Photo By Sgt. Joshua Oh | The youngest Soldier in the 1st Infantry Division, Pvt. Omoloa Bakare, cuts the 1st...... read more read more
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The First Infantry Division and Fort Riley celebrated the division’s 103rd birthday June 8. Although technically formed in May of 1917 as the 1st Expeditionary Division, the 1st Inf. Div. was officially created in June of 1917, making it the longest continuously serving division in U.S. history.
Recounting a brief history of the division, Robert Smith, director of the Fort Riley Museum Complex, explained that the division was created in response to the U.S. entering World War I.
“We needed to send a message to our British and French allies that we were going to be involved big time in the First World War and we needed to send troops to them immediately to show our commitment,” Smith said. “The division was created in June of 1917, and the interesting thing is by July 4, 1917, the division was in France. It had been put together and sent over in a matter of weeks.”
Only a few short months later in October of 1917, 1st Inf. Div. troops fired the first American shells against the Germans. The 1st Inf. Div. was also involved in the first major military action by American Soldiers – Cantigny – in May of 1918 and went on to serve in every major American operation in WWI, including the campaigns in Soissons, Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse Argonne.
In World War II, they were the first division to be sent overseas in March of 1942.
Leading up to D-Day, the 1st Inf. Div. was involved in the first amphibious operation in North Africa, Operation Torch, up through May of 1943, said Smith. After North Africa, they went into Sicily, then planned to return home. However, Gen. Omar Bradley, commander of the First Army, decided that they were too valuable and experienced and were needed to stay and be part of the Normandy invasion.
“The 1ID was handed the toughest assignment on D-Day, which was to attack Omaha Beach, which was held by the German 352nd Division, the only veteran division that the Allies faced on D-Day,” Smith said. “So they had a very tough fight. They sustained something like 1,346 casualties.”
Smith said it is estimated that there were 10,000 land mines, 85 machine-gun nests and 35 multiple barrel rocket launchers on Omaha Beach.
“The surprising thing about the 1st Inf. Div. is that they sustained such great casualties, but yet they were able to fight their way through and keep that lodgment on that beach,” Smith said. “That is a great testament to the training and esprit de corps of the division.”
“The division has an incredible history,” Smith said. “Today’s soldiers – and those soldiers – the 41,000 that served in the division in WWII, they have a lot to be proud of.”
“For the past 103 years, our division has celebrated the anniversary of our activation in different ways in different places,” said Maj. Gen. John Kolasheski, senior commanding officer of the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley.
“In 1944 it was days after advancing off the shores of [Normandy], almost 76 years ago to the day. In 1967 Big Red One soldiers were advancing through the Vietnamese jungle in the midst of Operation Billings. In 2003, troopers took a moment to reflect on our history while on break from patrolling the streets of Ramadi.”
Kolasheski remarked that this year was the first virtual celebration of the division birthday, and although there have been significant changes over the past year, there is one thing that remains the same.
“There is one constant that has remained largely unchanged throughout our history: the Fighting First spends yet another birthday globally engaged in support of our nation,” Kolasheski said.
Members of the 1st Inf. Div. just returned home from Europe last week after leading Operation Atlantic Resolve for 27 months. 1st Inf. Div. Soldiers are currently still supporting other missions in Europe, the Middle East, Korea, and are deployed in support of medical response missions in North America.
“The legacy of our division is long and storied, and unmatched by any other organization in our Army,” Kolasheski said. “The last few months have been challenging for our nation. As we celebrate our proud history today, we do so as a team. Each member of our team is different, and that’s what makes us stronger. Regardless of the stakes, circumstances, or mission variables, the Big Red One Soldier has, and continues to be brave, responsible and on point for our Army and our nation.”
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2020 12:12 |
| Story ID: | 371818 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 242 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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