Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary by highlighting figures that influenced the D.C. Guard. This week highlights the 372nd MP BN, a unit that served with distinction during WWI earning the them the moniker "Red Hand".
The 372nd Military Police Battalion traces its lineage back to the 1st Separate Regiment. The 1st Separate Regiment was mustered into service and renamed the 372d Infantry in 1917. They were attached to the French army’s 157th “Red Hand” Division. The Soldiers fought in Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine and Alsace, where they were awarded the Croix de Guerre—one of the highest honors of the French Military. The unit was given the name Red Hand as an honor, which the 372nd Military Police Battalion still uses.
The battalion's crest features the red hand alongside a rattlesnake, which recalls the unit's service along the border in the months leading up to WWI.
As we celebrate the Army's 251st Birthday and commemorate America's 250th anniversary through Freedom 250, we reflect on the leaders, decisions, and organizations that helped shape our nation. From the founding of our capital to the missions we support today, the District of Columbia National Guard remains connected to that enduring responsibility.
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2026 |
| Published: | 07-01-26 02:52 PM |
| Graphic ID: | 43168 |
| VIRIN: | 260618-Z-KP987-1005 |
| Size: | 14.16 MB |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Freedom 250 Campaign- 372nd Military Police Battalion, Red Hand, by SGT Katlynn Pickle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
