Prewar:

Training and Deployment

The 103rd Infantry Division was created by the War Department as part of the country’s Organized Reserve in 1921, and the unit remained in reserve until World War II. On November 15, 1942, the Army activated the 103rd Infantry Division and assigned the division to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. There, the division completed Basic Training, culminating with the 1944 Louisiana Maneuvers. This exercise was a two-month, three-phase field maneuver conducted near Slagle, Louisiana. After completing Basic Training, the men of the Cactus Division continued their training at Camp Howze, Texas, located just outside Gainesville, Texas. The training ended in September 1944, when the men packed their bags, prepared their equipment, and departed for Camp Shanks, New York. As soldiers talked about their future deployment, uncertainty hung in the air because their final destination remained unknown. After their ships sailed from New York Harbor, the officers unsealed orders. They announced that the Army had assigned the Cactus Division to Marseille, France, for deployment to the European Theater of Operation (ETO).

CLICK HERE to see the interactive StoryMap of the Division’s pre-combat years, 1921-1944.

Photo Credits:

Header Photo: Jack Delano, J7AC5M- Soldiers from Fort Benning at the Bus Terminal in Columbus, Georgia, May 1941. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.

Beginnings Photo: Unknown Photographer, Troops on a march in the vicinity of Camp Belvoir. September 1942. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.

Army Specialized Training Program Photo: Unknown Photographer, United States Army Engineers Constructing a Bridge or a Pier at Ft. Belvoir. August 1942. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.

Camp Claiborne Photo: Unknown Photographer, Troops at Ft. Belvoir Learn How to Make Up their Packs. September 1942. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.

Camp Howze Photo: Unknown Photographer, Enlisted Men Going through the Calisthenics Routine in Daniel Field, Georgia. July 1943. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.

Camp Shanks Photo: Unknown Photographer, Five Soldiers with Beards, Casuals MC on Pier 6 about to Sail for Overseas Service, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Newport News Virginia. September 4, 1943. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.

Deployment Photo: Unknown Photographer, Crowded conditions aboard ship at Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation. February 23, 1944. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.