European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Honors a proud tradition editor s note a getting there first is a proud tradition of the 1st inf div the big red one a fighting Force that has served honorable in four wars this Century from the trenches of France in world War i to the Sand dunes of Iraq in operation desert storm. Now Back Home in fort Riley kan., the division will get a special Salute on july 4. By George Esper associated press gome this fourth of july the warriors of the 1st inf div the fabled big red one will celebrate the nation s birthday among family and friends and hospitable surroundings at fort Riley kan., far from the Din of Battle and horrid sights of War. Less than five months ago the latest generation of the division broke through iraqi defences in operation desert storm the first troops to breach Saddam Hussein s bulwarks and minefields. It was fitting that the 1 St again blazed the path for others after being the first outfit to go overseas in world War i the first american fighting Force to reach France in world War ii and the first army division in Vietnam. Home from its latest War in the persian Gulf the division will be honoured at fort Riley and in neighbouring Junction City and Manhattan with parades and Sundown salutes on America s 215th birthday its Homecoming Celebration. The ceremonies will Honor 1st inf veterans from 91-year-old Clinton Dattel and Max Ottenfeld to 19-year-old Raphael Crews. This Independence Day stirs memories of another Parade 74 years ago. On july 4,1917, troops of the 1 St div s predecessor the 1st expeditionary div marched to the adoration of the French along the boulevards of Paris to the Tomb of Lafayette the French Nobleman who fought with the rebel colonies against the British in the War of Independence. Two Days later America s first division was born when the expeditionary Force was predesignated the 1st inf div. It included the 16th, 18th, 26th and 28th inf regiments and the 5th, 6th and 7th arty All handpicked by Gen. John j. Pershing commander of the forces sent to Europe. The division s ranks Span four generations and four wars from the trenches of world War i to the beaches of world War ii from the Jungles and mountains of Vietnam to the rolling desert Sands of Kuwait and Iraq. The Only War the division missed in the past Century was Korea in the Early 1950s, and Only because it was on occupation duty in Germany after world War ii. The division is Rich in tradition its heritage As old As the America it protects. One of its units Delta Battery 1 St in 5th arty is the oldest in the army organized in March 1775 by Alexander Hamilton its feats Are volumes of history a Roll Call of 32 medal of Honor recipients americans highest Honor Barrett Bondsteel Brown Colyer de Franzo Durham Edwards Ehlers Ellis Henry Hibbs Law Leonard Lindsey Long , Merli Miller Monteith Morelock Parker Peterson Pinder Reese Robinson Rogers Rubio Schaefer Stryker Thompson Warner and will. More than 14,000 of its men and women fell on the battlefields that live on in history and in the minds of surviving old soldiers of the division who gather once a year in reunion to perpetuate the legend. Cartigny Soissons St. Mihiel Meuse Argonne of world War i Normandy Omaha Beach the Battle of the bulge of world War ii the Iron Triangle Bau bang and the Michelin rubber plantations of Vietnam. While it is a Joyful Homecoming for the warriors of desert storm 17 comrades in arms one of them a woman Are mourned fallen along the howling desert Sands Belas Carr Collins Damian Daugherty Douthit Kamm Miller Morgan o Brien Perry Plasch Streeter Swartzendruber Tillar Trautman Wedgwood. They will join the old soldiers of other wars commemorated at the 1 St div memorial in Washington. Quot we had men Yuho were dedicated Quot says Max Ottenfeld. 91, of Chicago who enlisted in world War i right out of High school. He fought at St. Mihiel and Meuse Argonne was gassed by the germans and suffered Shell Shock. Quot they were proud of what they had accomplished Quot Ottenfeld adds. Quot we were never withdrawn trying to make an Advance. We made All our . Clinton Dattel of Southampton pa., also 91, was among the first volunteers for world War i. Quot we broke through every Battle Quot he says. Quot we were the first ones to do the fighting and we did the first breakthrough of All the fronts. After we broke through the other divisions would come in and hold the places that we. Cartigny was the first Victory of the War in May 1918. In less than an hour the 28th regt the Quot Black Lions of. Cartigny Quot captured the strategic town that sat on the High ground and served the germans As an observation Post. In the summer of 1918, the division pushed seven Miles into German lines capturing Soissons but at a heavy Cost a 7,000 men killed and wounded one third the division s casualties for the entire War. Victories at St. Mihiel and Meuse Argonne followed in the fall and by november the War was Over. $1 m i a my let it it Sif is he hmm blazing the path for others the 1st infantry division was the first army division in Vietnam. Quot this was the first time on that scale and in those numbers the . Army pulled together troops like that to form a division Quot says Bill Mckale a historian at the 1 is inf div museum in fort Riley its Headquarters. It has been on continuous duty Ever since and in August 1942 it was again predesignated the 1st inf. Div. Again in world War ii and Vietnam the division was the first into combat. On a Day june 6, 1944, the big red one spearheaded the biggest Allied offensive of the War the invasion of Normandy the cataclysmic Battle of world War ii. They assaulted the famous Omaha Beach under withering machine gun and artillery fire from German pillboxes atop a Hill that commanded the Landing area they initially failed in an attempt to drive through the German positions but broke through on the flanks took the guns from behind and captured the Beach in five Days of fierce fighting that Cost them 1,000 dead. A the whole invasion of Europe Hung pretty much on that Battle Quot says Art Chaitt the executive director of the society of the first division. After that the division rolled through France and Belgium crossed the German Border and captured Aachen the first major German City to fall to the americans. Another first for the 1 St inf div. Gino Merli one of three surviving medal of Honor winners in the division says that the spirit of the division comes from its motto. engraved on a plaque at fort Riley dedicated to soldiers past present and future Quot no Mission too difficult. Quot no sacrifice too great Quot duty first Quot Quot when i joined the division As a recruit in England their motto gave me the first inspiration of being one of the Best soldiers fighting to support and defend patriotism Quot says Merli now 67, of Peckville a. The Street on which he lives was renamed Gino Merli drive in his Honor. A but even More than that was the camaraderie and loyally that compelled Merli to stay at his machine gun fending off scores of attacking germans single hand edly near sars la Bruyere in Belgium in september 1944, a when i landed on a Day having witnessed Many dead. Comrades i was Given further inspiration to fight for the buddies who were left lying dead on the beachhead Quot Merli says. Quot when my assistant gunner was killed that Rose the adrenalin a thousand percent to fight the enemy to the death even though i faced but while the men the weapons the tactics and the training change the one constant is coming face to lace with one s mortality As did Merli and later generations of soldiers such As the Young Man named Raphael Crews. Crews of Orlando fla., was the Lead tank Driver when the division scored another first by breaching the iraqi a defences. He emerged a modern Day hero in the High tech video War. Quot the night before i remember i was real nervous real edgy and scared but when it came Down that morning and we had everybody lined up behind us i was pretty much excited Quot Crews recalls. Quot i was still a Little bit nervous but i was ready to go. Quot i thought about Home. I thought about my family my Little sister and pretty much i guess it happens to everybody a lot of things from your past pass through your life and a lot of Hopes and desires you would like to fulfil go through your for Crews that was to play guitar in a band. Operation desert storm was the first Battle test of the new All Volunteer army. Many of the recruits like Crews joined for College Money and benefits giving Little thought to Ever having to go to War. Like the rest of the military the divisions darkest hour May Well have been Vietnam a War that Many draftees did no to want to fight. It was a War where in the Public s Eye there were no heroes even though soldiers of the 1st div won 11 medals of Honor. All but two were awarded posthumously. A Quot it All depends on your says Antonio Maria 47, of Maplewood n.j., who was wounded in Vietnam. Quot our perspective was there was a Job to do regardless of what the politicians said. If the War was lost it was not lost because of us. It was lost by the politicians and the War Vietnam critics questioned the strategy of massive search and destroy operations that produced Loo few results and too Many american casualties. More than 3,000 1st inf gis died in Vietnam Between 1965 and 1970. After returning in 1970, the big red one was reorganized from a straight infantry unit to a mechanized outfit with a lot More tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. It was predesignated 1st inf div Mech. Desert storm was widely acclaimed for its Swift 100-hour land Victor that surprised the iraqis with a flanking Man Euver to their rear when they were expecting a frontal assault combined with an amphibious attack. For the 1st inf it marked another first the first time that Large scale and detailed rehearsals were conducted for 38 Days before the real assault. Quot we had detailed satellite photography which gave us a Good feel for what we could expect on the other Side Quot says Brian Zahn 37, of Bottineau n.d., operations officer of the division s 5th in 16th inf of the 1st brigade. Quot we constructed those defences exactly As we saw them. We went so far As to include the wire the minefields and the trenches that we expected to run when the division made the real assault Quot it was very close to what we expected Quot Zahn says. Quot the Only thing that came As a Surprise is How quickly the iraqis surrendered. They were outclassed. Its As simple As that. Our soldiers were better the training was better the equipment was a a a a later big red one troops were witness to another historic event the signing of the cease lire agreement last March 3 at Safwan the Southern iraqi City secured by the division. Zahn says the 1 St div is probably recognized As one of the finest combat units this nation has Ever sent into War. Quot i Don t know if it s Luck of the draw or being at the right place at the right time Quot he says. Quot it probably has something to do with tradition history kind of perpetuating itself. Being part of an organization like this causes one to feel like he s something Gen. Gordon r. Sullivan the newly named army. Chief of staff commanded the division in 1.988-89, his predecessor As army chief of staff Gen. Carl e. Vuono also served in the division. Now that the division s fourth and shortest War is Over its future place in National policy will be reassessed As Well As that of the army which is scaling Back. The division s 3rd brigade once was authorized a strength of More than 4,400 troops at Sites in Bobingen Goppinger and Neu Ulm Germany. More than one fourth of the division s Forward troops in Germany served in the persian Gulf during operations desert shield and desert storm chiefly by helping Vii corps units move through the port at dam Mam saudi Arabia. The units at Bobingen and Neu Ulm already have been inactivated and the brigade has fewer than 700 troops left at Cooke Barracks in Goppinger according to brigade spokesman maj. Lane Van de Steeg. The first inactivation in Goppinger that of 4th in 16th inf regt took place in a subdued ceremony on monday. Remaining units in Goppinger include brigade. Headquarters the division s Forward Headquarters its he co 299th support a no she he co co a and co a and det 1, 101st military intelligence in. The division will Mark the 3rd brigade s passing on july 16 at a ceremony at fort Riley kans., with representation from brigade Headquarters its battalions and its separate companies Van de Steeg said. The inactivation takes effect aug. 1 but not to worry about the big red one. Quot there will always be a 1st inf div because of the history and tradition that division holds to the army Quot says Mckale the historian. A if the 1st div goes off the Rolls we won t have an Staft writer Joseph Owen in Stuttgart contributed to this report. Gino Merli a world War ii medal of Honor recipient with the 1st inf div single hand edly fended off scores of attacking germans. Raphael Crews 19, was the Lead tank Driver when the 1st inf div breached iraqi defences in the persian Gulf War. Clinton Dattel 91, was among the first volunteers for world War i. Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday july 3,1991 the stars and stripes a Page 15
