42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division Memorial Highway

The lengthy memorial state highway (SH 51) runs across the width of the state with only 2 segments of the highway excluded. It is principally a 2-lane road traversing rural areas, small towns, cities, and a major metropolitan area. It honors the service of the 42nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division during World Wars I & II. The 42nd Division was constituted in 1917 in the New York National Guard with component units formed from personnel from 26 states and the District of Columbia. The division moved overseas to France in November, 1917; participated in 6 major operations: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne 1918, and Lorraine 1918; spent 264 days in combat; and was demobilized in May, 1919. The 42nd suffered 2,058 Killed in Action (KIA), and 12,625 Wounded in Action (WIA) during the Great War. The Division was reconstituted and activated at Camp Gruber at Braggs, Oklahoma in July, 1943. The 42nd Infantry Division deployed overseas, landed in France, and fought in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). Elements of the Division participated in 3 campaigns: the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns; spent some 106 days in combat; and was inactivated in Austria in June, 1946, after the victory in Europe (V-E Day). The 42nd suffered 553 KIA, 2,212 WIA, and 31 Missing in Action (MIA) in World War II. Subsequently, reorganized in the National Guard. Segments of the roadway were designated as part of the memorial highway on 3 occasions: in 1963, 1998, and 1999. (Note: Elements of the Division have also participated in expeditionary operations, including in Iraq, in support of the Global War on Terrorism.) (Note: The Division’s shoulder sleeve insignia (patch) is an arched rainbow with bands of red, gold and blue, within a narrow Army green border. The insignia was officially approved in May, 1922, after the end of World War I, although unofficial variations were worn during the war.) (Note: The nickname “Rainbow Division” was derived from the original composition of units, which came from numerous states across the nation and represented a national blend of disparate America patriots.)