United States Army 99th Infantry Division (Checkerboard or Battle Babies)

U. S. ARMY 99TH INFANTRY DIVISION (CHECKERBOARD OR BATTLE BABIES) - The 99th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II.  It played a strategic role in the Battle of the Bulge when its inexperienced troops held fast on the northern shoulder of the German advance, refusing them access to the vital northern road network that led into Belgium.

The 99th Regional Support Command, which is the successor unit of the 99th Infantry Division, is a Major General command under the US Army Reserve Command (USARC). The command provides base operations support to all Army Reserve Soldiers, units, facilities and equipment for the entire Northeast Region of the Army Reserve, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

The unit's distinctive shoulder patch consisted of a five-sided shield of black on which is superimposed a horizontal band of white and blue squares. The black represents the iron from the mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where many of the troops were from. The blue and white are taken from the coat of arms for William Pitt for whom Pittsburgh was named. There are nine white squares and nine blue ones, signifying the number 99.  The division was also known as the "Battle Babies" during 1945, a sobriquet coined by a United Press correspondent when the division was first mentioned in press reports during the Battle of the Bulge.

World War II

• Activated:  November 15, 1942
• Overseas:  September 30, 1944
• Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe
• Days of combat: 151
• Returned to U.S.:  September 17, 1945
• Inactivated:  October 15, 1945

WWII Casualties

• Total battle casualties: 6,553
• Killed in action: 993
• Wounded in action: 4,177
• Missing in action: 247
• Prisoner of war: 1,136

WWII Awards

• Distinguished Unit Citations: 2
• Distinguished Service Cross (United States)- 16
• Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)-1
• Silver Star- 252
• Legion of Merit- 6
• DFC- 7
• Soldier's Medal-8
• Bronze Star – 2,127
• Air Medal- 48
• Medal of Honor-1