When the US entered W.W.II, the 1st Division was on active duty assigned to the Regular Army with Headquarters at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. After receiving additional training at Camp Blanding, Florida, and Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, the 1st embarked for overseas in August of 1942. The Division landed at Oran, Algeria, in North Africa on November 8th, 1942, and took part in battles at Maktar, Medjez el Bad, Kasserine Pass, Gafsa, El Guettar, Beja, and Mateur fighting until Tunisia was secured in May of 1943. The Division was the first to land on the beaches during the invasion of Sicily and fought several battles over the rugged mountains of the island until the campaign ended and Messina was captured on August 1 7th. After Sicily, the 1st returned to England and engaged in amphibious training in preparation
for the invasion of France. Once again, the Division was in the first wave to land and went ashore on Omaha Beach on "D" Day -- June 6th, 1944, with some units suffering almost 30% casualties in the first hour. In fighting to scale the cliffs and secure a beachhead, the men of the First overcame all obstacles and are credited with destroying the German 352nd Infantry Division. In July, the Division was again on the attack and led the drive that opened the Cotentin Peninsula to Brittany. The First drove across France, broke through the Siegfried Line, and helped capture the German city of Aachen by direct assault on October 21st, 1944. The Division then attacked easterly through the Huertgen Forest and reached the Roer River before moving to its first rest in nearly six months. The rest was cut short by Field- Marshal von Rundstedt's forces who began a German offensive on December 17th, 1944, that is now known as the ''Battle of the Bulge.'' The First was rushed to the Ardennes and fought continuously for 42 days until the German advance was stopped and then turned into a retreat. The Division returned to the attack and once again breached the Siegfried line, crossed the Roer River, and struck across the Rhine River at the Remagen Bridge. After breaking loose from the Remagen Bridgehead, the 1st raced across Germany, crossed the Harz Mountains, and was in Czechoslovakia when the war in Europe ended. The victories won in eight separate campaigns did not come without a price -- over 20,650 men of "The Fighting First'' were wounded and killed in action making the Division rank fifth in total battle casualties.

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The shoulder patch of the First Division is based on W.W.I design that was approved by the AEF on October 31 st, 1918. Several legends have emerged on the origin for the patch -- one version is that the number design came from the fact that Division transport were obtained from England and so a large number ''1'' was painted on Division vehicles to tell them apart from those of our Allies. Another version is that a senior officer cut the number "1'' from his red flannel underwear and a junior officer improved on the design. In any event, the big red ''1'' suggests the Division's number.

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