Society of the First Infantry Division

Society of the First Infantry Division The Society's official web site at www.1stID.org is a comprehensive source of all information about
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June 5, 1944: 1st Infantry Division troops leave the port of Weymouth, Dorset in Southern England en route to Omaha Beac...
06/06/2026

June 5, 1944: 1st Infantry Division troops leave the port of Weymouth, Dorset in Southern England en route to Omaha Beach in Normandy.
Photo by Robert Capa, colorized by Jecinci

June 5, 1944, via 16th Infantry Regiment Historical Society: Regimental headquarters and the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantr...
06/05/2026

June 5, 1944, via 16th Infantry Regiment Historical Society: Regimental headquarters and the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, boarded the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) at Weymouth, England, for the invasion of Hitler's so-called "Fortress Europe".

Today is World Bicycle Day. The U.S. Army's bicycle history is defined by its late 19th-century experiments, most famous...
06/04/2026

Today is World Bicycle Day. The U.S. Army's bicycle history is defined by its late 19th-century experiments, most famously featuring the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. While European militaries widely adopted cycling for infantry and couriers, the U.S. focused its efforts on exploring whether bikes could successfully replace horses for cross-country troop transport.

The 25th Infantry was an all-Black regiment stationed at Fort Missoula, Montana, led by white officers. First Lieutenant James A. Moss, an avid cycling enthusiast. Nine Buffalo soldiers, soon dubbed the "Iron Riders," trained by riding 40 miles a day. They successfully completed long-distance (800-mile) test rides to Lake McDonald and through Yellowstone National Park, proving bikes could hold up to mountainous terrain.

The 1,900-Mile Expedition (1897): To test the limits of bike transport, 23 men embarked on a grueling expedition from Fort Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri. The soldiers pedaled single-gear Spalding bicycles, loaded with up to 75 lbs of gear (including rifles and rations). They battled severe weather, mountain ranges, food shortages, and harsh alkali water, often having to walk their bikes along railroad tracks to avoid thick mud. Despite the incredible physical toll and hostility from segregated towns, they completed the 41-day journey in July 1897.

Read more: https://mostateparks.com/ironriders

Although the Great Experiment of 1897 proved the immense physical endurance and courage of the soldiers, the U.S. military ultimately decided against maintaining a standing bicycle corps. However, there are instances of bicycles being used in limited capacities, like in WWII. They were used primarily for scouts, messengers, and military police to travel quietly and quickly.

June 2-5, 1966: Operation LAM SON Il. The mission was to pacify the village, conduct a thorough search, root out the Vie...
06/03/2026

June 2-5, 1966: Operation LAM SON Il. The mission was to pacify the village, conduct a thorough search, root out the Viet Cong infrastructure, gather intelligence, and "win the hearts and minds of the people."

At 1530 on 2 June 1966, the first day of a successful hamlet festival in Tan Phuoc Khanh wound down with all the festivities of a county fair. The steady sound of the 1st Infantry Division Bandhad seemed out of place as it marched through the streets of the small Vietnamese village. It was not just a concert but a weapon in "the other war."

First - Last - and All the Time.Duty First!
06/01/2026

First - Last - and All the Time.
Duty First!

Do you know where the term, Cup O' Joe came from? There are several theories; this one is our favorite: On June 1, 1914,...
06/01/2026

Do you know where the term, Cup O' Joe came from? There are several theories; this one is our favorite: On June 1, 1914, Secretary of the Navy Josephus "Joe" Daniels banned alcohol on all U.S. naval ships. According to lore, frustrated sailors sarcastically called their only remaining stimulant (coffee) a "Cup of Josephus," which eventually shortened to "Joe."

May 29, 1918: Flamethrowers and grenadiers mopping up German dugouts during the 1st Division attack at the Battle of Can...
05/31/2026

May 29, 1918: Flamethrowers and grenadiers mopping up German dugouts during the 1st Division attack at the Battle of Cantigny.
Photo courtesy of the First Division Museum at Cantigny

Big Red One : Ryan Bessey shares these photos. 2008-2009 Camp Stryker, Iraq (AO: Yusufiyah (triangle of death)).2nd Pla...
05/28/2026

Big Red One : Ryan Bessey shares these photos. 2008-2009 Camp Stryker, Iraq (AO: Yusufiyah (triangle of death)).
2nd Platoon Bco 163 CAB 2nd Brigade, 1st ID.

Brigadier General James Hollingsworth, Assistant Division Commander, presenting Wes Geary’s decorations at the end of hi...
05/28/2026

Brigadier General James Hollingsworth, Assistant Division Commander, presenting Wes Geary’s decorations at the end of his tour in May 1967.

May 26, 2018: Soldiers from the 1st ID Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard retire the colors after a ceremony honor...
05/27/2026

May 26, 2018: Soldiers from the 1st ID Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard retire the colors after a ceremony honoring the fallen at Somme American Cemetery, France. The ceremonies taking place over Memorial Day weekend emphasize the centennial of America’s involvement in WWI.
Photo by CPL Kevin Sterling Payne

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Fort Riley, KS
66442

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(785) 579-6761

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