On March 15^th, 1943, the 20^th Armored Division was activated by the United States Army, and General Order #1 was issued by 20^th Armored Division Headquarters authorizing formation on that date.  Activation ceremonies commenced at 11:00 am, and included an invocation, reading of the activation order, introduction of the commanding general, inspection of the troops, introduction of visitors, and a review.  A luncheon for distinguished guests was followed by an open house and display, and later that night, a dance at Service Club Number 1.  A message in the activation ceremonies program read, "A new armored division is born at Camp Campbell, Kentucky on March 15^th 1943.  We, the officers and men of the organization feel it a distinct honor and privilege to be the nucleus of this division.  We predict for it a glorious future and join in the hope we can all remain with it to help write the pages of history its record of shining valor and success."  The activation date meant something more - it was the inspiration for the 20^th Armored Division's motto, "Beware the Ides of March", meant as a warning to all potential future enemies.     Upon activation, the division was assigned its mission as an overseas replacement division.  The core group of men and officers, known as the 'cadre', were drawn from the 8^th Armored Division - Reception Centers and individual replacements provided the 'fillers'.  Battalions were formed by 'casual detachment' from various sources; the 9^th and 20^th Armored Regiments provided the cadre for the 9^th, 20^th and 27^th Tank Battalions, the 480^th Armored Infantry Regiment (whose roster included a 2^nd Lieutenant Spiro T. Agnew) made up the cadre for the new Armored Infantry Battalions (First Battalion became the 65^th Armored Infantry Battalion, Second Battalion became the 70^th Armored Infantry Battalion, and Third Battalion became the 8^th Armored Infantry Battalion), the 998^th Field Artillery Battalion became the 413^th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, the 405^th AFA became the 414^th AFA; with some officers from the 3^rd Armored Division, the 8^th Armored Division's 88^th Armored Recon Battalion cadre became the 100^th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and then the 33^rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized.

     Facilities at Camp Campbell were meager at the start, the barracks being 'tar paper shacks' that were cold in the winter and hot in the summer.  Double bunks ran down both sides of the building, and there were open shelves down the center with pipes installed for hanging clothes.  They were heated day and night by two 200# coal heaters, that loaded from the top.  If the flue damper wasn't opened during loading, clouds of sulfurous smoke would billow out, hit the ceiling and fill the barracks with choking dust and smoke.   For the rest of 1943, and into the spring of 1944, the division was devoted to drawing its equipment, processing personnel, and training with the purpose of placing the unit in a position to provide cadres for new armored divisions, and to fit the original division for combat.       The new division's first commander was Major General Stephen G. Henry, who had been named to the position in the month before the official creation of the division.  General Henry, 49, had been Commandant of the Armored Force School, and he wanted to insure that armored units receiving trained replacements from the 20^th Armored Division would be getting well-trained soldiers.  The training was thorough and time-sensitive in all aspects of combat - street fighting, hand-to-hand combat, rifle marksmanship, machine gun firing, tank driving and gunnery, vehicle maintenance, battlefield first aid, camouflage, sanitation, mines and booby-traps, and more.  Riflemen were faced with 'Maggie's drawers' when they missed their target - a red flag wave off.  Technical specialists were to be proficient in bridge building, signaling, medical operations and vehicle repair.  Training could be dangerous - especially with live grenades.  Everything had to be learned from the ground up, even how to dig.  Doug Lentz (Northfield New Jersey), 'C' Company, 8^th AIB was on maneuvers and it was pitch dark in the woods, but he had to 'go' bad.  His buddy Lou Damaduk told him the 'straddle ditch' was only a short distance from where they were.  Sure enough, Lentz could see the outline of the hole.  He was all set to go when he saw something move.  It was another soldier sound asleep in his 'slit trench'.  There was a difference between the two types of hole - namely where the excess dirt was piled.