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28-615: The Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra was established as part of the Seventh United States Army based in Stuttgart, Germany in 1952. It was founded by the young conductor Samuel Adler who also served as its first principal conductor while stationed as a Corporal in the 2nd Armored Division during the Cold War . The orchestra's membership consisted of professionally educated musicians who were also enlisted within

56-552: A seven-stepped letter "A," steps in yellow with the center in scarlet. On 8 November 1942, General Patton was in command of the Western Task Force (a temporary redesignation of I Armored Corps for tactical deception), the only all-American force landing for Operation Torch , code name for the Allied invasion of French North Africa . I Armored Corps then began to drive east which complemented British forces driving from

84-634: The Allied High Commission , James B. Conant also praised the orchestra for promoting cultural understanding between the German and American people. Adler received a special Citation of Excellence from the Army for forming the 7th Army Symphony Orchestra and its success in Europe between 1952 and 1961. Over the years, members of the orchestra participated in several historic performances. During

112-739: The British Eighth Army , commanded by General Sir Bernard Montgomery , Patton's rival. Patton commanded the Seventh Army until early 1944. The Seventh Army landed on several beaches in southern Sicily on 10 July 1943 and captured the Sicilian capital of Palermo on 22 July and, along with the British Eighth Army, captured Messina on 16 August. During the fighting, the elements of the Seventh Army killed or captured thousands of enemy soldiers, mainly Italians. During

140-649: The Western Task Force , the first all-U.S. force to enter the European war. Following successful defeat of the Wehrmacht under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in North Africa, the I Armored Corps was redesignated the Seventh Army on 10 July 1943 while at sea en route to the Allied invasion of Sicily as the spearhead of Operation Husky . After the conquests of Palermo and Messina the Seventh Army prepared for

168-679: The Western Task Force , under the command of Major General George S. Patton , the first all-American force to enter the war against the Germans . Following the successful defeat of the Axis powers under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel in North Africa, in May 1943, I Armored Corps was redesignated as the Seventh Army on 10 July 1943 while at sea en route to the Allied invasion of Sicily as

196-415: The invasion of southern France . The invasion was originally given the code name of "Operation Anvil", but was changed to " Operation Dragoon " before the landing. In March 1944, Major General Alexander Patch , a highly experienced and competent commander, was assigned to command the Seventh Army, which moved to Naples , Italy , the following July. On 15 August 1944, elements of the Seventh Army assaulted

224-670: The Allied forces coming south from Normandy . In the process, the Seventh Army had liberated Marseilles , Lyon , Toulon and all of Southern France. The Seventh Army then assaulted the German forces in the Vosges Mountains and broke into the Alsatian Plain . During the Battle of the Bulge in late December, it extended its flanks to take over much of the area that had been the responsibility of U.S. Third Army then under

252-501: The Army during the 1950s and early 1960s. During the course of a decade, the orchestra concertized extensively throughout the ruins of war-torn Europe as part of the cultural diplomacy initiatives of the United States in the aftermath of World War II. In addition to bolstering the morale of America's enlisted troops, the orchestra was established in order to demonstrate the shared cultural values and musical heritage which united

280-617: The Army for the orchestra was curtailed after 1962. In addition to providing concerts for audiences throughout Europe, the Seventh Army Orchestra also concertized over the radio. Performances by the orchestra were shared with all members of the United States armed forces over the Armed Forces Radio Service. Over the years, various noted musicians conducted the Seventh Army Orchestra including: Seventh United States Army The Seventh Army

308-683: The German Operation Nordwind , then completed its reduction of the region by mid-March. In a lead role in Operation Undertone launched 15 March, the Seventh Army fought its way across the Rhine into Germany, capturing Nuremberg and then Munich . Elements reached Austria and crossed the Brenner Pass into Italy by 4 May, followed shortly by war's end on VE-Day , 8 May 1945. The predecessor of Seventh Army

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336-578: The German television network in Berlin under the direction of Ling Tung and participated in the program "Week of Light Music" which was broadcast on South German Radio to Europe and the United States. In 1958, the orchestra also concertized at the Brussels World's Fair under the direction of Edward Lee Alley. As the reconstruction of Europe advanced during the 1950s, performances by the orchestra were no longer deemed to be necessary. Recruitment within

364-734: The Seventh Army had advanced over 1,000 miles and for varying times had commanded 24 U.S. and Allied divisions, including the 3rd , 36th , 42nd , 44th , 45th , 63rd , 70th , 100th , and 103rd Infantry Divisions . The Seventh Army was inactivated in March 1946, in Germany, reactivated for a short time at Atlanta, Georgia , then inactivated again. It was reactivated by the United States European Command (EUCOM) with headquarters at Patch Barracks , Stuttgart -Vaihingen, Germany, on 24 November 1950 and assigned to command

392-769: The Seventh went into the Saar , assaulted the Siegfried Line , and reached the River Rhine during the first week of March, 1945. In a lead role in Operation Undertone , the Seventh Army fought its way across the Rhine into Germany, captured Nuremberg and then Munich . Finally it crossed the Brenner Pass and made contact with Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott 's U.S. Fifth Army at Vipiteno – once again on Italian soil. In less than nine months of continuous fighting,

420-568: The beaches of southern France in the St. Tropez and St. Raphael area. On 15 September, the Seventh was put under the field control of the 6th Army Group , under Lieutenant General Jacob L. Devers . The 6th Army Group also included the French First Army . Within one month, the Seventh Army, which by then employed three American divisions , five French divisions and the 1st Airborne Task Force , had advanced 400 miles north and joined with

448-709: The citizens of America with their counterparts throughout Europe. The orchestra's performances were well received by audiences and included tours within West Germany, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom from 1952 until 1962. Under Samuel Adler 's musical direction, the orchestra incorporated a repertoire consisting of selections from the major symphonic repertoire of classical music including works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms . In later years, it also sought to share America's musical heritage with European audiences by showcasing

476-654: The command of Patton, which allowed the Third to relieve surrounded American forces besieged at Bastogne . In mid-January 1945, the Seventh engaged in pitched battle seeking to regain ground lost to Germany's Operation Nordwind New Year's offensive. Along with the French First Army, the Seventh went on the offensive in February 1945 and eliminated the Colmar Pocket . After capturing the city of Strasbourg ,

504-894: The commander of the United States Seventh Army was "dual hatted" as the Commanding General, United States Army Europe . I Armored Corps (United States) The I Armored Corps was a corps -sized formation of the United States Army that was active in World War II . The Corps made landfall in Morocco in French North Africa during Operation Torch in November 1942, the Allied invasion of French North Africa, as

532-508: The following year. From that time forward the Seventh Army has been the headquarters for all Army units under the European Command . Its major subordinate elements were the V Corps and VII Corps (Inactivated 1992.) From 1 December 1966 to present, the commander of Seventh Army has been "dual hatted" as Commanding General, United States Army Europe . The Seventh Army was deactivated on 17 April 2010. Note - Starting in 1966,

560-698: The ground and service forces of United States Army Europe (USAREUR). For over a decade the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra performed in support of the United States Army's cultural diplomacy initiatives throughout Germany and Europe in the aftermath of World War II (1952–1962). On 30 November 1966, the Seventh Army was relocated from Patch Barracks to Heidelberg . Following French disagreements with certain NATO policies, United States European Command relocated from Paris

588-505: The invasion of France by its Mediterranean coast as the lead element of Operation Dragoon in August 1944. It then drove a retreating German army north and then east toward the Alsace , being absorbed into the newly created Sixth United States Army Group in mid-September. In January 1945 it repelled a fierce but brief enemy counter-offensive in the Colmar Pocket south of Strasbourg during

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616-559: The invasion of North Africa. On 6 March 1943, following the defeat of the U.S. II Corps by the German Afrika Korps , commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel , at the Battle of Kasserine Pass , Patton replaced Major General Lloyd Fredendall as Commanding General of the II Corps and was promoted to lieutenant general. The Seventh Army arm patch was approved on 23 June 1943: On a blue isosceles triangular background,

644-481: The operation the Seventh and Eighth Armies came under the command of the 15th Army Group , under General Sir Harold Alexander . The headquarters of the Seventh Army remained relatively inactive at Palermo, Sicily, and Algiers until January 1944, when Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark , then commanding the U.S. Fifth Army on the Italian Front , was assigned as commander and the Seventh Army began planning for

672-460: The orchestra's inaugural concert on July 5, 1952, in Heidelberg, members of the orchestra performed during the farewell festivities for NATO 's Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower . In December 1955 they served as the first American orchestra to participate in a live radio broadcast on German radio under the baton of Ronald Ondrejka. Several years later in 1957, they debuted on

700-487: The talents of leading American composers including: Roy Harris , Leroy Anderson and Morton Gould . These concerts proved to be quite popular among civilians and military personnel alike. General Dwight Eisenhower even praised the orchestra as the "greatest thing for American-German relations" since the end of World War II. While serving as the United States High Commissioner to Germany on

728-530: The west. The result was that Axis forces were trapped in Tunisia and were forced to surrender in May 1943. After succeeding in North Africa, Patton, now promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General , became commander of the newly formed Seventh Army, which was formed at midnight on 10 July 1943 by the redesignation of the I Armored Corps. The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, was conducted in conjunction with

756-658: Was a United States army created during World War II that evolved into the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) during the 1950s and 1960s. It served in North Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and France and Germany in the European Theater between 1942 and 1945. Originally the I Armored Corps under command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton , it made landfall at Morocco during Operation Torch as

784-474: Was the I Armored Corps , which was activated on 15 July 1940 at Fort Knox , Kentucky . With the goal of stopping German expansion in Europe and Africa, it was decided that the first operation for United States Army forces would be to assist the British in driving German forces from North Africa. On 15 January 1942, Major General George S. Patton Jr. assumed command of I Armored Corps and began planning for

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