The Purge of the Thirtieth Division by Major General Henry Dozier
Russell is the only known written work by any of the eighteen National
Guard division commanders mobilized in1940 and 1941. It chronicles from
a National Guard perspective many of the challenges and growing pains
experienced by the Army in the critical months leading up to its entry
into World War II. Through Russell, the reader gains insight into the
vast cultural differences between the Regular Army and the National
Guard at the time. Russell's memoir offer an invaluable source of a
commander's first-hand account of how his division trained and fared
during the 1940 Louisiana Maneuvers, and 1941 Tennessee and Carolina
Maneuvers, respectively, in its preparation for overseas deployment. The
narrative also contains a compelling account of the relations and
tensions between Regulars and National Guardsmen. It was a scathing
indictment of the Regular Army high command for what he perceived to be
unfair treatment of National Guard officers during World War II. He
cited many examples to bolster his claims, and contended that the U.S.
Army, under Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, was out to "get" the
Thirtieth Division and other National Guard divisions. He further
contended that the Army believed that a non-Regular officer should not
advance beyond the grade of lieutenant colonel. His memoir, which he
privately printed, pulled no punches. His first-hand account was very
critical of how a number of senior Regular Army officers handled affairs
with his division that led to his relief as the division commander.
Russell completed his memoir in 1947 and subsequently printed 500
copies, which he distributed to senior National Guard officers. He did
not sell any of the books, nor were they intended for or made available
to the general public. Although there was a demand for additional
copies, he did not print any more. The republication of The Purge of the
Thirtieth Division is intended to expand the scholarship on the history
of World War II and the history of the U.S. Army.
