In this four-part series, we’ll follow the story of the Big Red One across more than 100 years of history, exploring how the division fought, adapted, and evolved through changing forms of warfare. This series is divided into four posts: This first post begins where the story started: the trenches …
When the United States entered World War II, the 1st Infantry Division was one of the few formations with real combat experience. Its soldiers had already proven themselves in the trenches of France during World War I. But the war they were about to fight would be very different. No …
From Victory in Europe to the Frontline of the Cold War When the fighting ended in Europe in May 1945, the 1st Infantry Division stood among the most experienced combat formations in the U.S. Army. It had landed in North Africa, fought its way through Sicily, stormed Omaha Beach, and …
By the mid-1960s, the 1st Infantry Division had spent nearly two decades preparing for a war that never came. Stationed in Europe during the Cold War, the division trained for large-scale armored conflict against a conventional enemy. Tanks, artillery, and coordinated maneuver warfare defined its doctrine. But the war it …
