THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



511 



The colors of the insignia come from the 

 standard colors of an army headquarters used 

 by both French and Americans, a flag of red 

 and white (the red being the upper half) to 

 mark the headquarters of the army, and a small 

 piece of ribbon, similarly colored, worn on 

 the front of the coat by staff officers of a 

 French army. 



in the reorganization after the armistice the 

 Second Army consisted of the Sixth and Ninth 

 Corps, and was stationed around Metz, Toul, 

 and St. Mihiel, engaged in salvage work. 



41. The Third Army was formed after the 

 armistice, under command of Maj. Gen. J. T. 

 Dickman, to advance into Germany and occupy 

 the bridgehead at Coblenz. It consisted of the 

 Third, Fourth, and Seventh Corps. The in- 

 signia, an "A" inside art "O," stands for Army 

 of Occupation. 



42. The First Division was the first in 

 France, its headquarters arriving there June 27, 

 1917, and it was the last complete division to 

 return, in September, 1919. It was the first 

 at the front, the first to fire at the enemy, the 

 first to attack, the first to make a raid, the first 

 to suffer casualties and the first to inflict 

 casualties, and, finally, the first to be cited in 

 general orders. 



It was in the Sommerville sector, southeast 

 of Nancy, October 21 to November 20, 1917; 

 Ansauville sector January 15 to April 3, 1918; 

 Cantigny sector and the Battle of Cantigny 

 April 25 to. July 7; the Marne offensive July 

 18 to 24; Saizerais sector August 7 to 24; St. 

 Mihiel operation September 12 and 13 ; Meuse- 

 Argonne offensive October 1 to 12; operation 

 against Mouzon and Sedan November 5 to 7; 

 march on Coblenz November 17 to Decem- 

 ber 14. 



In all, this division passed 93 days in active 

 sectors and 127 in so-called quiet sectors; but 

 the word "quiet" is merely relative, because, 

 no matter how peaceful it may have been be- 

 fore, when occupied by American troops the 

 enemy had no rest, and for their own protec- 

 tion the Germans were obliged to reciprocate 

 the attentions they received. 



This division captured 6,469 prisoners and 

 advanced 51 kilometers against resistance, with 

 a casualty list of 4,411 battle deaths and 17,201 

 wounded. 



43. The insignia of the Second Division was 

 evolved by a truck driver, according to report. 

 He painted the device on the side of his truck 

 and it was selected as the insignia for the 

 division. 



The color of the background on which the 

 stai is placed shows the battalion or independ- 

 ent company in the regiment, according to 

 the following schedule : Black, Headquarters 

 Company; green, Supply Company: purple, 

 Machine Gun Company; red, First Bnttalion; 

 yellow, Second Battalion ; and blue, Third Bat- 

 talion. 



The shape of the background showed the 

 regiment, as follows : Ninth Infantry, pentagon : 

 Twenty-third Infantry, circle; Fifth Marines, 

 square; Sixth Marines, diamond; Twelfth 

 Field Artillery, horizontal oblong: Fifteenth 

 Field Artillery, vertical oblong: Seventeenth 

 Field Artillery, projectile; and Second Engi- 

 neers, castle. 



This division was organized in France from 

 troops sent over separately. Its headquarters 

 was established October 26, 19 17, and training 

 as a division began at once. 



It was in the Verdun and Toul sectors March 

 15 to 24, 1918; Chateau-Thierry sector May 

 31 to July 9, with almost continuous heavy 

 fighting, including the famous Belleau Wood 

 operation; Marne offensive July 18 to 20; 

 Marbache sector August 9 to 24; St. Mihiel 

 sector, including the offensive operation there, 

 September 9 to 16; Blanc Mont sector and 

 offensive in Champagne, September 28 to Oc- 

 tober 27 ; Meuse-Argonne offensive October 30 

 to November 11. 



The division passed 66 days in active sectors 

 and 71 in quiet; it advanced 60 kilometers 

 against resistance, lost 4,478 killed and 17, 75 2 

 wounded, and captured 12,026 of the enemy. 



The Second led all our divisions in the num- 

 ber of Distinguished Service crosses awarded, 

 664 being the last official report, but it is 

 undoubtedly greater now. 



44. The Third Division was organized in 

 November, 1917, at Camp Greene, North Caro- 

 lina, and went to France in April, 1918 ; was in 

 the Chateau-Thierry sector May 31 to July 29, 

 stopping the German attack of July 15 to 18, 

 the last of the enemy offensives. Its conduct 

 on that occasion earned for it the title of the 

 "Marne Division." 



It was in the St. Mihiel sector September 10 

 to 14, Meuse-Argonne offensive September 30 

 to October 27, and marched on the Rhine No- 

 vember 14. 



The Third was never stationed in a quiet 

 sector, but was 86 days in active sectors — 

 more than any other division with the excep- 

 tion of the First. It advanced 41 kilometers 

 against resistance, captured 2,240 prisoners, 

 and lost 3,177 killed and 12,940 wounded, being 

 exceeded in its casualty list by the First and 

 Second Divisions only. 



The three white stripes of its insignia are 

 symbolical of the three major operations in 

 which the division participated — the Marne, 

 St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne. The blue 

 field symbolizes the loyalty of those who placed 

 their lives on the altar of self-sacrifice in de- 

 fense of the American ideals of liberty and 

 democracy. 



45. The Fourth Division, like the Third, 

 was organized in December. IQT/, at Camp 

 Greene, North Carolina. It went to France 

 in May, 1018: from July 18 to 21 it onerated 

 with the Sixth French Army in the offensive 

 near Norroy and Hautevesnes : August 3 to 

 12 it operated in the Vesle sector : Toul sector. 

 September 7 to 15: Meuse-Argonne. Septem- 

 ber 25 to October 19. March on Coblenz No- 

 vember 20. 



Tt captured 2.756 prisoners: advanced 24^ 

 kilometers against resistance: spent 7 days in 

 a nniet sector and 38 in active, and lost 2.6tt 

 killed and 9.803 wounded. F6ur > ivy leaves, 

 representing the number of the division, con- 

 stitute the insignia. 



46. The Fifth Division was organized in 

 November, 1917. at Camp Logan. Texas, and 

 went to France at the beginning of May, iqi8. 

 It served in the Colmar sector June 15 to July 

 16; St. Die sector July 16 to August 23; St. 



