The 1st Infantry Division was formed in 1917 during World War I, and was activated in May of that year when it embarked for France. The division fought in the 1918 battle of Cantigny and the epic battle of St. Mihiel, in which the division earned a solid reputation as one of the most valiant divisions in the American Expeditionary Force.

During World War I, the 1st Infantry Division was created in the National Guard, in order to replace the 9th Infantry Division. The 9th Infantry Division was mobilized for World War I and was sent to Europe. The 1st Infantry Division was created out of the National Guard, but also included units from the Regular Army. The 1st Infantry Division was involved in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, in which it fought and liberated the city of Sedan and the village of the same name.

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division was a key player in World War II. This division helped liberate the first concentration camp to be liberated by Allied Forces in WWII. This division also participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Despite it’s important and valiant contributions during WWII, the 1st Infantry Division was not awarded the title of “The Greatest Division in the U.S. Army” until a full year after the war ended. This “Best Division” title was not given until 1954 to commemorate the division’s 100th Anniversary.. Read more about big red 1 and let us know what you think.

The 1st Infantry Division has served with distinction in all but one of the major wars of the last century

The eighth. In June 1917, two months after the United States entered World War I, the 16th, 18th, 26th, and 28th Congresses were formed. Infantry Regiment, the 5th, 6th and 7th Infantry Regiments. Artillery Regiment and the 1. Pioneer Regiment at 1. The 28th. In May 1918, the Red Army of the American Expeditionary Force achieved its first battlefield success when it captured and held Cantigny, followed by victories at Soissons, Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne.

In 1940, the army was reorganized from square divisions to triangular divisions, each of which had only three regiments under its command – in the case of the 1st Army, one regiment. Infantry Division, these are the 16th, 18th and 26th Infantry Divisions. As the United States entered World War II, the 1st ID Brigade received amphibious warfare training, which it used in the landings in North Africa on 8 November 1942, in Sicily on 10 July 1943, and at Omaha Beach in Normandy on 6 July 1943. June 1944.

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

Soldiers of the 16th Regiment Infantry, 1. Division, occupied their trenches at Gypsum Hill, Merthe-et-Moselle, 19th Regiment. November 1917. It was preceded by the bloody victories of Cantigny, Soissons, Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. / Museum of 1. Infantry Division

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

Two soldiers from 1. Division inspects the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, Germany, after being attacked on the 17th. March 1945 collapsed – not before the Americans had taken the other side of the Rhine. / Getty Images

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

Troops of 1. IDs occupied a mortar position in combat zone C, while B-52s were deployed during Operation Attleboro on the 20th. November 1966 bombing of enemy positions in neighbouring Cambodia. / AP

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

Soldiers of the 1. Infantry Division, supported by a Bradley fighting vehicle of the 82nd Infantry Division. Airborne Division, anti-aircraft fire near Fallujah, Iraq, 8. November 2003. Two people were killed and one injured that day when an IED destroyed Bradley’s vehicle. / Getty Images

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

The M-60 machine gunner carried weapons and ammunition boxes and participated in a battle between 1st ID and the 273rd Viet Cong Regiment 25 miles east of Saigon in May 1967. / AP

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

Big Red One troops confront an Iraqi civilian during the capture of Samarra, 125 miles north of Baghdad, 13th Inf. November 2004. / Getty Images

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

Staff Sgt. John Gregory leads a mounted patrol of the 1st ID in Adhamiyah, Iraq, 10th Inf. April 2007. / US Army

The division took part in such memorable battles as the Kasserine Pass, El Huettar, Aachen and the Hürtgen Forest and then celebrated V-J Day in Czechoslovakia. At the end of the war, 16 members of Unit 1 were awarded the Medal of Honor.

During the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, the division fought against Soviet forces in Germany. But it was involved in the fighting in Vietnam (1965-70), and its commander, Major General Keith L. Weir, was among those killed when his helicopter crashed on the 13th. September 1968 was rejected.

Since the end of the Cold War, Big Red has been involved in the Gulf War (1990-91), helped keep the peace in the Balkans (1996-2003), and has been involved in the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. After the 1. The army has weathered all but one of the major wars of the last century with distinction and is ready for each new century. MH

This article appeared in the May 2023 issue of Military History. For more content, subscribe here and visit us on Facebook :

The U.S. 1st Infantry Division in Photos

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