7th Infantry Division Unit Rings
7th Infantry Division—Light, Silent, And Deadly
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Description: On a red disc, a black “hourglass” of two pyramids point to point, all within a green border.
Symbolism: The outline of the hourglass alludes to the numerical designation of the division showing two “7′s,” one inverted, one upright.
Distinctive Unit Insignia
Description: A silver colored metal and enamel device, consisting of an hourglass the upper section red, the lower black, the sections triangular in shape and separated diagonally by a silver bayonet point up, the pommel in lower right.
Symbolism: The designation is adapted from the hourglass symbol of the division’s shoulder sleeve insignia. The bayonet, a reference to the nickname “Bayonet Division ‘ ” became synonymous with the division through its participation in the Korean War and symbolizes the fighting spirit of the men of the7th Infantry Division.
The 7th Infantry Division, also known as Bayonets is a reserved combat division of the US Army currently made up of National Guards units.
The division was created at Camp Wheeler, Georgia on 6 December 1917 and served in Alsace-Lorraine France in World War I. Although elements of the division saw brief active service in World War I, it is best known for its participation in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II where it took heavy casualties engaging the Imperial Japanese Army in the Aleutian Islands, Marshall Islands during Operation Flintlock and Operation Catchpole, Leyte under the command of XXIV Corps of the Sixth US Army, and Okinawa when the division was reassigned to XXIV Corps of the Tenth US Army. The division was assigned to participate in Operation Downfall as a part of XXIV Corps of the First US Army, but these plans did not push through after the Japanese surrendered following the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The division served as occupation forces in the post-war period.
At the outbreak of the Korean War, the Bayonets was stationed in Japan and participated in the Inchon Landing and was at the Yalu River when the Chinese entered the war. The 7th participated in such battles as the Heartbreak Triangle, Battle of Old Baldy and the Battle of Porkchop Hill.
The division was deactivated for three years from 1971. Upon reactivation it was assigned to Fort Ord, California during the Cold War. The 7th participated in Operation Golden Pheasant in Honduras in 1988 and Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989 before being deactivated once again in 1994.
Reactivated on 4 June 1999, at Fort Carson, Colorado, the 7th Infantry Division became the first Active Component/Reserve Component division. The division’s final role was as a training and evaluation unit for Army National Guard brigades, which it undertook until its deactivation in 2006.
7th 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.
