Army History Magazine

Winter 2025 Edition

February 2025

    In this Winter 2025 issue of Army History, I am excited to share with our readers two outstanding articles, a look at an interesting Army artifact, a special feature that highlights both the art and artifacts of a famous artist, and a selection of quality book reviews.

    The first article, by Donald Wright, details the transformation of the 7th Infantry Division into a light division, a concept that was developed toward the end of the Cold War. The reconfigured division was able to deploy as a highly mobile force anywhere in the world within a matter of days. Although the division was limited in firepower, its speed and ability to maneuver—primarily on foot over rough terrain—were significant advantages in various contingency operations and low- and medium-intensity conflicts.

    The second article, by Ryan Hovatter, examines the career of Florida National Guard soldier Fred A. Safay. Safay, perhaps the first Arab-American general, enlisted in 1915, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in August 1918, and served in France and as part of the occupation force in Germany, before returning to the United States in July 1919. He remained active in the Florida National Guard and worked for the state Board of Health. In late 1940, he took command of the 124th Infantry Regiment, which he led as the demonstration unit at Fort Benning, Georgia. Safay eventually deployed to the Mediterranean Theater in March 1944 and commanded the 338th Infantry Regiment of the 85th Infantry Division during the Italian Campaign. Hovatter expertly tells the story of this relatively unknown soldier, highlighting his service, warts and all. 

    The Artifact Spotlight for the issue shows us the High Standard Model HDMS pistol. This silenced .22-caliber pistol entered service in early 1944 and was used primarily for clandestine missions by members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Later, it also was used by the OSS’s successor, the Central Intelligence Agency. This pistol is currently housed at the Army’s Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

    This issue contains a slightly different feature, in lieu of our usual museum spotlight, which gives us the rare opportunity to look at not only some Army artwork but also some artifacts that belonged to the artist. Many readers will be familiar with the World War II artwork of Tom Lea. What some may not know is that several uniform items belonging to Lea are housed at the Fort Bliss Museum in Fort Bliss, Texas, and that his wartime Life artwork, of which the Army is the custodian, is stored at the Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir. Lea traveled the globe during the conflict as a war correspondent for Life magazine, documenting the combat and activities of U.S service members. This feature allows readers to view his artwork and the personal items that he wore during his travels.

    As this is the first issue of 2025, and the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War is upon us, I strongly urge folks to submit articles on this pivotal conflict. Please see the Call for Submissions box that appears in the pages of each issue for instructions.

Bryan J. Hockensmith
Managing Editor