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Eighth Army (United States)

The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which commands all United States Army forces in South Korea.[1] It is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys in the Anjeong-ri of Pyeongtaek, South Korea.[2] Eighth Army relocated its headquarters from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys in the summer of 2017.[3] It is the only field army in the U.S. Army.[4] It is responsible to United States Forces Korea and United States Army, Pacific.

Eighth Army
Active10 June 1944 – present
(79 years, 10 months)
Country United States of America
Branch United States Army
TypeField army
RoleHeadquarters
Part of USARPAC
Garrison/HQ Camp Humphreys
Motto(s)Pacific Victors
Colors   White and red
CampaignsWorld War II Korean War
Website8tharmy.korea.army.mil/site/
Commanders
Commanding General Chief of Staff, Combined Forces CommandLTG Christopher LaNeve
Notable
commanders
LTG Robert Eichelberger
LTG Walton H. Walker
LTG Matthew Ridgway
LTG James Van Fleet
LTG Maxwell D. Taylor
Insignia
Distinctive insignia
Flag
NATO Map Symbol
(1997)

History edit

World War II edit

The unit first activated on 10 June 1944 in the United States, under the command of Lieutenant General Robert L. Eichelberger. The Eighth Army took part in many of the amphibious landings in the Southwest Pacific Theater of World War II, eventually participating in no less than sixty of them. The first mission of the Eighth Army, in September 1944, was to take over from the U.S. Sixth Army in New Guinea, New Britain, the Admiralty Islands and on Morotai, in order to free up the Sixth Army to engage in the Philippines Campaign (1944–45).

The Eighth Army again followed in the wake of the Sixth Army in December 1944, when it took over control of operations on Leyte Island on 26 December. In January, the Eighth Army entered combat on Luzon, landing the XI Corps on 29 January near San Antonio and the 11th Airborne Division on the other side of Manila Bay two days later. Combining with I Corps and XIV Corps of Sixth Army, the forces of Eighth Army next enveloped Manila in a great double-pincer movement. Eighth Army's final operation of the Pacific War was that of clearing out the southern Philippines of the Japanese Army, including on the major island of Mindanao, an effort that occupied the soldiers of the Eighth Army for the rest of the war.

Occupation of Japan edit

Eighth Army was to have participated in Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan.[5] It would have taken part in Operation Coronet, the second phase of the invasion, which would have seen the invasion of the Kantō Plain on eastern Honshū.[6] However, the Japanese surrender cancelled the invasion, and the Eighth Army found itself in charge of a peaceful occupation.[7] Occupation forces landed on 30 August 1945, with its headquarters in Yokohama, then the HQ moved to the Dai-Ichi building in Tokyo.[8] At the beginning of 1946, Eighth Army assumed responsibility for occupying all of Japan.[8] Four quiet years then followed, during which the Eighth Army gradually transitioned from a combat-ready fighting force into a constabulary.[9] Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker took command in September 1948, and he tried to re-invigorate the Army's training, with mixed success.[10]

Korean War edit

 
Fighting with the 2nd Inf. Div. north of the Chongchon River, SFC Major Cleveland, weapons squad leader, points out Communist-led North Korean position to his machine gun crew, 20 November 1950, PFC James Cox.

The peace of occupied Japan was shattered in June 1950 when 75,000 North Korean troops with Russian made tanks invaded South Korea, igniting the Korean War.[11][12] U.S. naval and air forces quickly became involved in combat operations, and it was soon clear that U.S. ground forces would have to be committed. To stem the North Korean advance, the occupation forces in Japan were thus shipped off to South Korea as quickly as possible, but their lack of training and equipment was telling, as some of the initial U.S. units were destroyed by the North Koreans. However, the stage was eventually reached as enough units of Eighth Army arrived in Korea to make a firm front. The North Koreans threw themselves against that front, the Pusan Perimeter, and failed to break it.

Eighth Army arrived in July 1950 and never left. —Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, CG, Eighth Army, 29 August 2017[13]

In the meantime, Eighth Army had reorganized, since it had too many divisions under its command for it to exercise effective control directly. The I Corps and the IX Corps were reactivated in the United States and then shipped to Korea to assume command of Eighth Army's subordinate divisions.

The stalemate was broken by the Inchon landings of the X Corps (tenth corps, consisting of soldiers and Marines). The North Korean forces, when confronted with this threat to their rear areas, combined with a breakout operation at Pusan, broke away and hastily retired north.

 
Lt. Gen. Walton Walker, Commander of 8th Army (left) confers with Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, Commander Ground Forces in Korea, on 7 July 1950

Both South and North Korea were almost entirely occupied by United Nations forces. However, once U.S. units neared the Yalu River and the frontier between North Korea and China, the Chinese intervened and drastically changed the character of the war. Eighth Army was decisively defeated at the Battle of the Chongchon River and forced to retreat all the way back to South Korea. The defeat of the U.S. Eighth Army resulted in the longest retreat of any U.S. military unit in history. General Walker was killed in a jeep accident on 23 December 1950, and replaced by Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway. The overstretched Eighth Army suffered heavily with the Chinese offensive, who were able to benefit from shorter lines of communication and with rather casually deployed enemy forces. The Chinese broke through the U.S. defenses despite U.S. air supremacy and the Eighth Army and U.N. forces retreated hastily to avoid encirclement. The Chinese offensive continued pressing U.S. forces, which lost Seoul, the South Korean capital. Eighth Army's morale and esprit de corps hit rock bottom, to where it was widely regarded as a broken, defeated rabble.

General Ridgway forcefully restored Eighth Army to combat effectiveness over several months. Eighth Army slowed and ultimately halted the Chinese advance at the battles of Chipyong-ni and Wonju. It then counter-attacked the Chinese, re-took Seoul, and drove to the 38th parallel, where the front stabilized.

When General Ridgway replaced General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as the overall U.N. commander, Lieutenant General James Van Fleet assumed command of Eighth Army. After the war of movement during the first stages, the fighting in Korea settled down to a war of attrition. Ceasefire negotiations were begun at the village of Panmunjom in the summer of 1951, and they dragged on for two years. During the final combat operation of the war, Lieutenant General Maxwell D. Taylor (promoted to general 23 June 1953) commanded the Eighth Army. When the Military Demarcation Line was finally agreed to by the Korean Armistice Agreement, South Korea and North Korea continued on as separate states.

Guarding Korea edit

 
Eighth United States Army memorial at Yongsan

During the aftermath of the Korean War, the Eighth Army remained in South Korea. By the 1960s, I Corps, consisting of the 7th Infantry Division and the 2nd Infantry Division, remained as part of the Eighth Army. Then, in 1971, the 7th Infantry Division was withdrawn, along with the command units of I Corps, which were moved across the Pacific Ocean to Fort Lewis, Washington.[14] Later, in March 1977, a memo from President Jimmy Carter said "...American forces will be withdrawn. Air cover will be continued." Bureaucratic resistance from the Executive Branch, with support in Congress, eventually saw the proposal watered down. Eventually one combat battalion and about 2,600 non-combat troops were withdrawn.[15]

This left the 2nd Infantry Division at the Korean Demilitarized Zone to assist the South Korean Army. Besides forming a trip-wire against another North Korean invasion, the 2nd Infantry Division remained there as the only Army unit in South Korea armed with tactical nuclear weapons. (Otherwise, there is only the U.S. Air Force in South Korea and on Okinawa.) All nuclear weapons were taken from the Army to be under Air Force control. Later, in 1991,[16] all U.S. nuclear weapons were removed from South Korea.

Structure 1989 edit

 
Organisation of Eighth Army in 1989 (click to enlarge)

At the end of the Cold War Eighth Army consisted of the following units:

Recent times edit

In 2003, plans were announced to move the 2nd Infantry Division southward. The division, with 15 bases north of the Han River and just south of the DMZ, was to be the most important formation to be moved south of the Han River in two phases "over the next few years" a joint statement between the South Korean and U.S. governments said on June 5, 2003.[40] As of 2015, it appears that one brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division will remain at Camp Casey, near Dongducheon.

The headquarters of the Eighth Army was Yongsan Garrison, but moved southward to Camp Humphreys by 2019.[2] In April 2017 the Eighth Army headquarters began its move from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys and held a ceremony to relocate a statue of General Walton Walker.[41]

Organization edit

 
Eighth Army organization 2023 (click to enlarge)

Other army units based in South Korea:

Specific units edit

8th Army Band edit

 
Soldiers of the 8th Army Band at a parade in downtown Seoul

The 8th Army Band is the official musical unit of the HQ 8th Army and supports United States Forces Korea and the United Nations Command.[46] The 41-member band was founded in 1916 as the Band of the 35th Infantry Regiment. During World War II, the band, then known as the 25th Infantry Division Band based out of Hawaii, served in the Pacific Theater, being a participant in Central Pacific and Guadalcanal campaigns. It was reorganized in November 1950 and reassigned to the newly formed ROK, the same year the Korean War began.[47] Awards and honors the band has received include the Meritorious Unit Commendation and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations.[48] Nicknamed Freedom's Ambassadors due to its area of responsibility, it has performed at events such as the Wonju Tattoo, the Gangwon International Tattoo as well as Korean War memorial ceremonies in the country.[49][50] In June, 2015, members of the 8th Army Band celebrated its 99th anniversary in Mongolia with a concert on Sükhbaatar Square.[51]

Korean Service Corps edit

The Korean Service Corps was a reserve force composed of South Korean volunteers who were augmented to the 8th Army. They provided labourers who were used to carry ammunition and supplies, and support the overall logistic elements of the army. It is today, a paramilitary civilian formation that is battalion-sized. Continuing is role as a combat service support unit, it is capable of being expanded and mobilized during a wartime situation.

List of commanders edit

No. Commander Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
1
 
Lieutenant General
Robert L. Eichelberger
(1886–1961)
1 June 19444 August 19484 years, 64 days
2
 
Lieutenant General
Walton Walker
(1889–1950)
4 August 194823 December 19502 years, 141 days
3
 
Lieutenant General
Matthew Ridgway
(1895–1993)
25 December 195012 April 1951108 days
4
 
General
James Van Fleet
(1892–1992)
14 April 195111 February 19531 year, 303 days
5
 
General
Maxwell D. Taylor
(1901–1987)
11 February 195325 March 19552 years, 42 days
6
 
General
Lyman Lemnitzer
(1899–1988)
25 March 19555 June 195572 days
7
 
General
Isaac D. White
(1901–1990)
25 June 19551 July 19572 years, 6 days
8
 
General
George Decker
(1902–1980)
1 July 195730 June 19591 year, 364 days
9
 
General
Carter B. Magruder
(1900–1988)
1 July 195930 June 19611 year, 364 days
10
 
General
Guy S. Meloy
(1903–1968)
1 July 196131 July 19632 years, 30 days
11
 
General
Hamilton H. Howze
(1908–1998)
1 August 196315 June 19651 year, 318 days
12
 
General
Dwight E. Beach
(1908–2000)
16 June 196531 August 19661 year, 76 days
13
 
General
Charles H. Bonesteel III
(1909–1977)
1 September 196630 September 19693 years, 29 days
14
 
General
John H. Michaelis
(1912–1985)
1 October 196931 August 19722 years, 335 days
15
 
General
Donald V. Bennett
(1915–2005)
1 September 197231 July 1973333 days
16
 
General
Richard G. Stilwell
(1917–1991)
1 August 19738 October 19763 years, 68 days
17
 
General
John W. Vessey Jr.
(1922–2016)
8 October 197610 July 19792 years, 275 days
18
 
General
John A. Wickham Jr.
(born 1928)
10 July 19794 June 19822 years, 329 days
19
 
General
Robert W. Sennewald
(1929–2023)
4 June 19821 June 19841 year, 363 days
20
 
General
William J. Livsey
(1931–2016)
1 June 198425 June 19873 years, 24 days
21
 
General
Louis C. Menetrey Jr.
(1929–2009)
25 June 198726 June 19903 years, 1 day
22
 
General
Robert W. RisCassi
(born 1936)
26 June 19901 December 19922 years, 158 days
23
 
Lieutenant General
William W. Crouch
(born 1941)
1 December 199218 October 19941 year, 321 days
24
 
Lieutenant General
Richard F. Timmons
(born 1942)
19 October 199431 July 19972 years, 285 days
25
 
Lieutenant General
Randolph W. House
(born 1949)
1 August 199725 September 19981 year, 55 days
26
 
Lieutenant General
Daniel J. Petrosky
(born 1944)
25 September 199828 September 20002 years, 3 days
27
 
Lieutenant General
Daniel R. Zanini
(born 1946)
28 September 20006 November 20022 years, 39 days
28
 
Lieutenant General
Charles C. Campbell
(1948–2016)
6 November 200210 April 20063 years, 155 days
29
 
Lieutenant General
David P. Valcourt
(born 1951)
11 April 200617 February 20081 year, 312 days
30
 
Lieutenant General
Joseph F. Fil Jr.
(born 1953)
18 February 200819 November 20102 years, 274 days
31
 
Lieutenant General
John D. Johnson
(born 1952)
9 November 201026 June 20132 years, 229 days
32
 
Lieutenant General
Bernard S. Champoux
(born 1954)
27 June 20132 February 20162 years, 220 days
33
 
Lieutenant General
Thomas S. Vandal
(1960–2018)
2 February 20165 January 20181 year, 337 days
34
 
Lieutenant General
Michael A. Bills
(born 1958)
5 January 20182 October 20202 years, 271 days
35
 
Lieutenant General
Willard Burleson
(born 1965)
2 October 20205 April 20243 years, 186 days
36
 
Lieutenant General
Christopher LaNeve
5 April 2024Incumbent32 days

References edit

  1. ^ "Enter the Dragon: Eighth Army unveils new emblem" (15 April 2013)
    • Task Force Smith, July 1950, Battle of Osan, memorialized
  2. ^ a b Yongsan garrison move pushed back to 2019 30 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Eighth Army (12 February 2023). "History".
  4. ^ THEATER ARMY, CORPS, AND DIVISION OPERATIONS FM 3-94. United States Army. 2014. pp. 1–2.
  5. ^ MacArthur, Douglas (1966). Reports of General MacArthur: The Campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific. Vol. I. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 423.
  6. ^ Reports of General MacArthur, p. 423.
  7. ^ Reports of General MacArthur, p. 450.
  8. ^ a b "Chronology of the Occupation: GHQ AFPAC; 15 August 1945 to 31 March 1946 Only". history.army.mil. Center of Military History, U.S. Army. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  9. ^ United States Secretary of the Army (1949). Annual Report of the Secretary of the Army: 1948. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 65 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Annual Report of the Secretary of the Army: 1948, p. 65.
  11. ^ National Archives, US Enters the Korean Conflict
  12. ^ History Vault Korean War
  13. ^ The National Defense Committee visits Eighth Army Headquarters (29 August 2017)
  14. ^ Don Oberdorfter, The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History, Addison-Wesley, 1997, p. 86.
  15. ^ Oberdorfer, The Two Koreas, 1997, 86-94.
  16. ^ Oberdorfer, Don (19 October 1991). "U.S. DECIDES TO WITHDRAW A-WEAPONS FROM S. KOREA". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Army - The Magazine of Landpower - January 1989 (1989). "Command and Staff". Association of the US Army. Retrieved 28 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "17th Aviation Brigade Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Colonel Johnnie L. Sheperd (1993). "Bring your Career to Korea!". US Army Aviation Digest - July / August 1993. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  20. ^ "1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  21. ^ "2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  22. ^ a b c d e Raines, Rebecca Robbins. "Signal Corps" (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  23. ^ "36th Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  24. ^ "41st Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  25. ^ "304th Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  26. ^ "307th Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  27. ^ "94th Military Police Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  28. ^ "728th Military Police Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  29. ^ "501st Military Intelligence Brigade Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  30. ^ "524th Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  31. ^ "532nd Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  32. ^ a b "3rd Battalion, 501st Aviation Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  33. ^ "21st Transportation Company Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  34. ^ "8th Personnel Center Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  35. ^ "516th Personnel Service Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  36. ^ "175th Financial Management Support Center Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  37. ^ "176th Finance Company Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  38. ^ "177th Finance Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  39. ^ "23rd Chemical Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  40. ^ Putnam, Bill (9 June 2003). "U.S. Forces Korea to start major realignment next year" (PDF). See page 9.
  41. ^ "8th U.S. Army Starts Moving Out of Seoul". The Chosun Ilbo. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  42. ^ a b Eighth Army 2023b.
  43. ^ "The conventional military balance on the Korean peninsula" (PDF document) p.55
  44. ^ "Team". 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  45. ^ "403rd Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB)". Army Sustainment Command. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  46. ^ "Soldier Support Journal". 1982.
  47. ^ "EIGHTH ARMY BAND - History".
  48. ^ "Eighth Army Band - Eighth Army | The United States Army". 8tharmy.korea.army.mil. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  49. ^ "8th Army band readies for Wonju festival".
  50. ^ "EIGHTH ARMY BAND - News".
  51. ^ "U.S. 8th Army Band's Ensemble Group, Alliance Brass Celebrates 99th Birthday in Mongolia". 30 June 2015.
  • Blair, Clay (2003). The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950-1953 (illustrated, reprint ed.). Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591140757. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  • Blair, Clay (12 December 1987). The forgotten war: America in Korea, 1950. Times Books. ISBN 0812916700. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  • Eighth Army (12 February 2023). "MSC Organization". US Eighth Army.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

External links edit

  • GlobalSecurity: Eighth Army
  • The short film STAFF FILM REPORT 66-12A (1966) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.

eighth, army, united, states, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, eighth, army, united, states, news, ne. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Eighth Army United States news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2008 Learn how and when to remove this message The Eighth Army is a U S field army which commands all United States Army forces in South Korea 1 It is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys in the Anjeong ri of Pyeongtaek South Korea 2 Eighth Army relocated its headquarters from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys in the summer of 2017 3 It is the only field army in the U S Army 4 It is responsible to United States Forces Korea and United States Army Pacific Eighth ArmyEighth Army Shoulder Sleeve InsigniaActive10 June 1944 present 79 years 10 months Country United States of AmericaBranch United States ArmyTypeField armyRoleHeadquartersPart ofUSARPACGarrison HQCamp HumphreysMotto s Pacific VictorsColors White and redCampaignsWorld War II New Guinea Leyte Korean WarWebsite8tharmy wbr korea wbr army wbr mil wbr site wbr CommandersCommanding General Chief of Staff Combined Forces CommandLTG Christopher LaNeveNotablecommandersLTG Robert EichelbergerLTG Walton H WalkerLTG Matthew RidgwayLTG James Van FleetLTG Maxwell D TaylorInsigniaDistinctive insigniaFlagNATO Map Symbol 1997 Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 2 Occupation of Japan 1 3 Korean War 1 4 Guarding Korea 1 4 1 Structure 1989 1 4 2 Recent times 2 Organization 2 1 Specific units 2 1 1 8th Army Band 2 1 2 Korean Service Corps 3 List of commanders 4 References 5 External linksHistory editWorld War II edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this message The unit first activated on 10 June 1944 in the United States under the command of Lieutenant General Robert L Eichelberger The Eighth Army took part in many of the amphibious landings in the Southwest Pacific Theater of World War II eventually participating in no less than sixty of them The first mission of the Eighth Army in September 1944 was to take over from the U S Sixth Army in New Guinea New Britain the Admiralty Islands and on Morotai in order to free up the Sixth Army to engage in the Philippines Campaign 1944 45 The Eighth Army again followed in the wake of the Sixth Army in December 1944 when it took over control of operations on Leyte Island on 26 December In January the Eighth Army entered combat on Luzon landing the XI Corps on 29 January near San Antonio and the 11th Airborne Division on the other side of Manila Bay two days later Combining with I Corps and XIV Corps of Sixth Army the forces of Eighth Army next enveloped Manila in a great double pincer movement Eighth Army s final operation of the Pacific War was that of clearing out the southern Philippines of the Japanese Army including on the major island of Mindanao an effort that occupied the soldiers of the Eighth Army for the rest of the war Occupation of Japan edit Eighth Army was to have participated in Operation Downfall the invasion of Japan 5 It would have taken part in Operation Coronet the second phase of the invasion which would have seen the invasion of the Kantō Plain on eastern Honshu 6 However the Japanese surrender cancelled the invasion and the Eighth Army found itself in charge of a peaceful occupation 7 Occupation forces landed on 30 August 1945 with its headquarters in Yokohama then the HQ moved to the Dai Ichi building in Tokyo 8 At the beginning of 1946 Eighth Army assumed responsibility for occupying all of Japan 8 Four quiet years then followed during which the Eighth Army gradually transitioned from a combat ready fighting force into a constabulary 9 Lieutenant General Walton H Walker took command in September 1948 and he tried to re invigorate the Army s training with mixed success 10 Korean War edit Main article Korean War nbsp Fighting with the 2nd Inf Div north of the Chongchon River SFC Major Cleveland weapons squad leader points out Communist led North Korean position to his machine gun crew 20 November 1950 PFC James Cox The peace of occupied Japan was shattered in June 1950 when 75 000 North Korean troops with Russian made tanks invaded South Korea igniting the Korean War 11 12 U S naval and air forces quickly became involved in combat operations and it was soon clear that U S ground forces would have to be committed To stem the North Korean advance the occupation forces in Japan were thus shipped off to South Korea as quickly as possible but their lack of training and equipment was telling as some of the initial U S units were destroyed by the North Koreans However the stage was eventually reached as enough units of Eighth Army arrived in Korea to make a firm front The North Koreans threw themselves against that front the Pusan Perimeter and failed to break it Eighth Army arrived in July 1950 and never left Lt Gen Thomas S Vandal CG Eighth Army 29 August 2017 13 In the meantime Eighth Army had reorganized since it had too many divisions under its command for it to exercise effective control directly The I Corps and the IX Corps were reactivated in the United States and then shipped to Korea to assume command of Eighth Army s subordinate divisions The stalemate was broken by the Inchon landings of the X Corps tenth corps consisting of soldiers and Marines The North Korean forces when confronted with this threat to their rear areas combined with a breakout operation at Pusan broke away and hastily retired north nbsp Lt Gen Walton Walker Commander of 8th Army left confers with Maj Gen William F Dean Commander Ground Forces in Korea on 7 July 1950 Both South and North Korea were almost entirely occupied by United Nations forces However once U S units neared the Yalu River and the frontier between North Korea and China the Chinese intervened and drastically changed the character of the war Eighth Army was decisively defeated at the Battle of the Chongchon River and forced to retreat all the way back to South Korea The defeat of the U S Eighth Army resulted in the longest retreat of any U S military unit in history General Walker was killed in a jeep accident on 23 December 1950 and replaced by Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway The overstretched Eighth Army suffered heavily with the Chinese offensive who were able to benefit from shorter lines of communication and with rather casually deployed enemy forces The Chinese broke through the U S defenses despite U S air supremacy and the Eighth Army and U N forces retreated hastily to avoid encirclement The Chinese offensive continued pressing U S forces which lost Seoul the South Korean capital Eighth Army s morale and esprit de corps hit rock bottom to where it was widely regarded as a broken defeated rabble General Ridgway forcefully restored Eighth Army to combat effectiveness over several months Eighth Army slowed and ultimately halted the Chinese advance at the battles of Chipyong ni and Wonju It then counter attacked the Chinese re took Seoul and drove to the 38th parallel where the front stabilized When General Ridgway replaced General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as the overall U N commander Lieutenant General James Van Fleet assumed command of Eighth Army After the war of movement during the first stages the fighting in Korea settled down to a war of attrition Ceasefire negotiations were begun at the village of Panmunjom in the summer of 1951 and they dragged on for two years During the final combat operation of the war Lieutenant General Maxwell D Taylor promoted to general 23 June 1953 commanded the Eighth Army When the Military Demarcation Line was finally agreed to by the Korean Armistice Agreement South Korea and North Korea continued on as separate states Guarding Korea edit nbsp Eighth United States Army memorial at Yongsan During the aftermath of the Korean War the Eighth Army remained in South Korea By the 1960s I Corps consisting of the 7th Infantry Division and the 2nd Infantry Division remained as part of the Eighth Army Then in 1971 the 7th Infantry Division was withdrawn along with the command units of I Corps which were moved across the Pacific Ocean to Fort Lewis Washington 14 Later in March 1977 a memo from President Jimmy Carter said American forces will be withdrawn Air cover will be continued Bureaucratic resistance from the Executive Branch with support in Congress eventually saw the proposal watered down Eventually one combat battalion and about 2 600 non combat troops were withdrawn 15 This left the 2nd Infantry Division at the Korean Demilitarized Zone to assist the South Korean Army Besides forming a trip wire against another North Korean invasion the 2nd Infantry Division remained there as the only Army unit in South Korea armed with tactical nuclear weapons Otherwise there is only the U S Air Force in South Korea and on Okinawa All nuclear weapons were taken from the Army to be under Air Force control Later in 1991 16 all U S nuclear weapons were removed from South Korea Structure 1989 edit nbsp Organisation of Eighth Army in 1989 click to enlarge At the end of the Cold War Eighth Army consisted of the following units nbsp Eighth Army Yongsan Garrison South Korea 17 Headquarters amp Headquarters Company nbsp 2nd Infantry Division Camp Casey 17 nbsp 17th Aviation Brigade Camp Coiner 17 18 19 Headquarters amp Headquarters Company 4th Battalion 58th Aviation Air Traffic Control Camp Coiner 19 1st Battalion 501st Aviation Assault Camp Coiner UH 60A Black Hawk helicopters 19 20 2nd Battalion 501st Aviation Medium Lift Camp Coiner CH 47D Chinook helicopters 19 21 4th Battalion 501st Aviation Attack Camp Page AH 1F Cobra amp OH 58C Kiowa helicopters 19 5th Battalion 501st Aviation Attack Camp Coiner AH 1F Cobra amp OH 58C Kiowa helicopters 19 nbsp 1st Signal Brigade Camp Humphreys 22 Headquarters amp Headquarters Company 36th Signal Battalion 22 23 41st Signal Battalion 22 24 304th Signal Battalion Camp Colbern 22 25 307th Signal Battalion 22 26 257th Signal Company Camp Humphreys nbsp 8th Military Police Brigade Provisional Camp Coiner 17 Headquarters amp Headquarters Company 94th Military Police Battalion 27 728th Military Police Battalion 28 nbsp 501st Military Intelligence Brigade Provisional Yongsan Garrison 29 Headquarters amp Headquarters Detachment 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion Aerial Exploitation Camp Humphreys 19 524th Military Intelligence Battalion Human Intelligence 30 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion Intelligence amp Electronic Warfare 31 751st Military Intelligence Battalion Counterintelligence Camp Humphreys 19 nbsp 18th Medical Command Seoul 17 19 the following peacetime listing is incomplete Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 52nd Medical Battalion 19 121st Combat Support Hospital Camp Humphreys nbsp 19th Support Command Daegu 17 the following peacetime listing is incomplete Headquarters and Headquarters Company Special Troops Battalion 20th Area Support Group Camp Henry 17 Headquarters and Headquarters Company 23rd Area Support Group Camp Humphreys 17 19 Headquarters and Headquarters Company 194th Maintenance Battalion 19 227th Maintenance Battalion Company A 3rd Battalion 501st Aviation Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Camp Humphreys 19 32 Company A 3rd Battalion 501st Aviation Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Camp Humphreys 19 32 25th Transportation Center Movement Control Yongsan Garrison 21st Transportation Company Command Transport Yongsan Garrison 33 46th Transportation Company Camp Carroll 34th Area Support Group Seoul 17 Headquarters and Headquarters Company 501st Corps Support Group Camp Red Cloud 17 Headquarters and Headquarters Company 8th Personnel Command 17 34 516th Personnel Service Company 35 175th Finance Center 17 36 176th Finance Support Unit 37 177th Finance Support Unit 38 23rd Chemical Battalion 39 44th Engineer Battalion Combat Heavy Camp Mercer 8th Army Band Recent times edit In 2003 plans were announced to move the 2nd Infantry Division southward The division with 15 bases north of the Han River and just south of the DMZ was to be the most important formation to be moved south of the Han River in two phases over the next few years a joint statement between the South Korean and U S governments said on June 5 2003 40 As of 2015 it appears that one brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division will remain at Camp Casey near Dongducheon The headquarters of the Eighth Army was Yongsan Garrison but moved southward to Camp Humphreys by 2019 2 In April 2017 the Eighth Army headquarters began its move from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys and held a ceremony to relocate a statue of General Walton Walker 41 Organization edit nbsp Eighth Army organization 2023 click to enlarge Eighth Army USAG Humphreys 42 43 Eighth Army Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion Headquarters Support Company Operations Company Intelligence and Sustainment Company Eighth Army Band 2nd Infantry Division Joint United States and South Korean Army 2nd Infantry Division Combined Division Staff Joint United States and South Korean Army Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion Rotational Stryker Brigade Combat Team 210th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 210th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion 38th Field Artillery Regiment 6th Battalion 37th Field Artillery Regiment Rotational M270 MLRS Field Artillery Battalion 70th Brigade Support Battalion Combat Aviation Brigade 2nd Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion Assault 2nd Aviation Regiment 3rd Battalion General Support 2nd Aviation Regiment 4th Battalion Attack 2nd Aviation Regiment 5th Squadron Attack Reconnaissance 17th Cavalry Regiment Company E 2nd Aviation Regiment General Atomics MQ 1C Gray Eagle 602d Aviation Support Battalion 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company Special Troops Battalion 194th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion 1st Signal Brigade subordinate to 311th Signal Command US Army Pacific Headquarters and Headquarters Company United States Army Communications Information Systems Activity Pacific 41st Signal Battalion 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command 44 Headquarters and Headquarters Company 94th Military Police Battalion Materiel Support Command Korea 6th Ordnance Battalion 25th Transportation Battalion 498th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Korean Service Corps 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 2nd Battalion 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment Patriot 6th Battalion 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment Patriot Battery D 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment THAAD 65th Medical Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company 549th Hospital Center 168th Medical Battalion Multifunctional 618th Dental Company Area Support 106th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support 135th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment 501st Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion 368th Military Intelligence Battalion US Army Reserve at Parks Reserve Forces Training Area California 524th Military Intelligence Battalion 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion 719th Military Intelligence Battalion United Nations Command Security Battalion Joint Security Area Korean Field Office Army Special Operations Forces Liaison Element Korea Joint United States Military Affairs Group Korea Eighth Army Non Commissioned Officers Academy Training Support Activity Korea 11th Engineer Battalion subordinate to 130th Engineer Brigade US Army Pacific 23rd Chemical Battalion 4th Airfield Operations Battalion 58th Aviation Regiment 2501st Digital Liaison Detachment headquartered at Camp Yongin 42 The detachment deploys in support of First Wonju and Third Yongin Republic of Korea Armies FROKA TROKA and the soon to be Combined Ground Component Command CGCC to provide continuous liaison capability between Eighth Army and the two ROK Field Army headquarters 2502nd Digital Liaison Detachment 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detachment United States Army Corps of Engineers Far East District Other army units based in South Korea 403rd Army Field Support Brigade Camp Henry part of Army Sustainment Command 45 Army Field Support Battalion Korea Army Field Support Battalion Northeast Asia 837th Transportation Battalion part of 599th Transportation Brigade Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command United States Army Medical Materiel Agency Korea Specific units edit 8th Army Band edit nbsp Soldiers of the 8th Army Band at a parade in downtown Seoul The 8th Army Band is the official musical unit of the HQ 8th Army and supports United States Forces Korea and the United Nations Command 46 The 41 member band was founded in 1916 as the Band of the 35th Infantry Regiment During World War II the band then known as the 25th Infantry Division Band based out of Hawaii served in the Pacific Theater being a participant in Central Pacific and Guadalcanal campaigns It was reorganized in November 1950 and reassigned to the newly formed ROK the same year the Korean War began 47 Awards and honors the band has received include the Meritorious Unit Commendation and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations 48 Nicknamed Freedom s Ambassadors due to its area of responsibility it has performed at events such as the Wonju Tattoo the Gangwon International Tattoo as well as Korean War memorial ceremonies in the country 49 50 In June 2015 members of the 8th Army Band celebrated its 99th anniversary in Mongolia with a concert on Sukhbaatar Square 51 Korean Service Corps edit The Korean Service Corps was a reserve force composed of South Korean volunteers who were augmented to the 8th Army They provided labourers who were used to carry ammunition and supplies and support the overall logistic elements of the army It is today a paramilitary civilian formation that is battalion sized Continuing is role as a combat service support unit it is capable of being expanded and mobilized during a wartime situation List of commanders editNo Commander Term Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length1 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralRobert L Eichelberger 1886 1961 1 June 19444 August 19484 years 64 days 2 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralWalton Walker 1889 1950 4 August 194823 December 19502 years 141 days 3 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralMatthew Ridgway 1895 1993 25 December 195012 April 1951108 days 4 nbsp GeneralJames Van Fleet 1892 1992 14 April 195111 February 19531 year 303 days 5 nbsp GeneralMaxwell D Taylor 1901 1987 11 February 195325 March 19552 years 42 days 6 nbsp GeneralLyman Lemnitzer 1899 1988 25 March 19555 June 195572 days 7 nbsp GeneralIsaac D White 1901 1990 25 June 19551 July 19572 years 6 days 8 nbsp GeneralGeorge Decker 1902 1980 1 July 195730 June 19591 year 364 days 9 nbsp GeneralCarter B Magruder 1900 1988 1 July 195930 June 19611 year 364 days 10 nbsp GeneralGuy S Meloy 1903 1968 1 July 196131 July 19632 years 30 days 11 nbsp GeneralHamilton H Howze 1908 1998 1 August 196315 June 19651 year 318 days 12 nbsp GeneralDwight E Beach 1908 2000 16 June 196531 August 19661 year 76 days 13 nbsp GeneralCharles H Bonesteel III 1909 1977 1 September 196630 September 19693 years 29 days 14 nbsp GeneralJohn H Michaelis 1912 1985 1 October 196931 August 19722 years 335 days 15 nbsp GeneralDonald V Bennett 1915 2005 1 September 197231 July 1973333 days 16 nbsp GeneralRichard G Stilwell 1917 1991 1 August 19738 October 19763 years 68 days 17 nbsp GeneralJohn W Vessey Jr 1922 2016 8 October 197610 July 19792 years 275 days 18 nbsp GeneralJohn A Wickham Jr born 1928 10 July 19794 June 19822 years 329 days 19 nbsp GeneralRobert W Sennewald 1929 2023 4 June 19821 June 19841 year 363 days 20 nbsp GeneralWilliam J Livsey 1931 2016 1 June 198425 June 19873 years 24 days 21 nbsp GeneralLouis C Menetrey Jr 1929 2009 25 June 198726 June 19903 years 1 day 22 nbsp GeneralRobert W RisCassi born 1936 26 June 19901 December 19922 years 158 days 23 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralWilliam W Crouch born 1941 1 December 199218 October 19941 year 321 days 24 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralRichard F Timmons born 1942 19 October 199431 July 19972 years 285 days 25 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralRandolph W House born 1949 1 August 199725 September 19981 year 55 days 26 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralDaniel J Petrosky born 1944 25 September 199828 September 20002 years 3 days 27 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralDaniel R Zanini born 1946 28 September 20006 November 20022 years 39 days 28 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralCharles C Campbell 1948 2016 6 November 200210 April 20063 years 155 days 29 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralDavid P Valcourt born 1951 11 April 200617 February 20081 year 312 days 30 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralJoseph F Fil Jr born 1953 18 February 200819 November 20102 years 274 days 31 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralJohn D Johnson born 1952 9 November 201026 June 20132 years 229 days 32 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralBernard S Champoux born 1954 27 June 20132 February 20162 years 220 days 33 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralThomas S Vandal 1960 2018 2 February 20165 January 20181 year 337 days 34 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralMichael A Bills born 1958 5 January 20182 October 20202 years 271 days 35 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralWillard Burleson born 1965 2 October 20205 April 20243 years 186 days 36 nbsp Lieutenant GeneralChristopher LaNeve5 April 2024Incumbent32 daysReferences edit Enter the Dragon Eighth Army unveils new emblem 15 April 2013 Task Force Smith July 1950 Battle of Osan memorialized a b Yongsan garrison move pushed back to 2019 Archived 30 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine Eighth Army 12 February 2023 History THEATER ARMY CORPS AND DIVISION OPERATIONS FM 3 94 United States Army 2014 pp 1 2 MacArthur Douglas 1966 Reports of General MacArthur The Campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific Vol I Washington DC Center of Military History United States Army p 423 Reports of General MacArthur p 423 Reports of General MacArthur p 450 a b Chronology of the Occupation GHQ AFPAC 15 August 1945 to 31 March 1946 Only history army mil Center of Military History U S Army Retrieved 13 February 2024 United States Secretary of the Army 1949 Annual Report of the Secretary of the Army 1948 Washington DC U S Government Printing Office p 65 via Google Books Annual Report of the Secretary of the Army 1948 p 65 National Archives US Enters the Korean Conflict History Vault Korean War The National Defense Committee visits Eighth Army Headquarters 29 August 2017 Don Oberdorfter The Two Koreas A Contemporary History Addison Wesley 1997 p 86 Oberdorfer The Two Koreas 1997 86 94 Oberdorfer Don 19 October 1991 U S DECIDES TO WITHDRAW A WEAPONS FROM S KOREA Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 20 March 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k l Army The Magazine of Landpower January 1989 1989 Command and Staff Association of the US Army Retrieved 28 June 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link 17th Aviation Brigade Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Colonel Johnnie L Sheperd 1993 Bring your Career to Korea US Army Aviation Digest July August 1993 Retrieved 28 June 2020 1st Battalion 501st Aviation Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 2nd Battalion 501st Aviation Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 a b c d e Raines Rebecca Robbins Signal Corps PDF US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 36th Signal Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 41st Signal Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 304th Signal Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 307th Signal Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 94th Military Police Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 728th Military Police Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 501st Military Intelligence Brigade Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 524th Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 a b 3rd Battalion 501st Aviation Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 21st Transportation Company Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 8th Personnel Center Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 516th Personnel Service Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 175th Financial Management Support Center Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 176th Finance Company Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 177th Finance Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 23rd Chemical Battalion Lineage US Army Center of Military History Retrieved 28 June 2020 Putnam Bill 9 June 2003 U S Forces Korea to start major realignment next year PDF See page 9 8th U S Army Starts Moving Out of Seoul The Chosun Ilbo 26 April 2017 Retrieved 27 April 2017 a b Eighth Army 2023b The conventional military balance on the Korean peninsula PDF document p 55 Team 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Retrieved 19 April 2021 403rd Army Field Support Brigade AFSB Army Sustainment Command Retrieved 19 April 2021 Soldier Support Journal 1982 EIGHTH ARMY BAND History Eighth Army Band Eighth Army The United States Army 8tharmy korea army mil Retrieved 28 August 2022 8th Army band readies for Wonju festival EIGHTH ARMY BAND News U S 8th Army Band s Ensemble Group Alliance Brass Celebrates 99th Birthday in Mongolia 30 June 2015 Blair Clay 2003 The Forgotten War America in Korea 1950 1953 illustrated reprint ed Naval Institute Press ISBN 1591140757 Retrieved 18 April 2014 Blair Clay 12 December 1987 The forgotten war America in Korea 1950 Times Books ISBN 0812916700 Retrieved 18 April 2014 Eighth Army 12 February 2023 MSC Organization US Eighth Army a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint date and year link External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eighth United States Army Eighth Army Official Homepage GlobalSecurity Eighth Army The short film STAFF FILM REPORT 66 12A 1966 is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eighth Army United States amp oldid 1222741477, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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