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Unit Distinctive Insignia
Eastern Defense Command |
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Eastern Defense Command |
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Organized: |
31 March 1942 |
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States
Operated |
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Maine, New
Hampshire,
Vermont,
Massachusetts,
Connecticut,
Rhode
Island, New
York,
Pennsylvania,
New Jersey,
Delaware,
Maryland,
Virginia,
North
Carolina,
South
Carolina,
Georgia,
Florida
(partial)
Other
Territories
Newfoundland |
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Assignment: |
Eastern Defense
Frontier |
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Headquarters: |
Washington, DC |
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Motto: |
-- |
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Command: |
Lt. Gen. Hugh A.
Drum |
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As World War II
approached, the continental United States
was split into defense commands responsible
for managing resources vital to the defense
of the nation. The country was divided
into four major defense command territories.
These commands coordinated efforts between
the Army Ground Forces, the Army Air Forces,
and the US Navy to provide a network of
national defense as the clouds of war loomed
ever closer to the United States.
In late 1939 an act was passed giving
commanding officers of the defense commands
the rank of Lt. General, making them
superior in rank to the corps area
commanders in their areas. As a
result, defense commanders began taking a
more active role in the tactical and
strategic organization of the troops now
under their command.
The mission of the Defense Commands was as
follows:
A: Defend as may be necessary
important coastal areas in their respective
corps areas; arrange with appropriate naval
district commanders for cooperation of local
naval defense forces in execution of
assigned missions; provide anti-sabotage
protection for such installations and
establishments vital to national defense as
cannot be adequately protected by local
civil authorities; take necessary action
under the Emergency Plan-WHITE (a plan in
which military forces were used to quell
domestic uprisings); and, in certain cases,
receive at detraining points, move to
concentration areas, care for, supply, and
move to ports of embarkation units
designated for [overseas] movement.
B: The armies are responsible for
coordinating the defense of the coastal
frontiers of the corps areas included in
their respective army area; for exercising
general supervision of the arrangements made
by those corps areas with the naval
districts concerned for the cooperation of
their local defense forces; and for
effecting any necessary coordination of
anti-sabotage measures along corps area
boundaries.
In addition to the four continental defense
commands (eastern, central, southern, and
western) the Caribbean Defense Command was
established to operate defenses in the
Caribbean Islands, Central America, Panama
and the Panama Canal Zone, and parts of
northern South America. Alaska was
included in the Western Defense Command, and
Hawaii was a separate defense district.
Areas such as Canada and Mexico were not
included in the defense commands, but were
protected by US naval forces in the waters
off of their coastlines. The western
shores of Canada and Mexico were included in
the Western Sea Frontier. The eastern
shore of Canada was included in the Eastern
Sea Frontier and the eastern shore of Mexico
was included in the Gulf Sea Frontier.
Defense
commands in the continental United States
were arranged as illustrated by the map
below. |
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