Southern Defense Command
Encyclopedia
Southern Defense Command (SDC) was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Gulf of Mexico
coastal region of the United States. A second major responsibility of SDC was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas. The first Commanding General of SDC was Lieutenant General
Herbert Brees, who continued on in command of the Third U.S. Army. SDC headquarters was co-located with the existing Third Army headquarters at Fort Sam Houston
. SDC's operational region covered the states of New Mexico
, Texas, Oklahoma
, Arkansas
, Louisiana
, Mississippi
, Alabama
, Tennessee
, and the western half of
the Florida Panhandle
.
Third U.S. Army was shipped to England in January 1944 where Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. took over command from General Hodges. Major General
Henry C. Pratt assumed command of Southern Defense Command.
In January 1945 Southern Defense Command was merged into Eastern Defense Command
.
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coastal region of the United States. A second major responsibility of SDC was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas. The first Commanding General of SDC was Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Herbert Brees, who continued on in command of the Third U.S. Army. SDC headquarters was co-located with the existing Third Army headquarters at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
. SDC's operational region covered the states of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Texas, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and the western half of
the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
.
Third U.S. Army was shipped to England in January 1944 where Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. took over command from General Hodges. Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henry C. Pratt assumed command of Southern Defense Command.
In January 1945 Southern Defense Command was merged into Eastern Defense Command
Eastern Defense Command
Eastern Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Atlantic Coast region of the United States. EDC replaced the existing Northeast Defense Command. A second major responsibility of EDC was the training...
.
Commanders
The following men served as Commanding General, Southern Defense Command:- Lieutenant General Herbert Brees, 17 March 1941 – 15 May 1941
- Lieutenant General Walter KruegerWalter KruegerWalter Krueger was an American soldier of German descent and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II...
, 16 May 1941 – 2 February 1943 - Lieutenant General Courtney H. Hodges, 2 February 1943 – December 1943
- Major General Henry Conger PrattHenry Conger PrattHenry Conger Pratt was a Major General in the United States Army.-Career:Pratt was appointed to the United States Military Academy from Wisconsin in 1900 and graduated in 1904. In 1911 he became an aide to President William Howard Taft. He was given command of Brooks Field in 1918 and soon after...
, January 1944 – October 1944
See also
- Western Defense CommandWestern Defense CommandWestern Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Pacific Coast region of the United States. A second major responsibility was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas. The first...
- Central Defense CommandCentral Defense CommandCentral Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Midwest region of the United States. A second major responsibility of CDC was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas...
- Eastern Defense CommandEastern Defense CommandEastern Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Atlantic Coast region of the United States. EDC replaced the existing Northeast Defense Command. A second major responsibility of EDC was the training...
- Alaska Defense CommandAlaska Defense CommandAlaska Defense Command was established on 4 February 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States...
- Caribbean Defense Command