100th Army Reserve Division Activation: 1961-1962
Photos courtesy of former Reservist Ron Florence (Cynthiana) /Story of the Century
By Kenneth R. Hixson
T
he hot summer of 1961 did little to produce a thaw in the Cold War. And the problematic dissection of Berlin following World War II had left the Western democracies in constant conflict with Soviet Russia, of which East Germany was little more than a puppet state. By 1958 nearly two million East Germans—among them the brightest and most productive professionals, disillusioned by the Soviet system—had fled to West Berlin. To stem the tide of this exodus, Nikita Khrushchev that year issued a Berlin Ultimatum to the West to demilitarize the city. He further threatened to declare Berlin free from four-power control, thus making the east-west border crossings less accessible. The Western powers rejected Khrushchev’s demands, and the status of a divided Berlin was debated by the Soviet Premier, President John F. Kennedy and other Western leaders at Camp David, at a summit in Vienna, and through diplomatic channels as late as June. In July, Kennedy, sensing the increased tensions and the possible consequences, announced plans to triple the draft and to call up 127,000 Reserves by the end of August. Partly in response, in early August, East Germans began erecting a 27-mile long wall, physically segregating East from West Berlin, further increasing tensions. Among the Reservists activated by the President was the allKentucky 100th Division (Training), headquartered in Louisville under the command of Major General Dillman A. Rash. Making up the Division were regiments, battalions, companies, and support units—some 3,000 reservists strong—with headquarters 14
Kentucky humanities
and armories in 44 towns and cities across the state. Additionally, there were “fillers,” Reservist officers and non-commissioned officers from outside Kentucky activated to bring units up to strength where necessary. Many were from Ohio. Upon receiving their orders, advance parties in early September packed records and equipment and prepared to relocate to Ft. Polk, Louisiana. A change in orders on the 19th, however, rerouted them instead to Ft. Chaffee, adjacent to the western Arkansas city of Ft. Smith. Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas, had been closed—manned with only a skeleton force—for two years prior to this reactivation. What it lacked in basic equipment and amenities, it made up for in weeds, disrepair, and lack of attention. The hectic time between late September and the arrival of trainees on October 17 was spent in an attempt to make the barracks, administrative buildings, and training facilities functional; even at times presentable. Reservistowned automobiles and hand tools—necessary supplements to the dearth of available government-issue equipment—were in use early-on throughout the post to accomplish these upgrades. The mission of the 100th was multiple: three regiments were to receive new recruits for eight weeks of basic training, one regiment to train cooks and supply handlers, another to administer eight weeks of advance infantry training. The job of this latter group was often quite trying, given the cadre experience and expertise was almost entirely with branches other than infantry. The results of the proficiency testing of the initial advanced trainees were by and large disappointing, although they improved dramatically in the subsequent training cycles.
