European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes March preface the scene is a press conference in and a has just asked Lucius commander in Germany reporter general do you actually have any combat have got the finest division in the and it is ready to go on missis i it May be assigned at any with All its equipment men trained and ready to reporter what is the designation Oft Haj sir fighting i have added the Russell As Ami stripes correspondent covered by Russell staff correspondent and March 20 there Are an estimated americans in Germany and Austria Burden of putting the military in the military occupation on the fewer than men who Wear the red numeral 1 on their shoulders and is the Only former combat american outfit in German y trained and equipped to fight a Lucius clays designation of the division As the fighting is neither original nor of the oldest divisions in the has a fighting record in world wars to thousands of men in civilian life feel it necessary to say i was with the big red one to establish themselves As know War and How to fight because two of the outfits three regiments Are on special the real fighting strength of the army in Germany is found in the 26th backed up by the divisions other supporting located in the Bamberger Langen the to Gether with the 5th the 12th medium tank medics and other has been undergoing intensive training for More than a year at Gra once the scene of the last phase in the training of German the 26th regimental combat team is commanded Samuel another is chief of 16th commanded by Peter is stationed in Salz Vienna and while the 18th commanded by Rinaldo Van backs Headquarters in Bremen and the 18th is due to return to the command Frank i to go into training which will bring it up to the fight level of the 26th the third of the divisions Field artillery the 32nd is in training at while remaining the is at Ralph the Divi Sion artillery Able to direct an increased amount of fire Power Over wartime his batteries have been upped to six division fire has been built up even More by the guns of its mortars and by initiation of the 57 and my recoil less into the infantry for regimental command Van while still division chief of observed that a combat team from the first would compare favourably with the Best units of the army which entered combat in world War the length and thoroughness of the troops their proficiency with physical condition and state of morale the equal of any outfit i have Ever seen outside of actual he the High percentage of old timers in veterans not Only of the c firsts campaigns in sic France Ger but of most of the line out fits which made history on the Western Southern fronts Asun doubt edly accounts for the unusual training lev the presence of so Many men who know what the big red one stood for during the plus the fact that the division today is an All Volunteer is responsible for the High Many veterans of the first have specs upon reenlistment in the their desire to serve again with their i old and their requests artillerymen on Maneu vers with the 1st fire a 155 my howitzer from a camouflaged position the Edge of a note that the recoil of the weapon has lifted one wheel Petely off the the camouflage rigged Over the weapon helps conceal it Fitim air or ground observers by blending into colors of the surrounding 1st had four different commanders in world War Terry Allen was the commander of the fighting first in the North Africa and Sicily campaigns and then Clarence assumed command in August Huebner was followed by Clifton Andrus the presentdivision1 has been in command since june