#5-064
To General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower
March 16, 1945 [Radio No. W-53969.] Washington, D.C.
Secret
Eisenhower from Marshall.
I have here General Brereton’s recommendation in which you concur for the citation of the 82d Airborne Division for its action in Holland.1
The War Department policy regarding citations established in War Department Circular 333 of 22 Dec. 1943 had for its purpose the avoidance of divisional citations except under most unusual circumstances, since the past practice and that developed in the Guadalcanal campaign had been to cite divisions in such a way that inevitably every division in the battle was cited and it literally meant nothing more than a battle participation, the poor being cited along with the best. The policy also had for its purpose the encouragement of citations without long delays for smaller units, preferably company and battalion, and platoon if possible for which the theater or army commander has the power to act and for which the individual combat soldier won the right to wear a distinguishing ribbon.2
The recent citation of the 101 Division for its action at Bastogne was a very proper exception to the general policy. Now I fear that the 82d recommendation has been inspired by reason of the 101 citation for the Bastogne action. Also I wonder if the 101 in Holland didn’t do enough to merit a citation there if the 82d is to receive one. And further I wonder if once the 82d is cited, we will not immediately be involved with a succession of divisions, the First, the Fourth Armored and so on.
What is your personal reaction?3
I assume you have cited some unit for the Remagen bridge affair. Certainly a citation apparently would seem to be called for though I suppose the Fourth Armored Division’s penetration to the vicinity of Andernach and the Ninth Armored Division or Ninth Infantry Division’s thrust south towards Remagen also played a distinguishing part in the general affair.4
Document Copy Text Source: George C. Marshall Papers, Pentagon Office Collection, Selected Materials, George C. Marshall Research Library, Lexington, Virginia.
Document Format: Typed radio message.
1. Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton commanded the First Allied Airborne Army in the European Theater of Operations.
2. War Department Circular No. 333, December 22, 1943, stated: “It must be clearly established that the unit distinguished itself in battle by extraordinary heroism, exhibited such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in overcoming unusually difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above units participating in the same engagement. As a unit, it must have distinguished itself by conspicuous battle action of a character that would merit the award to an individual of the Distinguished Service Cross. . . . It is desired that the great majority of units cited will be companies and battalions (Army Air Forces squadrons and groups), or units of comparable size. The standards are such that only on rare occasions will regimental or divisional units qualify for such award.”
In October 1943 General Marshall expressed similar views to General Douglas MacArthur: “A long delayed and very general appreciation of the services of a division was of less importance than a prompt citation of small units, companies, or battalions.” See Papers of George Catlett Marshall, #4-148 [4: 170–71].
3. “I did not know personally that the recommendation for the 82d Division had been forwarded to you,” replied Eisenhower on March 17. “I will have the matter handled by requiring the airborne commander to enumerate the units that should be cited.” Eisenhower agreed to “limiting unit citations to the smaller formations except in most unusual circumstances. Even in the case of the 101st Division we had to say ‘less one battalion’. Recommendations have been submitted to me for citations for both the 4th Armored and the 90th Divisions and this is only an indication of what will come unless we stick closely to a policy.” (Papers of DDE, 4: 2530–31.)
4. For further information regarding the Fourth Armored Division, see Marshall to Eisenhower, March 27, 1945, Papers of George Catlett Marshall, #5-072 [5: 102].
Recommended Citation: The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, ed. Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens (Lexington, Va.: The George C. Marshall Foundation, 1981– ). Electronic version based on The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, vol. 5, “The Finest Soldier,” January 1, 1945–January 7, 1947 (Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003), pp. 89–90.