II Corps

• Origins in the American Civil War: The first II Corps was formed in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War (1862), participating in key battles such as Antietam, Gettysburg, and Petersburg. • Gettysburg Valor: II Corps played a crucial role on July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg, holding the Union line at Cemetery Ridge and repelling multiple Confederate assaults. • High Casualty Rate: During the Civil War, II Corps suffered more casualties than any other Union corps, with over 44,000 killed, wounded, or missing. • World War I Reformation: The U.S. Army reactivated II Corps in 1918, deploying it to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, where it fought under both British and French command. • North Africa Campaign: In World War II, II Corps was involved in the 1943 Tunisia Campaign, learning from early setbacks at the Battle of Kasserine Pass to later achieve victory at El Guettar. • Sicily and Italy: After North Africa, II Corps led the Allied assault in Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) and continued fighting up the Italian Peninsula, including at Anzio and Rome. • Notable Commanders: II Corps was commanded by several famous generals, including Winfield Scott Hancock (Civil War), Lloyd Fredendall, and later George S. Patton (World War II). • Distinctive Insignia: The II Corps shoulder sleeve insignia features a white star on a blue pentagon, adopted during World War I and retained through subsequent reactivations. • Postwar Activity: After World War II, II Corps was briefly reactivated during the early Cold War, serving as a training formation before being inactivated in 1946 and again in the 1950s. • Legacy in Modern Army: Although not currently active, the II Corps designation and its traditions are preserved in U.S. Army history, and the corps is occasionally referenced in training exercises and war plans.