1st ID Realism Unit aka "The Big Red One"

The History of the 1st Infantry Division
The Division’s history begins in 1917 when General John “Blackjack” Pershing arrived in France with the First American Expeditionary Force. The “Fighting First” led the way for American troops in World War I. Names like Cantigny, Soissons, St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest tell the story of the gallantry of the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, now wearing the famous “Big Red One” patch on their left shoulder.

During World War II, the 1st Infantry Division was the first to reach England, the first to fight the enemy in North Africa and Sicily, the first on the beaches of Normandy in D-Day and the first to capture a major German City – Aachen.

The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 provided the supreme test. In five days, the division drove inland and cleared a beachhead for supplies and troops. Driving eastward across France against fanatical resistance, the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division spent nearly six months in continuous action with the enemy.

After capturing Aachen, the 1st Infantry Division still faced months of bitter fighting at places like the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. When the War ended, the Big Red One had rolled through Germany and into Czechoslovakia.

The 1st Infantry Division remained in Germany until 1955, first as occupation troops, then as partners with the new Germany in NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 1955, the Big Red One redeployed to Fort Riley Kansas.

In the summer of 1965, the Big Red One was the first division called to fight in Vietnam. For nearly five years, its soldiers battled the enemy while carrying out programs to aid the people of South Vietnam. In April 1970, the colors of the 1st Infantry Division returned to Fort Riley. Home again, the Big Red One became a dual based division with its 3 rd Brigade in West Germany.


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