97th Infantry Division (United States)
| 97th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
97th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
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| Active | 5 September – 20 November 1918 25 February 1943 – 31 March 1946 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch |
 United States Army
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | Trident |
| Engagements | |
The 97th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Nicknamed the Trident division because of its shoulder patch, a vertical trident in white on a blue background, it was originally trained in amphibious assaults as preparation for deployment in the Pacific Theater, it was pulled to infantry in 1944 when casualties in Europe needed to be replaced.
The division was organized at Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico and activated 5 September 1918; one infantry regiment (303rd) served with the 76th Division.
The division was composed of National Army draftees mainly from Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Later recruits came from Oklahoma and Minnesota. The strength of the division at demobilization was 402 officers and 7,889 men.
Neptune's trident was originally adopted as the division's symbol, to represent the coastal states of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, from which recruits were drawn in 1918. The three prongs of the trident represent the three states, the blue symbolizes the states' numerous fresh water lakes, and the white of the border and trident represents the snow that covers these states' mountains.
172nd Field Artillery Brigade
The brigade was organized at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, under the command of Brigadier General Dennis H. Currie.
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