About this Unit
The 620th Supply Company is a logistics unit in the United States Army, primarily responsible for providing supply support to military operations. Activated during World War II, the company played a vital role in ensuring front-line units received essential equipment, fuel, and provisions. Over the decades, the 620th Supply Company has supported various missions, both in peacetime and during conflicts such as the Gulf War and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its dedicated service has contributed significantly to the sustainment and readiness of combat forces across multiple theaters of operation.
Historical Facts
• World War II Origins: The 620th Supply Company traces its origins to World War II, where it was activated as part of efforts to streamline logistics and supply chains for U.S. military operations overseas.
• German POWs and Suspected Collaborators: The 620th Supply Company was unique during World War II because it was primarily composed of American soldiers suspected of disloyalty, subversive activity, or potential collaboration with enemy forces, especially those of German descent.
• Service Company for "Suspicious" Soldiers: This unit—along with the 358th and 525th Quartermaster Service Companies—was sometimes referred to as a “segregation unit,” designed to isolate and utilize the manpower of soldiers whose loyalty was in question but who were not convicted of any crime.
• Stationed in Utah: The 620th Supply Company was stationed at Camp Hale, Colorado, and later at other locations including Utah, where its members performed menial tasks and were kept under close observation.
• Psychological Operations: Members of the 620th were sometimes employed in psychological warfare operations, such as producing leaflet drops and propaganda intended for enemy forces, leveraging their language skills and backgrounds.
• Zero Combat Deployments: Due to security concerns, the 620th Supply Company was never deployed overseas into combat zones. Its members remained in the continental United States throughout the war.
• Notable Escape Attempt: In 1944, a small group of soldiers from the 620th tried to escape and join German POWs in the hope of defecting, but were quickly apprehended and court-martialed.
• Postwar Disbandment: After World War II, the 620th Supply Company was disbanded, and its unusual history faded from public memory, though it remains a subject of research for military historians.
• Veteran Secrecy: Many veterans of the 620th rarely spoke about their service after the war, given the stigma attached to their assignment and the suspicions that had originally led to their placement in the unit.
• Legacy in Military Counterintelligence: The existence and operations of the 620th Supply Company contributed to the evolution of military counterintelligence and personnel screening procedures in the U.S. Army.
