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National Geographic : 1919 Dec
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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Mihiel operation September II to 17; Meuse Argonne, October 12 to 22 and October 27 to November II. This division captured 2,356 prisoners; ad vanced 29 kilometers against resistance; spent 71 days in quiet sectors and 32 in active; lost 1,976 killed and 6,864 wounded. The insignia, the Ace of Diamonds, was placed on all the divisional baggage as a dis tinctive mark before leaving the United States for overseas service. No significant meaning is recalled, other than that the red was a com pliment to the then commanding general, who came from the artillery. The following ex planations have been made, however: "Diamond dye-it never runs." "A diamond is made up of two adjacent isosceles triangles, which make for the greatest strength." The division was nicknamed the "Red Diamond Division." 47. The Sixth Division was, organized in November, 191,7, at Camp McClellan, Alabama, and arrived in France in July, 1918. It occu pied a sector in the Vosges under French command September 3 to October ii and was in reserve in the Meuse-Argonne offensive November 2 to II, spending 40 days in quiet sectors and none in an active sector. It cap tured 12 prisoners and lost 93 killed and 453 wounded. The insignia is a six-pointed star in red, and is frequently seen with the figure "6" superimposed on the star, but that .was never authorized. This division is reported to have marched more than any other in the A. E. F. and was known as the "Sight-seeing Sixth." 48. The Seventh Division was organized at the beginning of January, 1918, at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, and went to France in August. It occupied a sector in Lorraine Octo ber 9 to November II. It captured 69 prison ers, spent 31 days in quiet sector and 2 in active, and lost 296 killed and 1,397 wounded. The insignia originated as the result of using two figures seven, one inverted and superimposed, which was later transformed into two triangles. It was used for marking the baggage of the division before going over seas. 49. The Eighth Division was organized at Camp Fremont, California, in December, 1917. When the armistice was signed the artillery, engineers, and one regiment of infantry (the Eighth, now on duty at Coblenz) had left for France. The remainder of the division was at the port ready to leave, but, as all troop move ments were at once suspended, the division complete never reached France. Nevertheless, it lost 6 men killed and 29 wounded. It re ceived the name of the Pathfinder Division, which is represented in the insignia by the gold arrow, pointing upward. 50. The Tenth Division was organized at Camp Funston in August, 1918. It never reached France. 51. The Eleventh Division was organized at Camp Meade, Maryland, in August, 1918, and, like all the divisions numbered from 9 to 20, inclusive (several of which chose no insignia), it never left the United States. It became known as the Lafayette Division, the profile of the Revolutionary hero being represented in the insignia. 52. The Twelfth Division was organized at Camp Devens in July, 1918, and took the name of the Plymouth Division because it was re cruited mainly from the New England States. 53. The Thirteenth Division was organized at Camp Lewis, Washington, in September, 1918. The device includes the two proverbial "bad luck" symbols, the figure 13 and a black cat, surrounded by the "good luck" horseshoe, indicative of the doughboy's confidence in his ability to overcome all hoodoos. 54. The Fourteenth Division was organized at Camp Custer, Michigan, in July, 1918, and took the name of the Wolverine Division, those animals having been very common in Michigan in the early days. The head of a wolverine appears on the insignia. 55. The Eighteenth Division was organized at Camp Travis, Texas, in August, , , and acquired the name of the Cactus Division, which appears on the insignia, together with the Latin motto meaning "Touch me not." 56. The Twenty-sixth Division is the first of the National Guard divisions, and was formed from the National Guard of the New England States. The National Guard was called into the Fed eral service in July, 1917, and drafted into the service, under the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1916, on August 5, 1917; this made them eligible for foreign service. The New England Guard went into camp in their respective States, remaining there until de parture for France, which was in the fall of that year. The Twenty-sixth was the first National Guard division to enter the line and was pre ceded in this by the First Division only. It was in the Chemin des Dames sector February 6 to March 18; La Reine and Boucq sector March 31 to June 28; northwest of Chateau Thierry July 1o to 25 (which included the Marne offensive) ; Rupt and Tryon sector Sep tember 8 to October 8 (which included the St. Mihiel operation); north of Verdun, as Army reserve, October 18 to November 11. This division spent 148 (lays in quiet sectors and 45 in active, being exceeded in total time under fire by the First Division only. It cap tured 3,148 prisoners, advanced 37 kilometers against resistance, and lost 2,135 killed and 11,325 wounded, standing sixth among the divisions in the casualty list. It was named the Yankee Division and used the initials thereof for its insignia. 57. The Twenty-seventh Division was the New York Division of the National Guard. After being drafted into the Federal service it went to Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, re maining there until departure for France, in May, 1918. Its entire active service in Europe was with the British, as a part of the Second Corps. It was in the East Poperinghe (Bel gium) line, four battalions at a time, from July 9 to September 3, 1918; in the Dickebusch sector, Belgium, August 24 to September 3: the breaking of the Hindenburg line, September 24 514
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