U.S. 28th Infantry Division

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The 28th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army formed in 1917 in World War I. It continues its service today as the 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized), part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

It is nicknamed the "Keystone Division", as it was formed from units of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Pennsylvania is known as the "Keystone State". It was also nicknamed the "Bloody Bucket" division by German forces in WWII, after its red insignia.

1 World War I
2 World War II
3 Post WWII Service
4 Operation Iraqi Freedom
- 4.1 2nd Brigade — OIF Composition
- 4.2 Current Composition
5 Heraldry
6 References

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World War I

Activated: September 1917 (National Guard division from Pennsylvania).
Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne, Ypres-Lys (FA).
Casualties: Total-14,139 (KIA-2,165 ; WIA-11,974).
Commanders: Maj. Gen. C. M. Clement (17 July 1917), Brig. Gen. W. G. Price, Jr. (18 September 1917), Brig. Gen. F. W. Stilwell (28 October 1917), Maj. Gen. C. M. Clement (4 December 1917), Brig. Gen. F. W. Stilwell (11 December 1917), Maj. Gen. C. H. Muir (15 December 1917), Brig. Gen. F. H. Albright (23 October 1918), Maj. Gen. William H. Hay (25 October 1918).
Inactivated: Spring 1919.

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World War II

Activated: 17 February 1941.
Overseas: 8 October 1943.
Campaigns: Normandy, North France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 196.
Awards: MH-1 ; DSC-29 ; DSM-1; SS-435; LM-27; SM-21 ; BSM-2,312 ; AM-100.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Edward Martin (February-December 1941), Maj. Gen. J. Garsche Ord (January-May 1942), Maj. Gen. Omar N. Bradley (June 1942-January 1943), Maj. Gen. Lloyd D. Brown (January 1943-July 1944), Maj. Gen. Norman D. Cota (August 1944 to inactivation).
Returned to U. S.: 2 August 1945.
Inactivated: 13 December 1945.

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Organization

109th, 110th and 112th Infantry Regiments
107th, 108th, 109th and 229th Field Artillery Battalions
103rd Engineer Combat Battalion

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Combat Chronicle

The 28th Infantry Division after training in England, landed in Normandy, France, 22 July 1944, and entered the hedgerow struggle north and west of St. Lo. Inching their way forward against desperate opposition, the men of the 28th took Percy, 1 August, and Gathemo, 10 August. On the 12th, Brigadier General Wharton was killed a few hours after assuming command. The Division began to roll north and east, 20 August, meeting light resistance except at Le Neubourg, 24 August, and Elbeuf on the 25th. After parading through Paris, 29 August, it continued its sustained drive through France and Luxembourg to the German border, assembling near Binsfeld, 11 September: It began hammering at the Siegfried Line, 12 September, destroying pillboxes and other fortifications, moved north to Elsenborn, 1 October, then returned on the 6th for patrols and rotation of troops. The 28th smashed into the Hurtgen Forest, 2 November 1944, and in the savage seesaw battle which followed, Vossenack and Schmidt changed hands several times. On 19 November, the Division moved south to hold a 25-mile sector along the Our River in Luxembourg.

The Von Rundstedt offensive broke loose, 16 December, along the entire Division front. The 28th fought in place using all available personnel and threw off the enemy timetable before withdrawing to Neufchateau, 22 December, for reorganization. The Division moved to a defensive position along the Meuse River from Givet to Verdun, 2 January 1945, then to a patrol of the Vosges Mountains, 17 February. From 1 to 5 February, it participated in the reduction of the Colmar Pocket, headed for the Rhine and crossed the Rhine-Rhone Canal, 6 February. After an attack toward the Ahr River, 6 March, the 28th engaged in training, rehabilitation, and holding defensive positions. Beginning 7 April it performed occupation duties at Julich and Kaiserlautern until it left France.

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Assignments in the ETO

22 October 1943: V Corps, First Army.
14 April 1944: XX Corps, Third Army.
24 April 1944: Third Army, but attached to First Army.
26 July 1944: XIX Corps.
30 July 1944: XIX Corps, First Army.
1 August 1944: XIX Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
28 August 1944: V Corps.
19 November 1944: VIII Corps.
20 December 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
5 January 1945: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to Oise Section, Communications Zone, for supply.
6 January 1945: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
8 January 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group.
9 January 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group.
16 January 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
20 January 1945: French II Corps.
28 January 1945: XXI Corps.
14 February 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
19 February 1945: 12th Army Group.
21 February 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
16 March 1945: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
22 March 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
28 March 1945: III Corps.
7 April 1945: First Army, 12th Army Group.
10 April 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group.
13 April 1945: XXII Corps.
26 April 1945: XXIII Corps.

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Post WWII Service

The 28th Infantry Division has continued to serve the nation as part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

After being deactivated as part of the Army in December 1945, it was reorganised in 1946 and returned to the Pennsylvania National Guard; following the outbreak of the Korean War, it was recalled to active duty and sent to bolster NATO forces in Germany. In 1954, it returned to the National Guard.

The Division was not mobilised during the Vietnam War, although in 1965 it was selected as one of three divisions in the Army Selective Reserve Force. Nor was it mobilised in force for Operation Desert Storm in 1991; however, the 121st Transportation Company, one of its constituent units, served in Saudi Arabia and volunteers from the Division were deployed overseas, some in the Middle East.

In 1996, after the signing of the Dayton Agreement, some units of the divisional artillery were called up to serve as peacekeeping forces in Bosnia; elements of the 28th served in Bosnia as peacekeepers for several years following this. In 2002, the 28th Division took command of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia as part of SFOR 12. The division was the first reserve component division headquarters to take on this role in Bosnia.

In 2003, the 28th Division again lead the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo as part of KFOR 5A for a 6 month rotation. The 28th was the first reserve component division headquarters to take on this role in Kosovo. Later in 2005, elements of the 28th Division would again return to Kosovo as part of KFOR 6B, the first year long rotation by U.S. troops to the region.

During the "Global War on Terror" following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US the Keystone Division has provided troops for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and - most significantly - several thousand troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor deployed to Iraq in November, 2004. The division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in July 2005.

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Operation Iraqi Freedom

In June 2004, the 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor Regt. was activated at Fort Bliss, Texas and deployed to Iraq in November in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This marked the first deployment of a 28th ID combat battalion to a war zone since World War II. The battalion, now designated as a Task Force (Task Force DRAGOON), was stationed at Forward Operating Base Summerall, near Bayji. Attached initially to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and then the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, the 800 man TF 1-103rd Armor, commanded by LTC Philip J. Logan engaged in combat operations for 12 months before redeploying to the United States in November, 2005.

In January 2005, approximately 4,000 soldiers from 23 states were mobilized to Camp Shelby, MS for a 6 month train-up in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. These soldiers consist of approximately 10 battalions under the command of Col. John Gronski, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 28th Infantry Division. The soldiers participated in combat-oriented training as well as acquiring much needed equipment for the Operation Iraqi Freedom mission.

In May 2005, 2nd Brigade soldiers trained at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA to prepare for their upcoming mission in Iraq due to start in July 2005.

In late June and early July 2005 2nd Brigade soldiers began deploying to the Al-Anbar Province and are under the command of the 2nd Marine Division. This marks the first time since World War II that the 28th Infantry Division patch will be worn as a right shoulder Combat Unit Patch.

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