Evening star., 1950-07-10
I'd Division Is AIerted
With Support Troops
For Duty in Far East
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SSs
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vision and the other units are
now being applied-deployment to
any area where an emergency oc-
ours. Pared down from original
plans, the mobile force consists of
the five divisions, plus the units
needed to enable the combat di-
visions to fight. The divisions are
these:
The I'd Infantry. based at Fort
Lewis, Wash: the 82d Airborne.
based at Fort Bragg, N. c.: the
18th Airborne at Fort Campbell,
KY; the I'd Armored at Fort
Hood, Tex: the Sd Infantry at
Fort Benning. Ga.
Military chiefs had nothing to
say about how much help Gen.
Macarthur may have requested or
how much the strategy-making
joint chiefs of Staff here believed
he should get. Gen. Macarthur
started the Korean campaign with
elements of one division. That
and whatever he has committed
to battle since is drawn from the
four divisions of his Far East
command.
Europe Move Possible. 4.
The defense force of Japan
must be kept up, it is pointed out
at the Pentagon, because the
danger of attack on that country
continues to exist.
On top Of this situation, there
is the continuing possibility of a
sudden Communist move in
Europe. There the United States
has only single division. plus a
substantial constabulary force
trained for combat. A sudden
crisis there would mean that the
mobile force might have to send
aid to Europe as we'll as the Far
East.
The End Infantry Division had
brilliant record in Europe dur
ing World War II but since has
been reconstructed with new per-
sonnel. It's commander is Maj.
Gen. Laurence B. Keiser.
It's wartime commander was
Maj. Gen. Walter M. Robertson,
recently retired.
Landed on Omaha.
The 2nd landed on Omaha
beachhead in France on D-day
and fought on until the German
surrender. The only time it was
not In contact with the enemy
was after it had captured Cher
bourg. Then 1t was moved across
France into the line.
This division helped pave the
way for the break-through of
Gen. George Patton at st. Lo. It
was hit by the Germans at the
Battle Of the Bulge and was par
TALLY enveloped but it efficiently
withdrew and held for ~ hours
while three German divisions
vainly battered at it.
Gen. Keiser. 55, has headed the
division since last April l when he
moved up from second in COM
mand to Maj. Gen. Harry J. Col
Inns.
The Far East is a familiar place
to him. From July Is, 1916, until
his transfer to this post in jan
uary. 1949, he was director of the
ground division of the United
States Army advisory group in
Marking, China. His job was to
help train Nationalist Chinese
forces.
80 Years in Army.
/ A veteran of 33 years Army
service, Gen. Keiser was graduated
from West Point in 1917 after en-
tering the academy from his ma
tive city of Philadelphia, Pa. That
is still his home.
During World War II he was
chief of staff for the 7th Corps in
North Africa in 1912, and in
March. 1914, was assigned to the
Fifth Army. also in the African
theater.
In April, 1914. Gen. Keiser be-
came chief of staff of the Fourth
Army at Fort Sam Houston, Tex,
and remained there until he was
assigned to Marking.
There was speculation that the
Federal Government would be re-
luctant. at least at the outset, to
call in only certain National
Guard divisions to replace di-
visions drawn from the mobile
force. In some quarters there
was belief that the Government,
should the. time come, would fed
eralize the whole National Guard
instead of risking arguments over
discrimination by calling in some
divisions while others remained
under State control.
This was the method used just
before World War II. A Joint
resolution Of Congress, approved
August 81. 1910, ordered the
National Guard into active Fed
eral military service for IL months.
This was extended as the danger
of war grew closer, and the guard
remained federalized until after
the conflict had ended.
~ Guard Divisions.
Today there are ~ National
Guard divisions, over 80 per cent
of them at organized strength.
This means that each division has
the required number of units such
as rifle organizations, anti-air-
craft outfits, medical units-but
does not mean the divisions are at