Eighth United States Army

Badge of the 8th US Army

Soldiers of the 8th US Army fighting in the Korean War on November 20, 1950

The Eighth United States Army , ( German 8th US Army ), abbreviated EUSA, is a field army of the United States Army that has been active since 1944. She took part in World War II (numerous missions in the Pacific, including the planned Operation Downfall ) and in the Korean War; in total there were about 60 war missions.

history

Second World War

Robert Eichelberger

The 8th Army was set up on June 10, 1944 and General Robert Eichelberger was appointed as its commander . In the wake of the 6th Army, which landed in the Philippines, it landed on Leyte in December 1944 . In 1945 the 8th Army entered the battle on Luzon and landed the XI. Corps on January 29 near San Antonio and two days later the 11th Airborne Division across from Manila Bay . In cooperation with the I and XIV Corps of the 6th Army, the forces of the 8th Army encompassed the Japanese forces in the Battle of Manila in a pincer movement. Afterwards the remnants of Japanese troops in the southern Philippines and Mindanao were fought.

post war period

The 8th Army was assigned to Operation Coronet , the second phase of the occupation of Japan, to invade the east coast of Honshu . The capitulation of Japan only resulted in occupation duties; on August 30, 1945, units landed in Yokohama , then the headquarters moved to Tokyo . At the beginning of 1946, the 8th Army was responsible for all occupying forces in Japan. In September 1948 Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker took over command and tried to revive the operational readiness of the troops, which had been dismantled in recent years, but was largely unsuccessful. This situation then had serious consequences in the following Korean War when the war broke out in South Korea .

Korean War

In June 1950, the North Korean invasion of South Korea began. Before any notable American reinforcements could arrive in Korea, the North Koreans had overrun the border defenses and occupied Seoul . The task of the 8th Army was to push the enemy back across the 38th parallel . General Walker was also given command of the troops of South Korea, but was pushed back to a bridgehead around Busan because of the inadequate command organization of the 8th Army . From September 15, US Commander MacArthur landed the X. Corps under Major General Almond as reinforcement behind enemy lines at Incheon with about 40,000 men. As part of the first UN counter-offensive, the 8th Army crossed the border into North Korea and advanced further north than planned, which led to the intervention of China in October. Before the Sino-North Korean counter-offensive began, the 8th Army had to retreat to Pyongyang and later evacuated it in order to move into a new defensive position south of the 38th parallel. On November 25, 1950, the Chinese began a massive counterattack that completely took the Americans by surprise (Battle of the Chongchon). The largely disorderly withdrawal of US forces that followed turned out to be a debacle. General Walker was killed in an accident on December 23, 1950 and replaced by Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway . This began a counteroffensive on January 25, 1951, which was initially successful, but then stalled in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge (September 13 to October 15). 3,700 Americans and French and approximately 25,000 North Koreans and Chinese died or were wounded. The high losses for minimal land gain forced both sides to enter into an armistice .

present

The headquarters are located in the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul , South Korea. The EUSA is part of the United States Forces Korea . The current commanding general is Lieutenant General Joseph F. Fil, Jr. and Command Sergeant Major is Barry C. Wheeler.

units

Organization of the 8th Army

2nd Infantry Division
19th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
18th Medical Command
US Army Troop Command - Korea
US Special Operations Command - Korea
US Army Corps of Engineers - Far East District
19th Military Police Battalion (Criminal Investigation Division)
United Nations Command Security Battalion - Joint Security Area

Historically, the 8th Personnel Command, 17th Aviation Brigade, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 175th Finance Command, and the 8th Military Police Brigade were subordinate to the 8th US Army.

List of commanders

Commanding general	Beginning of the appointment	End of appointment
Lieutenant General Robert L. Eichelberger	January 1, 1944	4th August 1948
Lieutenant General Walton Walker	4th August 1948	December 23, 1950
Lieutenant General Frank W. Milburn (acting)	December 23, 1950	December 25, 1950
Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway	December 23, 1950	April 14, 1951
General James A. Van Fleet	April 14, 1951	February 11, 1953
General Maxwell D. Taylor	February 11, 1953	March 1955
General Lyman Lemnitzer	March 1955	1957
General Isaac D. White	1957	1959
General Carter B. Magruder	1961	1963
General Hamilton H. Howze	August 1, 1963	June 15, 1965
General Dwight E. Beach	1965	1966
General Charles H. Bonesteel III	1966	1969
General John H. Michaelis	1969	1972
General John W. Vessey, Jr.	1976	November 6, 1978
General John A. Wickham, Jr.	1979	1982
General Robert W. Sennewald	1982	1984
General William J. Livsey	June 1, 1984	June 25, 1987
General Louis C. Menetrey, Jr.	June 25, 1987	June 26, 1990
General Robert W. RisCassi	June 26, 1990	1992
General Edwin H. Burba, Jr.	1992	1993
General Charles C. Campbell	December 6, 2002	April 10, 2006
Lieutenant General David P. Valcourt	April 11, 2006	February 17, 2008
General Joseph F. Fil, Jr.	February 18, 2008	November 19, 2010
Lieutenant General John D. Johnson	November 19, 2010	June 26, 2013
Lieutenant General Bernard S. Champoux	June 27, 2013	February 2, 2016
Lieutenant General Thomas S. Vandal	February 2, 2016	5th January 2018
Lieutenant General Michael A. Bills	5th January 2018	officiating