4th ID at Fort Lewis?

MarkHolloway · Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

One of the guys here has a 4th ID patch. When were they at Fort Lewis? Photo is at Yakima Firing Center.

MarkHolloway · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:46 am Post subject: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

What would the date be on this? Shows a 4th ID patch at Yakima Firing Center, Fort Lewis, Washington.

Roy_A_Lingle · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:46 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Hi Mark!

The 4th Infantry Division was a Ft. Lewis prior to going to Vietnam. I don't remember where they went after coming home. Was the 4th that light, mobile test division? If so then they retured to Ft. Lewis after Vietnam. During the BRAC before this one, part of the division went to Ft. Hood with one brigade going to Ft. Carson.

I think, that was a long time ago.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:01 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Roy_A_Lingle wrote:

Hi Mark!

The 4th Infantry Division was a Ft. Lewis prior to going to Vietnam. I don't remember where they went after coming home. Was the 4th that light, mobile test division? If so then they retured to Ft. Lewis after Vietnam. During the BRAC before this one, part of the division went to Ft. Hood with one brigade going to Ft. Carson.

I think, that was a long time ago.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Roy,
If you're speaking of those "Tricap Divisions", I thought those were at Hood and Riley. Wasn't aware of one at Lewis.

Did find this on 4thID:

"The 4th Infantry Division returned from Vietnam in December of 1970 and settled at Fort Carson, Colorado, where it reorganized as a mechanized unit and remained for 25 years. It was during the Division's time at Fort Carson that its nickname transitioned from the "Ivy" Division to the "Ironhorse" Division. "

MarkHolloway · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:11 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

After Viet Nam I'm pretty sure they went to Carson. The 9th ID went to Lewis. I was in the change of command ceremony at Lewis and I thought Westmoreland would never shut up!

MarkHolloway · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:18 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

It was before they went to subdued patches:

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

9th ID was the high technology testbed at Fort Lewis in the late 80s / early 90s - fast attack vehicles, dirtbikes, combined arms battalions, etc.

One brigade later briefly morphed into an RCT, then moved down to Fort Polk and became the 2nd ACR (Light) - until it moved to Europe as a Stryker BCT...

Neil

Dontos · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:22 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

4th ID ( ' 4 Lt's Pointing North' Laughing

) were 'redesignated / Reflagged' at Ft Hood in the mid-90's.

When Ft Polks' 5th ID moved to Ft Hood, in 1992, they were reflagged/redesignated 2nd Armored Div, which had been deactivated.

A few years later, 2AD (Polks' 5th ID) redesignated to 4th ID. By 1998, they had aleady repainted the 'checkerboard' water tower, and then been designated the 'Force XXI' test division.

Don
C Co, 3/70 AR, 5th ID: 1989-91
C Co, 3/8 CAV, 1CD: 1992-94
HHC & D Co, 2/12 CAV, 1CD: 1998-2001

Joe_D · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:14 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Something else to consider,

This was before NTC became the "Premier Mounted Training Center" Rolling Eyes

, so it is possible these guys came up from Carson to do a "Yak Attack". The lack of "Combat Patches" make me believe not though.

Any one notice that the one tank has the VSS-1 Searchlight in the stow position? Not a common sight in the field, since it was a real PIA to move it back and forward. Can't tell if a training device is mounted above the gun.

Mark, is there a larger picture available? Very nice M60A1 IR's.

Joe D

MarkHolloway · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:04 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Joe, Just this: farm4.static.flickr.co...e677_o.jpg

MarkHolloway · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Here's what I found: After a five-year tour in Germany, the division redeployed to Fort Lewis, Washington in May 1956. The 4th Infantry Division deployed from Fort Lewis to Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam on September 25, 1966 and served more than four years, returning to Fort Carson, Colorado on December 8, 1970.

bsmart · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:47 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Just as a side note to all this

If I remember the movie To Hell and Back correctly there is a blurb at the beginning thanking the 4th Inf Div at Ft Lewis for their assistance in filming the movie. I thought it particularly appropriate since Audie Murphy had been assigned to the 4th.

Sabot · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:18 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Dontos wrote:

4th ID ( ' 4 Lt's Pointing North' Laughing

) were 'redesignated / Reflagged' at Ft Hood in the mid-90's.

When Ft Polks' 5th ID moved to Ft Hood, in 1992, they were reflagged/redesignated 2nd Armored Div, which had been deactivated.

A few years later, 2AD (Polks' 5th ID) redesignated to 4th ID. By 1998, they had aleady repainted the 'checkerboard' water tower, and then been designated the 'Force XXI' test division.

Don
C Co, 3/70 AR, 5th ID: 1989-91
C Co, 3/8 CAV, 1CD: 1992-94
HHC & D Co, 2/12 CAV, 1CD: 1998-2001

5th Mech reflagged to 2AD in late (Dec?) 1992. 2AD reflagged to 4th ID in late 1995 (again Dec?). The water tower had been painted earlier in the year (1995). I remember thinking Patton was turning over in his grave. The Force XXI designation occurred sometime after the first reflagging, I'd guess in 1993.

HHC 3-32 AR (reflagged to 1-12 CAV) 1991-93
C Co. 1-12 CAV 1993-94
HHC 215 FSB 1994-96

tanker2010 · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:26 am Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

bsmart wrote:

Just as a side note to all this

If I remember the movie To Hell and Back correctly there is a blurb at the beginning thanking the 4th Inf Div at Ft Lewis for their assistance in filming the movie. I thought it particularly appropriate since Audie Murphy had been assigned to the 4th.

Don't know where you got that, but Audie was in 3ID. He was in, if I remeber correctly, B Co. 15INF RGT. Anyone who went thru the 3ID replacement company in Wurzburg in the `70s, had to watch to "Hell and Back" before they shiped to their unit.

bsmart · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: 4th ID at Fort Lewis?

Duh - your right about 3 ID. It's terrible when memory starts to go

I wonder if I remember the filming wrong also