VII Corps (United States)

VII Corps
Shoulder sleeve insignia of VII Corps
Active	1918–19 1921–46 1950–92
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Nickname(s)	The Jayhawk Corps
Engagements	World War I World War II Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe Gulf War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Robert C. Richardson Jr. J. Lawton Collins John Galvin Frederick M. Franks, Jr.
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

World War I
World War II

The VII Corps of the United States Army was one of the two principal corps of the United States Army Europe during the Cold War. Activated in 1918 for World War I, it was reactivated for World War II and again during the Cold War. During both World War II and the Cold War it was subordinate to the Seventh Army, or USAREUR and was headquartered at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, West Germany, from 1951 until it was redeployed to the US and inactivated in 1992.

VII Corps was organized at the end of World War I on 19 August 1918, at Remiremont, France and was inactivated in 1919.

VII Corps was reactivated at Fort McClellan, Alabama 25 November 1940 and participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers staged as the US Army prepared for World War II. In late December 1941, VII Corps HQ was moved to San Jose, California as part of the Western Defense Command and as it continued to train and prepare for deployment.

Its first return to continental Europe took place on D-Day in June 1944, as one of the two assault corps for the U.S. First Army during Operation Overlord, targeting Utah Beach via amphibious assault. For Overlord, the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were attached to VII Corps. After the Battle of Normandy the airborne units were assigned to the newly created XVIII Airborne Corps. Subsequently, VII Corps participated in many battles during the advance across France and then invaded Germany until the surrender of the Third Reich in May 1945. The corps was inactivated in 1946.