1st Infantry Division Unit Rings

1st Infantry Division – Big Red One

Constituted on May 24, 1917, the 1st Infantry Division also known as
Big Red One is the oldest continuously serving division in the U.S. Army.

It was organized on June 8, 1917, at Fort Jay, on Governors Island in New York
harbor under the command of Brigadier General William L. Sibert, from Army

units then in service on the U.S.-Mexico border and at various Army posts
throughout the United States.

George S. Patton, who served as the first Headquarters commandant for
the American Expeditionary Force oversaw much of the arrangements
forthe movement of the 1st Division to France, and their organization in-country.

The 1st Infantry Division’s nickname, the “Big Red One,” originated from

the division’s insignia, a large red number “1″ on a khaki field. This nickname

was adopted during World War I, when it became the first American division to arrive in France.

In World War II, the “Big Red One” took part in the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, driving Axis forces from the continent in 1943. In July of that year, 1st Infantry Division forces invaded Italy, landing in Sicily. On D-Day (June 6, 1944), units of the 1st stormed Omaha Beach as part of Operation Overlord, and later moved through Belgium into Germany, capturing the city of Aachen in late October 1944. After taking part in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, the “Big Red One” re-entered Germany and, on March 15, 1945, crossed the Rhine.

During the Korean War, the Big Red One was assigned to occupation duty in Germany, while acting as a strategic deterrent against Soviet designs on Europe. 1st Infantry Division troops secured the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials and later transported seven convicted Nazi war criminals to Spandau Prison in Berlin. In 1955 the division colors left Germany and were relocated to Fort Riley, Kansas.

In 1962 and 1963, four 1st Infantry Division Pentomic battle groups (2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry; 1st Battle Group, 13th Infantry; 1st Battle Group, 28th Infantry; and 2nd Battle Group, 26th Infantry) rotated, in turn, to West Berlin, Germany to augment the U.S. Army’s Berlin Brigade during an international crisis initiated by construction of the Berlin Wall. These “Long Thrust Operations” were the most significant deployments conducted by 1st Infantry Division troops during the Cold War, placing Big Red One troops in confrontation with hostile communist forces. By the end of 1965 the division had participated in three major operations: Hump, Bushmaster I and Bushmaster II, under the command of MG Jonathan O. Seaman. In 1966, the division took part in Operation Marauder, Operation Crimp II, and Operation Rolling Stone, all in the early part of the year. In March, MG William E. DePuy took command. In June and July the division took part in the battles of Ap Tau O, Srok Dong and Minh Thanh Road.

In November 1966, the division participated in Operation Attleboro. 1967 saw the 1st I.D. in Operation Cedar Falls, Operation Junction City, Operation Manhattan, and Operation Shenandoah II. MG John H. Hay assumed command in February. On October 17, 1967, the 1st I.D suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Ong Thanh with 58 KIA. 1968 would see the division involved in the Tet Offensive, securing the massive Tan Son Nhut Air Base. In March, MG Keith L. Ware took command.

That same month the division took part in Operation Quyet Thang (Resolve to Win), April would see the division participate in the largest operation in the Vietnam conflict, Operation Toan Thang (Certain Victory). On September 13, the division Commander, Maj. Gen. Ware, was killed in action when his command helicopter was shot down by hostile fire. MG Orwin C. Talbott moved up from his position of Assistant Division Commander to assume command of the division. The division, commanded by Major General Thomas G. Rhame, also participated in Operation Desert Storm. The division’s two maneuver brigades from Ft. Riley were rounded out by the addition of two tank battalions (2-66 and 3-66 AR), an infantry battalion (1-41 IN), and a field artillery battalion (4-5 FA) from 2nd Armored Division (Forward) in Germany. It was responsible for the initial breach of the Iraqi defenses, consequently rolling over the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division and taking 2,600 prisoners of war.

There was also the “bulldozer assault”, wherein the 1st & 2nd brigades from the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) used anti-mine plows mounted on tanks and combat earthmovers to bury Iraqi soldiers defending the fortified “Saddam Line.” While approximately 2,000 of the troops surrendered, escaping burial. One newspaper story reported that the U.S. commanders estimated thousands of Iraqi soldiers had been buried alive during the two-day assault February 24-25, 1991. In 1996 the division colors were relocated to the German city of Würzburg.

The 1st (Devil) Brigade, 1st Infantry Division deployed from Fort Riley, Kansas in September 2003 to provide support to the 82nd Airborne Division in the city of Ramadi, Iraq. In February 2004, the Division deployed to Iraq, where it conducted a relief in place of the 4th Infantry Division, primarily in Salah ad-Din and Diyala provinces, with the Division headquarters being located on Forward Operating Base Danger, near Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit. Task Force Danger, as the Division was called during OIF2, also had a light infantry brigade from the 25th Infantry Division, another brigade the 30th Armored Brigade (Enhanced) (Separate) “Old Hickory” of the North Carolina National Guard, and the 264th Engineer Group of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. In September 2004, the 1st Brigade was replaced by elements from the 2nd Infantry Division in Ramadi and redeployed to Ft. Riley. In February 2005, the division was replaced by the 42d Infantry Division, New York National Guard, and elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and returned to its home in Germany.

In July 2006 the division was withdrawn from Germany back to Fort Riley in CONUS, leaving only 2nd (Dagger) Brigade in Schweinfurt, Germany until March 28, 2008 when the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division reflagged as the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. In February 2007, the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed to southern Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The second unit tasked with the “surge” announced earlier in the year by President Bush. n June and July 2008, 3rd Brigade deployed to Eastern Afghanistan under the command of CJTF-101, relieving the 173rd Airborne Brigade and taking control of the Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces. The brigade returned to Ft. Hood, Texas in July 2008 after a year of combat in which they recorded over 1000 fire fights, over 1000 enemy killed, over 500 bombs dropped, 26,000 rounds of artillery fire and over 400 purple hearts awarded, giving them the highest casualty rate of any Army or Marine Corps unit during their year-long tour. In October 2008, the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team deployed to northwest Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this deployment soldiers of the 1st CAB 18th Infantry Regiment were located on FOB justice.

The 1st Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993.

Casualty figures for the 1st Infantry Division, European theater of operations

Total battle casualties: 15,374

Total deaths in battle: 3,307

1st Infantry Division Unit Rings
Our unit rings are a great way to celebrate service with a particular Unit.
Each ring includes the particular unit insignia, they can also be inscribed
with the soldiers name, rank, even details of overseas deployments.