Birth of the 48th

the Birth of the 48th Infantry Division

Story by: Maj. William Carraway | 161st Military History Detachment | Georgia Army National Guard

For as far as most currently serving National Guard personnel can recall, National Guard units have been activated for federal service, deployed overseas in support of named operations and returned to state service as the same unit. This was not the case in the wars of the early and mid-20th Century. When the Georgia National Guard was mobilized for World War I and World War II, units and personnel were accepted into federal service and often reassigned or reorganized Effectively, the Georgia National Guard ceased to exist as an organization with the deployment of these forces and state guard organizations were organized to fill the vacuum.

On March 15, 1946, former Georgia National Guard officers, combat veterans of World War II, gathered in Macon to lay the foundation for a new National Guard organization in the state. Brigadier General Marvin Griffin, Georgia’s Adjutant General and future governor, addressed the gathering and observed the National Guard had very nearly passed out of existence in favor of federal forces. Griffin credited The National Guard Association for the survival of the Citizen Soldier concept.

Griffin laid out a bold plan for the reorganization of the Georgia National Guard.

“The zoning of Georgia is to carry out the War Department’s general plan for an over-all balanced defense of the nation,” said Griffin. Under the plan unveiled by Griffin, units would be organized geographically to maximize training and supervision. At the same time, the state would strive to perpetuate the lineage of Georgia National Guard units, some of which pre-dated the American Revolution. Macon would become the home of the reorganized 121st Infantry Regiment. A new infantry regiment was proposed with headquarters in Atlanta. While this unit was initially to be the 292nd Infantry Regiment, Georgia opted instead to reinstate the 122nd Infantry Regiment which had existed from 1917 to 1939 before converting to form the 179th Field Artillery Regiment. In place of the 179th, Atlanta would receive the 945th Field Artillery Battalion. These and other units would form the 48th Infantry Division which would also contain units of the Florida National Guard.

In addition to the infantry division, Georgia would receive an anti-aircraft artillery brigade. These units would be based on Georgia’s coast and Savannah River Valley with the primary mission of providing air cover for Atlanta and its industrial capacity. This brigade would become the 108th AntiAircraft Artillery Brigade, whose numerical designation would honor the former 108th Cavalry.

Charles Bowden, mayor of Macon welcomed the assembled veterans, many of whom were in the Army Reserve and considering service in the Georgia National Guard. Macon had served as the headquarters of the 30th Division prior to World War II, and its former commander, Maj. Gen. Henry D. Russell, himself a resident of Macon, also addressed the gathering.

Under the initial reorganization more than 40 cities were identified to host Georgia National Guard units.

General Order No. 17 of the Military Department, State of Georgia dated December 31, 1946 established the allotment of troops for the state to include the 48th ID and 108th AAA Brigade. The total allotment of ground forces was 11,270 Soldiers. Additionally, the Air Corps was allotted and organized under the 54th Fighter Wing.

The 48th ID was headquartered in Macon with Russell as its first commander. In its original structure, the 48th ID was comprised of three Infantry Regiments, the 121st and 122nd of Georgia and

the 124th of Florida.

The Division Artillery Headquarters was split between Florida and Savannah with three field artillery battalions, the 118th and 230th of Georgia and the 149th of Florida, armed with 105 mm howitzers. The Atlanta-based 945th FA provided division artillery with the heavy punch of 155 mm weapons.

Special troops were also split between the states with Georgia providing the band, signal and MP companies as well as a reconnaissance troop. Georgia’s 560th Engineer Battalion provided engineering capability to the 48th ID while Florida supplied the 202nd Medical Battalion,748th Ordnance Company and 48th Quartermaster Company.

In 1948, changes to the modified table of equipment for infantry divisions saw the addition of an organic tank and anti-aircraft artillery battalion, 190th Tank Battalion and the self-propelled 101st AntiAircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion.

The shoulder sleeve insignia for the 48th Infantry Division was approved on 16 February 1949. The design incorporated a four-pointed star, one point up, 2 3/8 inches in diameter, with each point divided into white and red halves. The patch incorporated a 1/8inch green border. The four points of the star alludes to the number “4” and the white and red alternating segments allude to the number “8.” The design, therefore, suggests the number of the Division.