Posted on 07/06/2006 4:01:13 PM PDT by SandRat
60 years later...
Kudos to the Big Red One and welcome home!
When Scroeder threatened to deny us the use of our bases in Germany, the die was cast. Our troops will be moved home, or forward based closer to the potential threats. Since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, Germany has been a comfortable and safe rear area for us until suddenly we realized that it wasn't anymore.
Too bad.
Future threats are going to be coming out of the mideast, and Africa, and the Far East. Germany was great, but next stop, Djibouti.
Welcome home guys...its long over due.
and the Poles, Czechs, Romanians, Bulgarians, Slovaks, Georgians, etc., are just loving it.
50 years ago most German citizens thanked us for being there, today they complain. Oddly enough, if our troops hadn't been there since the war Soviet troops would have...and they wouldn't be leaving.
Can anyone help me with the history of the name "Big Red One"? I know Big Red One has been in some infamous battles over the years, and I've heard it's name countless times, but I have always wondered about the origins of the name.
In other words, is there anything more significant than it's the 1st Infantry Division and they wear a red 1 on their patch? Could it just as easily have been "Big Blue One" or "Big Green One" if the numeral had been blue or green? Or does the "red" signify the blood that's been shed? Were they called Big Red One from the beginning in 1917 or did the name evolve over time?
Some divisional nicknames are perfectly clear (i.e. Screaming Eagles for paratroopers).
go to the web site in reply # 1 for the 1st ID and there should be a history link there.
The Big Red One. Wow. This is historic.
1/26th Inf; 1st Inf Div; APO SF 95345 Jul 67-68
Hwy 13 (Thunder Rd), Michelin, Triangle, Zone C, Parrots Beak, etc, etc....
60 years is certainly enough - and 17 years after the Iron Curtain fell.
Two legends have emerged in answer to the question about the origins of the Big Red One shoulder patch.
The first story says that during World War I, First Division supply trucks were of English Manufacture, so the drivers painted a huge figure "1" on each truck to distinguish their vehicles from those of the other Allies. Later, First Division Engineers carried this measure a step further by sewing a red patch on their sleeves on which was placed the number "1."
The second, more-often quoted tale involves a general and a lieutenant. According to this version, during the build-up and training days of 1917, a general officer decided that the Division needed a suitable shoulder sleeve insignia. He proceeded to cut a crude numeral "1" from a ragged suit of his flannel underwear. When a brash young lieutenant saw the red numeral, he shouted, "the general's underwear is showing!" The general shouted back, "all right young man, if you're so smart, come up with something better." The lieutenant produced a prototype of today's patch, using a piece of cloth (probably grey) from a captured soldier's uniform on which he placed the red "1".
In October 1918, the patch as it is now known, a red "1" on a solid olive green background, was officially approved for wear by members of the Division. Proudly worn, the patch symbolizes the legacy and tradition that binds all generations of those who have worn the Big Red One.
If you're gonna be one, be a big red one!
KS LOVES BIG RED ONE!!!
No kidding!
You're the first *real* 26th Regiment vet I've seen. I did basic training in Alpha 2-26 back in the late 80s. For many years I thought that the 26th was a TRADOC unit, not a unit with a long and proud history.
Little did I know...
yep, I'm a real Blue Spader.....Dobol. Alexander Haig commanded it till just before I got there.....he got his Bird and took command of the 3rd Bde at Di An (We were 1st Bde, Phuoc Vinh, then to Quan Loi).
Historic day.
Welcome home, soldiers.
I spent about an hour at Di An back in June 1967, waiting for a ride back to Tan Son Nhut from Nui Ba Den.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.