armor Regiment should really be of no significance; in fact, I would hope that there is none. But the unit redesignation, Elvis aside, does emphasis a point about armor and cavalry unit designations in a post-transformation army. But how are unit designations, such as 32d Cavalry, 33d Cavalry, 40th Cavalry, 61st Cavalry, 71st Cavalry, 73d Cavalry, 75th Cavalry, 89th Cavalry, and 91st Cavalry, determined? An inquiry to an appropriate authority revealed some very interesting information regarding the reasoning behind the redesignation process. 40 —

The 32d and 33d Cavalry Squadrons obviously allow the regimental designations of the now-inactive 3d Armored Division to remain “alive.” But why could they not have at least remained tank battalions and their flags replace the 2d and 3d Battalions of the 81st Armor at Fort Knox? In 1963, one of the Armor School’s supporting tank battalions was the 5th Battalion, 33d Armored Regiment, assigned to the 194th Armored Brigade. Is there good reason why the 33d Armor could not return to Fort Knox where new armored troopers could be associated with a battle-proven World War II regiment? The 40th Cavalry derives its designation from the 4th Armor Regiment when it was constituted on 13 January 1941 and assigned to the 3d Armored Division. The regiment was redesignated as the 40th Armored Regiment on 15 April 1941. The 73d Cavalry retains the connection of the 1st Battalion, 73d Armor with the 82d Airborne Division. Anyone need replacement flags in the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) for the 32d and 33d Cavalry? Why not the 6th and 7th Squadrons of the 73d Cavalry Regiment? After all, the airborne/airmobile connection is still very strong. Let it be still stronger. Why Not a 26th Cavalry? Before we come to strange new unit designations, let us consider one famous cavalry regiment, the memory of which deserves to be perpetuated — the 26th Cavalry Regiment (horse) (Philippine scouts). The regiment was organized in 1922 with Regular Army officers and Filipino enlisted men. Horse mounted, the regiment was stationed north of Manila on the island of Luzon at Fort Stotsenburg. The day following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the regiment deployed to positions on the Bamban River located close to the fort. On 21 December 1941, the troopers screened the right flank of the North Luzon Force, while the regiment fought delaying actions, covering the withdrawal of the Philippine 71st Infantry Division. It contested the Japanese advance from the town of Damortis, on the Lingayen Gulf, to Tayug in mounted combat — the last U. S. Army cavalry organization to fight on horseback. At the beginning of January 1942, the regiment was forced to destroy its horses and withdraw to the Bataan Peninsula where the troopers fought on foot. The regiment was not reconstituted after the Philippine islands were lost in 1942. Certainly, its gallant action during the first days of the war in the Pacific earned the 26th Cavalry recognition when the post transformation designations were formulated. The 899th Destroyer Battalion to Cavalry The 89th Cavalry Regiment supposedly perpetuates the heritage of the 899th Tank Destroyer Regiment, the highest numerical designation for a World War II tank destroyer battalion. It appears, according to records in the National Archives, that during World War II, the 899th was also the highest designation for any tank destroyer unit, be it brigade, group, or battal- “Before we come to strange new unit designations, let us consider one famous cavalry regiment, the memory of which deserves to be perpetuated — the 26th Cavalry Regiment (horse) (Philippine scouts). The regiment was organized in 1922 with Regular Army officers and Filipino enlisted men. Horse mounted, the regiment was stationed north of Manila on the island of Luzon at Fort Stotsenburg.” ion (there were no regiments). It would seem a little difficult to pull the middle “9” out of the 899th to fit it into the cavalry lineage, but there was really no need to do that. Actually, the 89th could trace its lineage back to the 89th Tank Battalion, anon-combat arms regimental system (CARS) organization, which was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in the Pusan Perimeter during the Korean War. The battalion, consisting of one company of M26 Pershing tanks and three companies of M4A3 Sherman tanks, was commanded in 1950 by Lieutenant Colonel Welborn G. Dolvin, who went on to become a lieutenant general and led the 191st Tank Battalion during World War II in support of the 45th Infantry Division. Instead, the 89th Cavalry Regiment’s two squadrons, now assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, trace their heritage back to the 2d Armored Regiment, connected through CARS to the 2d Armored Cavalry (now the 2d SBCT in Germany/Iraq). When the 2d Armored Regiment disbanded on 9 October 1943, the regiment’s reconnaissance company was redesignated D Troop, 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized), with separate lineage. So the 89th Cavalry should trace its lineage, and source of designation, back to the 2d Cavalry, not the 899th Tank Destroyer Regiment. The 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion, nevertheless, is a unit well worth commemorating. It participated, at great cost, in the first and only battle where tank destroyer doctrine was executed as prescribed. In combat, near El Guettar in Tunisia during March 1943, a company of the 899th, along with the 601st Tank De- — 41 stroyer Battalion, the former armed with M10 tank destroyers, and the latter with M3s with 75mm guns mounted on half-tracks, fought the German 10th Panzer Division, using “aggressive fire and maneuver tactics.” The Germans lost some 50 tanks, but the company of the 899th lost seven of its twelve M10s. The 899th also had the unique distinction of landing elements on Utah Beach on 6 June 1944. Attached to the 4th Infantry Division, A Company screened the left flank of the 22d Infantry Regiment as infantrymen sought to expand the beachhead from 6 to 9 June 1944. Alas, the official U. S. Army history, Cross Channel Attack, cites the battalion as the 899th Tank Battalion, not the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion. If that’s not bad enough, the situation map accompanying the text shows a symbol for the 889th Tank Destroyer Battalion. The battalion is not mentioned in Breakout and Pursuit, and was mentioned only once in The Siegfried Line Campaign, where a member was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for rescuing soldiers from burning tank destroyers. The battalion was in support of the 47th Infantry Regiment and attached to the 1st Infantry Division on 19 November 1944 during the Siegfried Line Campaign. The 901st Tank Destroyer Regiment The 91st Cavalry is especially mysterious — is it a descendant of the 901st Tank Destroyer Regiment? The 173d Airborne stationed at Camp Ederle, Vicenza, Italy, has assigned to it the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry; where did they get this designation and what is its lineage? In Vietnam, the 173d Airborne Brigade had E Troop, 17th Cavalry, assigned to it. The 17th Cavalry is a CARS regiment and its lineage dates back to 1 July 1916, when it was constituted and organized at Fort Bliss, Texas. E Troop was assigned to the 173d Airborne Brigade on 26 March 1963 and activated that same year on 25 June in Okinawa. The troop fought as a component of the 173d throughout its deployment in the Republic of Vietnam, but lost its affiliation after the withdrawal of forces from Vietnam. Nevertheless, historically, it would seem appropriate that in the post-transformation stage of the U. S. Army’s development, that a squadron of the 17th Cavalry should once again be a component of the 173d. There would be no need to organize anew regiment without CARS lineage. So why, once again, did the 17th Cavalry not become a component of the 173d Airborne Brigade? There is no description of a 91st Cavalry Squadron or regiment in the Army Lineage Series, Armor-Cavalry Part I. Inquiry reveals that the basis for the designation was the adoption of the supposed lineage of the 901st Tank Destroyer Regiment (an organization that never existed). It appears that the numeric was collapsed from 901st to 91st, which makes for a tidy designation, but worthy of consideration for inclusion in the U. S. Army’s armor/cavalry lineage? But wait, further investigation reveals that during World War II, there was a 91st Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized). Interestingly, in the summer of 1945, after the war in Europe ended, the squadron was located at Barbarano Vicentino, just a few miles south of Vicenza, Italy. This unit was not incorporated into the CARS. Perhaps the 173d Cavalry’s current location is the reason for designating its cavalry squadron the 91st, which is possible, especially if one looks askance at the 901st Tank Destroyer explanation. One can readily accept that the present-day squadron can trace its heritage back to a distinguished squadron that fought in World War II. At the same time, the 91st Cavalry, as an integral part of the present-day 173d Airborne Brigade, appears to be a good fit. On 3 January 1941, the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion was organized at Fort Bliss, Texas. On 8 May 1941, the battalion became the World War II 91st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized), also at Fort Bliss, Texas. It was never assigned to a division or cavalry group; it served its entire time in the Mediterranean theater of operations where it participated in six campaigns. One of its troops was the first allied unit to meet up with American and British forces, breaking out of the Anzio beachhead on 23 May 1944. It ended the war sweeping into north Italian cities such as Verona (a short distance from Vicenza), Milan, and Turin. At this point, we are left to find plausible explanations for the 61st, 71st, and 75th Cavalry Regiment squadrons. According to the Center of Military History sources, the 61st, 71st, and 75th Cavalry regiments all emanate from the 601st, 701st, and 705th Tank Destroyer Regiments, respectively. It certainly was easy enough to eliminate the “zeroes” and come up with three new cavalry regiments without any CARS lineage; there are still established regiments with squadrons that could be activated. Based on the assumption that each cavalry regiment can have up to twelve squadrons as part of its lineage, then it should be possible to designate the present day 61st, 71st, and 75th as squadrons of those already CARS-established regiments. There has to be a legitimate reason otherwise. We’ll take a brief look at the three tank destroyer battalions, all of which were organized during World War II, fought in the Mediterranean theater of operations or the European theater of operations, or both, and were disbanded after the war along with the Tank Destroyer Command and all tank destroyer units. The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion to Cavalry The 601st was organized at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, on 16 December 1941, as a towed tank destroyer battalion. In 1942, the battalion received the M3 tank destroyers (half-tracks with mounted 75mm cannon) and became a self-propelled formation. It landed in North Africa in French Morocco on D-Day, 8 November 1942, as part of then Major General George S. Patton’s Western Task Force. The 601st subsequently fought the Germans in Tunisia. Among its battles in North Africa was El Guettar where, on attachment to the 1st Infantry Division, it helped blunt a counterattack by the 10th Panzer Division. Along with a company of the 899th, the battalion knocked out more than 50 German tanks, but suffered grievously in losing 20 out of 28 of its M3s. The 601st compiled a very extensive combat record. It participated in the Sicily campaign and landed on D-Day, 9 September 1943, in the afternoon on Red Beach, Salerno, Italy. In the violent combat to follow, the tank destroyers supported the 36th Infantry Division’s 141st Infantry Regiment in the vicinity of the Sele River. In the advance up the Italian boot, the battalion was designated to participate in the crossing of the Volturno River with waterproofed vehicles. It seems the 601st was a tank destroyer unit of choice because it also fought at Anzio beachhead. In the 23 May 1944 battle for the battered Italian town of Cisterna, its tank destroyers supported Company A, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Breaking out of the Anzio beachhead, the battalion added the campaign streamer Rome-Arno to its colors. The 601st added another beachhead to its history when it participated in the landing in southern France, still attached to the 3d Infantry Division, on 15 July 1944. Driving up the Rhône Valley, the 601st remained with the 3d Infantry Division until the end of the war. It participated in the Ardennes-Alsace campaign and then fought in Germany in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns. No doubt, the 601st earned a place in history, but as a truncated 61st Cavalry? It is 42 — not easy to make the connection, no matter how good intentioned it might be. The 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion to 71st Cavalry The 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion was organized on 15 December 1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and armed with the M3 half-track mounted 75mm cannon. The battalion’s Company C landed at Mersa bou Zedjar in Algeria, with the western most task force (TF), TF Green, of Combat Command B, 1st Armored Division, under the command of Colonel Paul Robinett, on 8 November 1942. A reinforced platoon of Company B, having landed as part of TF Red, participated in the “flying column,” led by Lieutenant Colonel John Waters, to capture the key airfields at Tararaoui and La Senia outside Oran, Algeria. The first time the battalion saw combat, however, was reputedly on 22 November during the race into Tunisia when the Allies were attempting to capture Tunis before the Germans could reinforce their forces there. The battalion was badly beaten up in combat in North Africa; our P38 fighter aircraft attacked Company C outside Medjez el Bab, Tunisia, on 25 and 26 November, killing five soldiers and wounding sixteen more. On 11 December, Company C claimed it destroyed ten German medium tanks around Medjez el Bab, but was put out of action by elements of the Fifth Panzer Army. On 30 January 1943, Company A, as an element of the 1st Armored Division’s Combat Command A, was driven off by the German 21st Panzer Division at the Faid Pass. The next day, however, the company turned around and participated in an unsuccessful attack to relieve American forces at the same Faid Pass. Things went a little better on 3 February when reconnaissance elements of the battalion got to within six miles of the town of Maknassy in southern Tunisia. On 14 February, Company A was again in action when a ‘heavy’ platoon of the company took part in the battle for Sidi Bou Zid. The next day, the battalion, minus Companies A and C, participated in a successful counterattack against the same town. Throughout its combat in North Africa, the battalion, as did many of American armored forces, fought in fragmented pieces, often with platoons operating individually in coordination with other American troops. The 701st Battalion’s next stop was Italy, where, now equipped with the full-tracked M10 tank destroyer, it landed on 29 October 1943, but saw no offensive action until the spring of 1944 when it participated in the advance on Rome. Attached to Task Force Howze of the 1st Armored Division, Company B, assembled on 25 May, 3 days after the attack began at the Anzio beachhead, began to advance on the road junction at Giulianello. The battalion subsequently advanced on Rome and beyond, to be stopped at the German Gothic Line, along with the rest of the allied advance. Finally, on 14 April 1945, tank destroyers from the 701st supported the attack of the 10th Mountain Division into the Po Valley. The area in which the battalion’s M10s operated was so heavily mined that it was impossible for the tank destroyers to stay close to the attacking mountain troops. As was often the case, the tank destroyers were employed in indirect firing missions or destruction of fixed enemy positions. The Germans did not have many tanks to serve as targets in Italy, where little “tank country” was to be found until the Po River Valley was reached. Then the German resistance was swiftly overcome, but there were so few tanks to be found as targets. So much for the 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion, a unit worthy of continued recognition, but as the 71st Cavalry; why not give the battalion its due as the 701st Cavalry? The 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion to 75th Cavalry The third tank destroyer unit under consideration, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion was also organized at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on 15 December 1941, but before it landed in France on 17 July 1944, it was equipped with the M18 “Hellcat” tank destroyer. The M18 went into battle with anew long barreled 76mm gun “...which would permit a duel on equal terms with most of the German tanks,” according to the official U. S. Army History, the Center of Military History’s The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. The battalion first gained recognition, along with the 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade, which was part of Task Force A, commanded by Brigadier General Herbert L. Earnest, in its swift advance along the north coast of Brittany on the breakout of the Third U. S. Army from the Cotentin Peninsula. Headed for the heavily defended French port city of Brest, the battalion joined Task Force B, commanded by Brigadier General James A. Van Fleet, in the port’s siege. On 21 August 1944, the battalion participated in destroying pillboxes and emplacements as it helped to isolate Brest and its strong garrison. After the capture of Brest in early September, the 705th, now part of Ninth U. S. Army, moved into Luxembourg, and on 8 November, deployed north to join the north flank of 12th U. S. Army Group. At the beginning “The 701st Battalion’s next stop was Italy, where, now equipped with the full-tracked M10 tank destroyer, it landed on 29 October 1943, but saw no offensive action until the spring of 1944 when it participated in the advance on Rome. Attached to Task Force Howze of the 1st Armored Division, Company B, assembled on 25 May, 3 days after the attack began at the Anzio beachhead, began to advance on the road junction at Giulianello.” “The third tank destroyer unit under consideration, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion was also organized at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on 15 December 1941, but before it landed in France on 17 July 1944, it was equipped with the M18 “Hellcat” tank destroyer. The M18 went into battle with anew long barreled 76mm gun ‘...which would permit a duel on equal terms with most of the German tanks…’ ” — 43 of the Battle of the Bulge on 18 December, Lieutenant General William H. Simpson dispatched the 705th south to support the deploying 101st Airborne Division, which was moving into Bastogne. It was here that the battalion was attached to the airborne division, and along with combat commands of the 9th and 10th Armored Divisions, won eternal fame. En route to Bastogne, the battalion skirted the German advance, leaving two platoons (some eight tank destroyers) to protect the unit’strains at the Ortheuville bridge site in Belgium. Most of the 705th closed in an assembly area near Bastogne by the night of 19 December. But almost immediately, a platoon went into combat as part of a counterattack force, consisting primarily of the 1st Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Team Desobry of Combat Command B, 10th Armored Division, was in a stubborn fight for the Belgian town of Noville. While in the process of trying to keep from being wiped out by an overwhelming force of German armor and infantry, the team blocked a key road into Bastogne. Two tank destroyers deployed south of the village on the flank of the German advance, and in the process, destroyed five German tanks at a range of some 1,500 yards. The counterattacking force was badly shot up, but Team Desobry managed to hold on. The next day, on the 20th, a second platoon of tank destroyers was sent to Noville with another counterattacking force of paratroopers. When eight Sherman tanks in Noville ran out of armor-piercing ammunition with six German Panzers closing in, the tank destroyers broke up the German attack. Finally forced to withdraw from Noville with heavy losses, the tank destroyers pulled back into the Bastogne perimeter. Other action before the German’s final attempt to wipe out the Americans in Bastogne included stopping an attack on the nearby town of Neffe. When an American patrol discovered an evolving attack on the town, U. S. tank destroyer gunners and paratroopers gave the 902d Panzer Grenadier Regiment a severe beating. Employing ground flares to aim on, the tank destroyers destroyed three German tanks reinforcing the enemy attack. Such initiative was not uncommon in the defense of Bastogne. As the U. S. Army official history states, “A very heartening addition to the Bastogne force, of course, was provided by the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion.” On 24 December, before a violent attack on the western sector of the 101st perimeter defense, the 101st Airborne Division operations officer redistributed the tank destroyers in platoon packets among the paratroop and glider infantry units. The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) got one platoon, the 506th PIR received two platoons, and the 502d PIR got two platoons, while the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) received four platoons, which was equivalent to a reinforced tank destroyer company. The distribution proved fortuitous because on Christmas Day, a combined German tank-infantry force penetrated the sector of the 1st Battalion, 327th GIR. Two of the 705th’s Company B tank destroyers were knocked out by the attacking enemy. Help, however, came swiftly from the nearby 502d PIR sector as two tank destroyers of the 705th, backing up Company C, 502d PIR, destroyed three German Panzers while paratroop bazookas got two more. Then a combination of four 705th tank destroyers, Sherman tanks, and 463d Parachute Artillery Battalion cannon, along with paratroopers of the 327th counterattacked and eliminated most of the 1st Battalion, 115th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. This German attack was the last serious attempt to destroy the American force in and around Bastogne. For all intents and purposes, the siege was lifted the day after Christmas when advanced elements of the 4th Armored Division made its appearance southwest of Bastogne. The 705th fought the battle for Bastogne in such a manner as to retain its tactical identity. Frequent detachment of tank destroyer packets to units of various sizes was normal throughout World War II. It was also normal to see one or more tank destroyer battalions attached to infantry and even armor divisions. But then it was not uncommon to see a tank destroyer company placed in support of an infantry regiment with the battalion headquarters reporting directly to the division. The gallant stand at Bastogne of the 101st Division, supported by armor and tank destroyer units, such as the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, remains one of the salient memorable actions during the Battle of the Bulge. Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe’s “Nuts” answer to a German demand for surrender is now one of the most famous words in American military history. The 705th shares credit for the defeat of the enemy at Bastogne. Is this the reason the battalion was chosen to have its heritage be the basis for the 75th Cavalry? A Bottom Line The fact that 601st, 701st, 705th, and 899th World War II tank destroyer battalions deserve to have their heritage designations reincarnated is legitimate. The idea that they should become two-digit cavalry squadrons, however, seems at best to be a half-measure effort. It’s better to preserve the tank destroyer battalion numerical designation and have them become cavalry regiments. If the 1st Battalion, 32d Armor can become the 1st Squadron, 32d Cavalry, there is no reason why the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion cannot become the 1st Squadron, 601st Cavalry, which suits its true historical lineage. Elvis, when he entered the U. S. Army, did his basic and advanced armor training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. This is where he began his 2-year association with the arm of decision. While Elvis probably never gave it a thought, would he not have approved of the 6th Battalion, 32d Armor Regiment — his regiment — being activated on 22 June 1966 and serving at Fort Knox, Kentucky, bringing Elvis and unit designations full circle in this post-transformation age. Bibliography Martin Blumenson, Breakout and Pursuit, U. S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC, 1961. ------ Salerno to Cassino, Center of Military History, Washington, D. C., 1988. Hugh M. Cole, The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge, Center of Military History, U. S. Army, Washington, DC, 1994. Vincent Esposito, The West Point Atlas of American War, Volume II, Frederick A. Praeger, New York, 1959. Ernest F. Fisher Jr., U. S. Army in World War II, Cassino to the Alps, Office of the Chief of Military History, U. S. Army, Washington, DC, 1989. Gordon A. Harrison, U. S. Army in World War II, Cross Channel Attack, Office of the Chief of Military History, U. S. Army, Washington, DC, 1989. George F. Hofmann and General Donn A. Starry, eds., Camp Colt to Desert Storm, The History of U. S. Armored Forces, University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1999. George F. Howe, U. S. Army in World War II, North Africa, Seizing the Initiative in the West, GPO, Washington, DC, 1957. Charles B. MacDonald, The Siegfried Line Campaign, Office of the Chief of Military History, U. S. Army, Washington, DC, 1963. Curtis H. Nance, The Final Campaign across Northwest Italy 14 April-2 May 1945, Headquarters IV Corps, U. S. Army, Italy, Pizzi and Pizio, Milan, Italy, 1945. Shelby L. Stanton, World War II Order of Battle, U. S. Army, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006. Mary Lee Stubbs and Stanley Russell Connor, Army Lineage Series, Armor-Cavalry Part I: Regular Army and Army Reserve, Office of the Chief of Military History, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. 1969. Brigadier General Raymond E. Bell Jr., U. S. Army, Retired, is a 1957 graduate of the United States Military Academy. He received an M. A. from Middlebury College and a Ph. D. from New York University. His military education includes the U. S. Army War College and the National War College. As an armor officer, he served in the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, 32d Armor, 15th Armor in Korea, and 5th Cavalry in Vietnam. His last two assignments included the U. S. Army Reserve’s 5th Psychological Operations Group and its 220th Military Police Brigade. 44 —