Bruce Magruder was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Moro Rebellion, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, and World War II, he attained the rank of major general. Magruder was most notable as the first commander of the 1st Armored Division and commander of the Infantry Replacement Center at Camp Wolters, Texas, during World War II.
Magruder as a lieutenant colonel in 1919
Stylized portrait of Magruder from the dedication page of the North Carolina College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts 1936 yearbook
From 1941's Historical and Pictorial Review: First Armored Division of the United States Army
Magruder as commander of 1st Armored Division in the summer of 1941
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division, nicknamed "Old Ironsides", is a combined arms division of the United States Army. The division is part of III Armored Corps and operates out of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. It was the first armored division of the United States' Army to see battle in World War II. Since World War II, the division has been involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Persian Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, and several other operations. The division has also received numerous awards and recognition.
The M5 Stuart tank was used by "Iron Soldiers" during World War II.
Exhibit at the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss museum depicts the type of bivouac site used in North Africa in WWII. Soldiers slept in cloth tents and carried chests of equipment and stoves.
Sticker Handed out to Division Staff prior to Mountain Eagle 1995
1st BCT employed tanks in the city of Ramadi to push out Al Qaeda in Iraq.