DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY 90TH REGIONAL READINESS COMMAND

CAPTAIN MAURICE L. BRITT UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE CENTER

8000 CAMP ROBINSON ROAD

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72118-2205

2. The following is an After Action Report of the findings on historic research regarding the 90th Infantry Division’s recommendation for the Presidential Unit Citation (formerly known as the Distinguished Unit Citation) for their success in World War II in the reduction of the Metz Fortress and Moselle River Crossing, 9-19 November 1944.

3. Thorough research of the 90th Infantry Division files was recently conducted at the U.S. Library of Congress; U.S. Army Center of Military of History; National Archives II; ARPERSCOM Awards and Decorations Branch; and through correspondence with 90th Division and other concerned WWII Veterans. The original award recommendation was made by MG Walton H. Walker, Commander of XX Corps, European Theater of Operations, to which the 90th Infantry was assigned at the time of the initial recommendation.

4. MG Walker’s recommendation was subsequently endorsed by LTG George S. Patton, Jr., Commander, Third U.S. Army. LTG Patton publicized and documented the 90th Infantry Division’s action, which was subsequently cited in the award recommendation as “the greatest military achievement of the war.”

5. LTG Patton’s endorsement was forwarded to European Theater Operations Command, where it was further endorsed by Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower along with seven other division endorsements and forwarded to the War Department for approval.

(Note – the European Theater Historian, S.L.A. Marshall also concurred with the findings of all the mentioned endorsee’s, and specifically concurred that the 90th Infantry Division should receive the award).

6. Following the recommendation, endorsement, and document trails of this award submission, I have concluded the following:

a. The 90th Infantry Division met the requirements for award of the Distinguished Unit Citation at the time it was recommended by

MG Walker in accordance with Executive Order 9396, 22 November 1943 from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

b. The award recommendation was delayed by the War Department in 1945 due to an interpretation issue and returned to the European Theater of Operations Command on 8 February 1946 for further action. LTG Eisenhower then directed his Chief of Staff, MG H.R. Bull, to submit the reaffirmation of the award recommendation back to the War Department for approval on 2 August 1946 and again on 10 September 1946; however, there is no evidence that it was ever acted upon.

(Note – this is the last official correspondence known to exist concerning the 90th Infantry Division Award).

c. Documentation reveals that the 96th Infantry Division also received the same return notice of their award recommendation on

8 February 1946; however, since that time, the 96th received subsequent letters of denial of the Distinguished Unit Citation on

6 July 1951 and 7 August 1951 (see Other Docs Tab, last 5 pages). It is appropriate to note that the 96th Infantry Division was ultimately awarded the Presidential Unit Citation on 27 July 2001, for its actions from 1 April 1945 to 30 June 1945. The 96th Division’s recommendation was submitted approximately six months after the 90th Division had been recommended for the same award.

d. The documentation presented in the 90th Division’s Presidential Unit Citation Award resubmission packet, along with the precedent set forth by the recent Presidential Unit Citation award of the 96th Division, are consistent with the official records of the European Theater Command and European Theater Historian S.L.A. Marshall.

7. Recommendation: That the enclosed recommendation packet recognizing the 90th Infantry Division’s extraordinary heroic and gallant deeds of World War II, as originally recommended by MG Walker and endorsed by both General’s Patton and Eisenhower, be submitted for award of the Presidential Unit Citation in accordance with current U.S. Army Awards and Decorations Branch guidelines.