19th Division (United States) explained

See also: Divisions of the United States Army.

Unit Name:	19th Infantry Division 109th Infantry Division
Dates:	1917–19 1944
Country:	United States
Role:	Phantom formation (in WWII)
Size:	Division
Battles:	World War I World War II Operation Fortitude
Notable Commanders:	Joseph Alfred Gaston

There have been a number of 19th Divisions in the history of the United States Army.

• 19th Division: A National Guard division established in early 1917 consisting of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. By the end of that same year, the 19th Division became the 40th Division (later 40th Infantry Division).
• 19th Division (World War I): Organized in 1918 as a regular army and national army division for World War I, the 19th Division did not go overseas and demobilized in February 1919 at Camp Dodge, Iowa.
• 19th Infantry Division: a "phantom" division in World War II.

During the Second World War the division remained inactive. However, it saw service of a kind as a "phantom division" as part of Allied deception measures. It was assigned to SHAEF for use in Operation Fortitude South, but was never actually utilized during that endeavor.

The division's order of battle included the following fictional units:

• Headquarters, 19th Infantry Division
• 572nd Infantry Regiment
• 573rd Infantry Regiment
• 578th Infantry Regiment
• Divisional Troops

In July 1944 the Division was redesignated as the 109th Infantry Division.

See also

• Formations of the United States Army in the early 20th Century
• Omar Bradley served with this division in World War I