European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 a the stars and stripes Friday january 17, 1992spearhead unit eases into history Fly Gary Pomeroy staff writer Frankfurt Germany the floor of sgt. 1st class Sylvester Princess office at Drake Cavern was cluttered with boxes. The boxes overflowed with forms paperwork and office supplies a remnants of the 3rd army dives draw Down that began last june. Prince the noncommissioned officer in charge of the 3rd army dives data management division somehow managed to keep his desk. On top of the desk was the computer he uses to Monitor the status of the few remaining soldiers in the 3rd army div. After the division cases its colors this morning the spearhead division will have completed a 14-month Span that began in the persian Gulf and ended with the draw Down of 17,000 soldiers and 182,000 pieces of equipment. Prince has had a Busy computer. Since june 10,806 soldiers have transferred to army units in Europe. An additional 6,104 soldiers including 2,464 with families have been moved out of the theater. All Prince has to do now is track the final 50 or so soldiers who will stay for about a month to ensure All people and families have been moved and that his desk and computer have been accounted for. A it s been rather hectic but its beginning to slow Down Quot said Prince a Philadelphia native who served five months in the persian Gulf. His remaining Job amounts to a a juggling act Quot he said. The a magnitude and complexity of the Mission has been a major Challenge according to the division s commander. A i think we have gone in the past year about the full spectrum that you could Quot said maj. Gen. Jerry r. Rutherford who has commanded the 3rd army div since april 1991. Quot its an emotional thing when you fight a War with a unit like this and a with it being the famous unit that it is a to draw Down a said Rutherford who commanded the Karlstedt based 2nd army div fwd in the persian Gulf. A we looked at it on a positive note. And we went about accomplishing this Mission the same Way we went into the War. We went in to do it right and to do it with Pride and dignity. A i Feci very Good about what we have  said Rutherford who will become Deputy commander of v corps next week. The shortage of household movers Over the summer was the biggest hurdle he said. A after that things started moving pretty quickly a a Rutherford said adding that Many things had to be  liven 336 pets. A the Challenge there was to ensure that the pet and the owner were on the the spearhead division with Headquarters at Drake Cavern Frank flirt cases the colors today. A amps Kan george3rd army div history history of Vii corps a april 1941 unit formed at Camp Beauregard la. A september1943 division moves to England Tor training. A june 1944 division units begin Landing at Omaha Beach. A a september 1944 division troops y. Capture nearly 10,000 German troops at Mons Belgium l a september 1944 becomes the first . Unit to capture a German town Roentgen. A november 1945 div Flori.  a deactivated. A july 1947 reactivated at fort Knox by. A May 1956 division return to Europe a a october 1958 pvt. Elvis Presley is assigned to co a 1st in 32nd Armor in Friedberg Germany. A december 1990 deployed to the persian guff. A february 1991 participated in 100-hour ground War taking More than 2,400 iraqi  same air plane going Home a Rutherford said. A and i can Tell you that in this division i got All the pets on the same air planes As the owners and they All got Home  the priority during the draw Down was taking care of people Rutherford said. A i feel very Good that we be accomplished that a he said. The Mission has not been completed for sgt. 1st class Paul Ray the noncommissioned officer in charge of the division support command property Book team. Since he returned from the persian Gulf in August Ray has tracked the records of $550 million Worth of a go to War equipment for the 2nd brigade 3rd army div at Gellhausen. Since Jan. 9, he has done it without a desk. For him the draw Down has been a extremely fast paced a invigorating a the Pasadena md., native said. And the casing of the colors does not mean it is time to relax he said. Ray will remain in Frankfurt for about a month before he moves to fort Carson Colo. Said Ray a a in la take my deep breath when they say in a  a aug. 19,1918 the corps is activated in re Miremont France near Strasbourg during world War i and begins training for duty on the Western front. It nov. 11,1918 armistice declared i a two weeks before vol corps scheduled j to enter combat a dec. 1,1918 corps moves into Germany As part of occupation forces. My 1919 corps withdraws from Germany ships to states. A july 11,1919 the corps is demobilized at Camp Upton . A it nov. 1940 the corps Isrea cited. At Fth Mcc Ferlan Afa As Peri of president Roosevelt s military a buildup. A it december 1941 following Pearl Harbor and America s entry into world War ii the corps is hastily transferred to Northern California. Serving under the Western defense come it guards against a possible japanese invasion of the . Mainland. A Freve tiber 1942 the corps is it transferred to Jacksonville fla., and serves As a training Headquarters. A september 1941 the corps ships to England to begin training for overlord the Allied invasion of Europe. A june 6,1944 vol corps units hit Utah Beach during the a Day invasion of Normandy France. A june 7,1944-May 8,1945 the corps spends 337 Days in combat. Its divisions drive 1,200 Miles through nazi held Europe. A april 26,1945 Forward patrols link up with the advancing red army on the Elbe River near Leipzig Germany. A May 8,1945 the germans unconditionally surrender. It june 11,1645 the Vii corps Headquarters is placed on non operate a statue and shipped Back to the states. It March 1,1946 the corps is formally inactivated at the Presidio of san Francisco. It Jan. 22,1951 the vol corps is activated at fort Meade md., As part of the korean War Era military buildup. A 1951-1989 As East West relations ice Over the vol corps is shipped to Europe where it joins nato forces guarding against a possible soviet invasion of West Germany. It nov. 9,1989 East German leaders a open the Berlin Walt and other Border Crossings in the next Days vhf corps Border patrols Are overwhelmed by. Millions of East germans seeking a. T glimpse of the Western world. It february 1990 for the first time in nearly 40 years the corps Forward units halt their daily patrols along the East German and czechoslovakian Borders following democratic revolutions in both countries it september 1990 the Pentagon announces major troop cuts and. Base closures in Europe. A a nov. 9,1990 the vol corps begins deploying 70,000 troops to saudi Arabia As part of the buildup for the persian Gulf War. It feb. 23 28,1991 corps units launch a 150,000-Trgop strike Force into Southern Iraq in five Days of combat the corps drives 150 Miles through enemy held territory and destroys 2,000 tanks it april 1991 the corps returns to . From the Middle East. It june 15,1991 the corps begins cutting manpower to prepare for withdrawal from Europe. A dec. 21,1991 the corps longtime cold War adversary the soviet Union splinters into 11 separate states. Nearly All remaining vol corps soldiers Are gone. A april 15,1992 for the third time since world War i the Vii corps Headquarters is scheduled to withdraw from