Key events in the History of the 4th Infantry Division

1 Jan 2009 – The security for the International Zone, or “Green Zone” was officially transferred from 4ID/MND-B to the Iraqi Security Forces. January 1, 2009 also brought the official implementation of the Security Agreement where ISF and NP took the lead while Coalition Forces moved into an advisory role.

5 Jan 2006 – Five 4ID Soldiers of 3-16 FA were killed when an IED hit their vehicle. Included was MAJ Bill Hecker III, whose parents live in the Fort Carson area.

7 Jan 2006 – MG James D. Thurman, CG of 4ID assumed command of Multi-National Division-Baghdad (MND-B) from 3ID, marking the official start of the 4ID’s second deployment to Iraq.

10 Jan 2007 – In a nationally televised address, President Bush announced the “surge” in Iraq, stating, “America will change our strategy to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian violence and bring security to the people of Baghdad. … So I’ve committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them – five brigades – will be deployed to Baghdad.”

15 Jan 1968 – The Medal of Honor was earned by SP5 Dwight Johnson, tank driver with B/1-69 AR. (Details of this and all the following MOH citations can be found at www.4thinfantry.org).

17 Jan 2003 – MG Ray Odierno received orders to deploy the 4ID and TF Ironhorse to Iraq, to attack from the north, through Turkey.

18 Jan 1945 – 4ID attacked across the Sure River, toward the Siegfried Line, to recapture the territory lost during the Battle of the Bulge.

19 Jan 2007 – MG Jeffery Hammond took command of 4ID from MG (P) James D. Thurman to become the 55th CG in 4ID history.

27 Jan 1967 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by SP4 Donald Evans, medic with A/2-12 IN.

29 Jan 2006 – ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt were wounded by an IED while embedded with 4ID’s 1BCT.

31 Jan 2009 – The extremely successful Iraqi provincial elections were held, the first elections since 2005. Violence was virtually non-existent, a great end to the fifteen month deployment of 4ID.

4 Feb 1945 – The enemy’s outer Siegfried Line defense was penetrated with elements of the 8th and 22nd Infantry Regiments at the same place that the 4th Infantry Division penetrated on 14 September 1944. Veterans reported that they occupied many of the same foxholes they had dug in September 1944.

8-13 Feb 1945 – Fighting raged for the town of Prum, which was finally secured on 13 February by elements of the 22nd Infantry Regiment.

9-11 Feb 1969 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by CPL Thomas Bennett, medic with B/1-14 IN, for his actions on 9-11 February 1969. He was the only conscientious objector to earn the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. Bennett Medical Clinic at Fort Hood is named after this 4ID MOH recipient.

10 Feb 2009 – The 4ID turned over the reins of MND-B to 1st Cavalry Division, the same unit they had relieved over a year earlier.

15 Feb 1967 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by PFC Louis Willett, rifleman with C/1-12 IN.

16 Feb 1967 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by PSG Elmelindo Smith, platoon sergeant with C/2-8 IN.

20 Feb 1946 – At Camp Butner, NC, the 4ID had their final parade, awards ceremony, and casing of colors prior to the division being deactivated at the end of WWII. The division would be reactivated on June 1, 1947 and has served continuously since then.

22 Feb 2006 – A bombing at the Askariya Shrine in Samarra left the famous golden dome at the site in ruins, causing widespread violence between Sunnis and Shiias that continued through all of 2006.

28 Feb 1945 – 4ID attacked to the east from the Prum river, with 8th and 22nd Infantry attacking at 0515, 12th Infantry was division reserve.

4 Mar 2009 - 1BCT completed their third tour in Iraq and returned to Fort Hood.

10 Mar 1945 – 4ID began assembling preparatory to departure from the Third Army sector to the VIII Corps area to the south in the vicinity of Luneville, France. Much deserved rest, refit, and training was accomplished over the next two weeks. This marked the first time since D-Day that the 4ID had not been on the front lines in direct contact with the Germans. Except for a few days, the 4ID was constantly on the front lines and in contact with German forces from D-Day, June 6, 1944 through VE Day, May 8, 1945.

15 Mar 2004 – A 4ID Soldier, SPC Cody Hoefer, driver for the CO of 1-22 IN, was the first person from his native Montana to ever be pictured on the cover of Time magazine.

16 Mar 2004 – In Tikrit, Iraq, MG Ray Odierno of 4ID transferred authority from 4ID/TF Ironhorse to MG John Batiste with 1ID/TF Danger, marking the official end of 4ID’s first tour in Iraq. By the end of March, the majority of 4ID/TF Ironhorse Soldiers had returned to their home bases.

21 Mar 1967 – Units of 3rd Brigade of 4ID (2-12 IN, 2-22 IN, 3-22 IN, 2-77 FA, 2-34 AR) earned the Presidential Unit Citation at the Battle of Soui Tre where over 600 NVA and VC troops were killed.

21 Mar 2003 – The war in Iraq began, without the 4ID – Turkey would not let them enter through their country. The next day, the 4ID was ordered to go through Kuwait.

22 Mar 1967 – The Medal of Honor was earned by 1SG David McNerney, 1SG with A/1-8 IN.

23 Mar 2008 – On Easter Sunday, all hell broke loose in Baghdad. The attacks during the last few days of March brought the attack level back up to what had been experienced when the surge was still taking hold in the early fall of 2007. Mortar and rocket attacks, launched primarily from Sadr City, rained down on the International Zone (IZ). IED, small arms, and indirect fire attacks were launched against MND-B and ISF bases, convoys, and patrols at a level which had not been seen since early in 2007. The stage was set for the Battle of Sadr City, which would rage through April and May 2008.

25 Mar 2003 – The 173rd Airborne Brigade, attached to 4ID/TF Ironhorse, made the first ever combat parachute jump from C-17 aircraft as they jumped into Bashur Airfield, north of Kirkuk, Iraq (LTC Randy George, current CO of 4BCT/4ID, was DCO of 173rd and made the jump).

27 Mar 2003 – At Fort Hood, the 4ID held a colors casing ceremony at Cameron Field, marking their imminent (first) deployment to Iraq.

29 Mar 1945 – 4ID crossed the Rhine River, over the heavy pontoon bridge at Worms.

30 Mar 2007 – 2BCT cased their colors at Fort Hood and officially moved to Fort Carson. COL Henry Kievenaar III, former 4ID/MND-B G-3 assumed command.

31 Mar 1945 – HQ 7th Army informed the HQ that the Company Commanders of D and M Companies, 8th Infantry, with one complete platoon from each of those companies, would report to Fort Ehrenbreitstein, Coblenz, Germany, for the purpose of raising the flag which was lowered by these companies in 1923, signifying the departure of the last American occupational troops after the last war.

April 2008 – All throughout the month of April 2008, elements of the 4ID/MND-B, in response to massive rocket and mortar attacks coming out of Sadr City, Iraq into the International Zone, fought the Battle of Sadr City. COL John Hort, 3BCT, 4ID commander said, “A major turning point in the Iraq war was taking Sadr City.” A tactic used was to build, under enemy fire, the Gold Wall, separating the southern third of Sadr City from the northern part and then cleaning out resistance in southern Sadr City. When completed, the Gold Wall consisted of more than 4,000 concrete barriers, ten to twelve feet high. 3BCT of 4ID, with attached units, engaged in more than 600 direct-fire engagements and expended more than 12,000 25mm rounds and more than 800 120mm tank rounds, to kill or capture more than1,000 Special Group (SG) criminals. By mid May, hostilities had been virtually eliminated.

1 April 1945 – The 4th Infantry Division continued the advance to the northeast in the direction of Wurzburg, Germany with the 8th and 22nd Infantry Regiments abreast and the 12th Infantry in division reserve.

14 April 2003 – At 0200 hours, the lead elements of the 1st “Raider” Brigade of 4ID/TF Ironhorse started rolling from Kuwait, toward the Iraqi border, on through Baghdad, and to the Sunni Triangle in northern Iraq – a 500 mile trip. Lead elements were 1-10 CAV and 1-8 IN, both attached to 1BCT for this operation. Fuel tanker trucks from 704 Division Support Battalion were in the lead convoy.

15 April 1970 – Camp Enari, home base for the 4ID since August 1966, was turned over to the South Vietnamese and the 4ID moved east to Camp Radcliff at An Khe, former home of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

16 April 2003 – Taji Airfield was attacked and secured by 1-8 IN and 1-10 CAV (this has been a major US base in Iraq since then).

17 April 2003 – Balad was taken by elements of 1BCT. Larger, more complex, and a more strategic objective than Taji, Balad was to become a major strategic supply base for coalition forces, known as LSA Anaconda, now called Joint Base Balad.

20 April 2003 – The 4ID Tactical Operations Center arrived in Saddam Hussein’s palace complex in Tikrit. This would become the headquarters for 4ID/TF Ironhorse for the next year.

22 April 2004 – 4ID celebrated their homecoming from Iraq and OIF I with a day long celebration on and around Cameron parade field at Fort Hood, TX. This was the first public display of the new 4ID Memorial, honoring the 83 4ID/TF Ironhorse Soldiers who had fallen in Iraq.

25 April 1945 – As the period closed, leading elements of the 4th Infantry Division had advanced without contacting the enemy to just north or Landenburg, Waldkirch and Weisingen, Germany. Reports were received of scattered small arms, presumably sniper fire, encountered by motorized elements of the 4th Infantry Division as they advanced through towns. Many prisoners of war, both in and out of uniform, were taken as mopping up activities in rear areas were carried out. The 4ID continued its advance and established contact with the 12th Armored Division in the vicinity of Gundel Fingen. At the close of the period, the bulk of the 8th and 12th Infantry Regiments were on the south side of the Danube River.

26 April 2003 – A major firefight occurred between 1-22 IN and arms dealers around two farmhouses near the Tigris River. During this fight, 1LT Osbaldo Orosco, platoon leader of the QRF of C/1-22 IN, became the first KIA of the 4ID in Iraq. (Thirty-eight years earlier, on September 5, 1966, PFC Albert Collins, also of C/1-22 IN, became the first KIA of the 4ID in the Vietnam War).

28 April 1944 – At Slapton Sands, England, in the early morning hours, five LST’s participating in Operation TIGER, a training exercise simulating the upcoming D-Day landing, were sunk by German U-boats, causing the loss of lives of 946 American soldiers and sailors. 4ID troops had already landed, the lost troops were support troops who would have been in support of 4ID on D-Day.

29 April 1918 – The lead elements of the 4th Division, the 4th Engineers, embarked New York harbor and landed at Bordeaux, France on 12 May. The remainder of the division followed soon after and by 5 June, after landing in England or directly into France, the entire 4th Division was in France. They trained from the time of their arrival until 11 June with the British Army.

30 April 1945 – During the month of April, the 4ID had covered a distance of approximately 250 miles. This rapid advance created a serious transportation-supply problem. Vehicles were required to motorize elements of the Division and at the same time the lines of supply were lengthening, necessitating longer trips back to the supply dumps. A total of 113 trucks were used during the month of April for transportation other than normal supply. 190 4ID officers and enlisted men were killed in April with 367 wounded. 26,091 prisoners were captured.

5 May 1970 – Elements of the 4ID began Operation Binh Tay I, the attack against NVA forces in Cambodia. The operation ended successfully on 25 May 1970. (Note: This battle will be covered in the “Key Battles in 4ID History” series, available by mid May 2010).

8 May 1945 – D+337 VE Day (Victory in Europe)

Note: 2010 marks the 65th Anniversary of V-E Day – The 4ID continued to maintain law and order and to guard installations and also made preparation to assume responsibility for additional security missions. The 8th Infantry moved to Burglengenfeld, Germany. The regiment made plans for assuming responsibility for security of displaced persons' camps, captured enemy supply dumps, main supply route and bridges within their area early. The 12th made plans for assuming responsibility for additional security missions in the vicinity of Neustadt and Eschenbach. The 22nd Infantry continued to relieve other elements guarding enemy supply dumps and other installations in the vicinity of Nurnberg-Schwabach.

Chaplain Bill Boice of the 22nd Infantry Regiment described that day in his book, "History of the 22nd Infantry Regiment in WWII" as follows:

"When the announcement of cessation of hostilities was heard, Chaplain Boice sent down a letter to the men of the Regiment to be addressed to their families and mailed home.

"This evening Admiral Doenitz has announced to the German people the unconditional surrender of all German fighting forces.

"Had this surrender occurred the first of September on our wave of optimism when we hit the Siegfried Line, or immediately after the defeat of Von Rundstedt and the successful crossing of the Rhine, we would have been wild with joy. The news of Germany's surrender was received by all of us with a calmness very nearly approaching indifference about the feeling deep within our hearts.

"There was no revelry last night, no drunkenness, no shouting, no flag waving, no horns blowing; there was a sober realization that it was all over, at least so far as Europe was concerned, and that we, by the strength of our arms and by our own courage, had, with the help of God, completely and finally defeated everything that the warped and twisted soul of a perverted nation could hurl at us.

"We take no undue pride in what we have done, for we are sobered by the blood of our comrades which cries up to us from every foot of ground from Normandy to Berlin and from Holland to Italy. We have done what we had to do for you, as well as for our own peace of mind.

"...There is not one single fighting day of which we must be ashamed or for which we must make excuses. No unit in the ETO has more right to hold its head high and to march with shoulders back, colors streaming, than this one. Its record, its casualties, its achievements, and the respect it instilled and the terror it struck in the heart of the German Army speak for themselves."

From 6 June 1944 to 8 May 1945:

OfficersEnlistedTotalNotesKIA26335933858 Died of wounds39692731 MIA16267283 SWA40864896897(Seriously Wounded in Action)LWA48489309414(Lightly Wounded in Action)Captured01414 Total121019,98721,197Combat Casualties

Casualties equaled 149% of the authorized June 1944 strength of 14,253.
32% of the original June 1944 strength were killed in action or died of wounds.

16 May 1968 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by SGT Anund C. Roark, squad leader with C/1-12 IN. (Details on this and all the following MOH citations can be found at www.4thinfantry.org).

18 May 1967 – The battle known as “Nine Days in May” began near the Cambodian border in Vietnam. Troops of 1st Brigade, 4ID (1-8 IN, 3-8 IN, 3-12 IN) faced off against 1,500 troops of the 32d and 66th NVA regiments. By the end of the “Nine Days” on May 26, seventy-one 4ID Soldiers had died in five major battles. More than 300 NVA dead were tallied. Three 4ID Soldiers earned the Medal of Honor during this period, all posthumously.

18 May 1967 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by PSG Bruce Alan Grandstaff, platoon sergeant with B/1-8 IN.

20 May 1967 – The Medal of Honor was earned by PFC Leslie Allen Bellrichard, rifleman with C/1-8 IN and by SSG Frankie Z. Molnar, squad leader with B/1-8 IN, both were posthumous awards.

20 May 1951 – Lead elements of the 4ID departed the Port of New York, en route to Cold War duty in Germany, where they would serve until 1956.

21 May 2009 – The 4ID OIF Memorial Monument at Fort Hood, TX was expanded and rededicated (for the second time), to add the names of the 113 4ID/MND-B troops who had fallen during OIF 07-09 alongside the names of those already honored there.

23 May 1918 – The first casualties in the division, as a result of an enemy act, occurred at sea when the Moldavia, a refitted British liner with Companies “A” and “B” of the 58th Infantry on board, was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine with the loss of 56 men, all but one being Company “B” men. This occurred at 2:40 in the morning, at a point about midway between Land’s End and the Isle of Wight.

23 May 2007 – The 4ID OIF Memorial Monument at Fort Hood, TX was expanded and re-dedicated, adding 235 names of fallen 4ID/MND-B troops who were killed during OIF 05-06 to the names of the 83 who had fallen during OIF I.

1 June 1947 – The 4ID was reactivated at Fort Ord, CA after having been deactivated in February 1946. The division has been in continuous service since that date.

6 June 1944 – D-Day, the long awaited assault on German occupied Europe was launched. The 4ID, led by 2-8 IN, led the seaborne assault, landing on Utah Beach on France’s Normandy peninsula at 0630 hours. By day’s end, all 4ID regiments (8th, 12th, 22nd Infantry) and most supporting troops were ashore. For his actions on D-Day, BG Teddy Roosevelt, Jr., assistant division commander, earned the Medal of Honor.

7 June 2006 – The long hunted terrorist leader, Abu Musab Zarqawi, was killed June 7 in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad by a precision Air Force air strike that hit Zarqawi’s safe house. Troops from 3BCT of 4ID (1-68 AR) were the first on the scene to exploit the strike.

7 June 1968 – The Medal of Honor was earned (posthumously) by PFC Phill G. McDonald, team leader with A/1-14 IN.

13-14 June 1918 – Orders were received on the evening of 13 June to place the 7th Brigade at the disposal of the 4th French Infantry Division and the remainder of the division was attached to the 164th French Infantry Division and directed to march on June 14 to an area on the Marne River. It was a step nearer to the plunge into action. Training continued with the French through the remainder of June.

18 June 2003 – A major financial defeat was given to the Iraqis when Soldiers from 1-22 IN conducted two raids on separate farmhouses outside of Tikrit, Iraq, seizing over eight million US dollars, millions of Iraqi Dinar, a large sum of British pounds, and Euros. Jewelry and the passport of Saddam Hussein’s wife were also found. The raid on the Hadooshi farm started the tightening of the noose around the families who were closest to Saddam Hussein.

25 June 1944 – Troops of 4ID and 9ID secured the town and port of Cherbourg, France, the first port liberated in France.

30 June 2000 – The 4ID Monument, on the road leading into Arlington National Cemetery, was unveiled. Soil from all the places 4ID has served since 1917 was spread across the base of the monument where ivy now grows. It honors all past, present and future 4ID Soldiers.

30 June 1944 – Although 4ID did not suffer the magnitude of casualties that were suffered on D-Day (June 6, 1944) by other assault divisions, the 4ID suffered more casualties in the month of June than any other unit, while accomplishing all missions given to them. To put it into perspective, approximately one third of the total strength of the 4ID was killed or wounded in the first 24 days of fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy. And, the 4ID would continue the constant fight for another 275 days without relief. By war's end, in eleven months of fighting, they suffered over 30,000 total casualties - about 200% of the division's strength - yet they accomplished every mission given them. Truly a history we can all be very proud of.

4ID Summary for June 1944:

Killed or died of injuries: 91 Officers, 1035 Enlisted Men, Total of 1,126
Missing: 5 Officers, 321 Enlisted Men, Total of 326
Seriously wounded or injured: 202 Officers, 3058 Enlisted Men, Total of 3,260
Slightly wounded or injured: 47 Officers, 655 Enlisted Men, Total of 702

Total casualties: 5,414 (over 1/3 of the division’s strength).
Prisoners captured: 10,318.

Cumulative situation of the build-up on Utah Beach: 166,839 men, 22,884 vehicles and 108,136 long tons of supplies. (Many new divisions moved across Utah Beach after 4ID assaulted it).

4 July 1918 – Troops of the 4th Division’s 39th and 58th Regiments marched through the thronged streets of Paris to receive the salute of the deeply grateful French people.

4 July 2008 – The largest re-enlistment ceremony since the all-volunteer force began in 1973 was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq. Over 1,200 troops, including many from MND-B, re-enlisted.

12 July 1944 – 4ID Assistant Division Commander and D-Day Medal of Honor recipient, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. died of a heart attack, just a day after being named to command the 90th Infantry Division.

12 July 2003 – TF Ironhorse launched Operation Ivy Serpent, the fourth in a series of operations focused on neutralizing Baath Party loyalists and other subversive elements in their area of operations.

14 July 2003 – Two bronze statues of Saddam Hussein on horseback, at the entrance to his palace complex in Tikrit, were taken down with explosive charges by the 555 EN GRP, part of TF Ironhorse. Portions of those statues were used to create the 4ID Iraq Monument that currently stands at Fort Hood, TX.

15 July 1947 – The 4th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Ord, CA.

15 July 2008 – The Combat Aviation Brigade of 4ID officially assumed responsibility of aviation support operations in the Baghdad area, operating out of Camp Taji.

16 July 2009 – After serving at Fort Hood, TX since December 15, 1995, the 4ID cased their colors for the last time, changed command, and officially ended their tour at Fort Hood – next stop, Fort Carson, CO.

18 July 1918 – The 4th Division engaged the Germans for the first time during the Aisne-Marne offensive, with the 39th Regiment and two companies of the 11th Machine Gun Battalion attacking across the Savieres River.

21 July 1966 – The 2nd Brigade of the 4ID, made up of 1-12 IN, 1-22 IN, 2-8 IN, 4-42 FA, and attached units, left Fort Lewis, WA, aboard two troop ships, the USNS Walker and the USNS Pope, to begin the division’s four and a half deployment to Vietnam.

22 July 2003 – Saddam Hussein’s sons, Uday and Qusay, were killed in a gun battle with troops of 101st Abn Div. They were later buried in Saddam’s hometown of Ouji.

22 July 2009 – The 4ID uncased their colors at Fort Carson, CO, beginning their second tour calling Fort Carson their home – the first time was from December 1970 to December 1995.

25 July 1944 – As part of Operation Cobra, and following a massive aerial bombardment, the 4ID spearheaded the breakout from the Normandy hedgerow country as they led the St. Lo breakout.

31 July 1919 – The last detachment of the 4th Division sailed from France for the United States, ending their participation in fighting and occupation duty in WWI.

4ID Casualties for July 1944:

Killed or died of injuries: 42 Officers, 664 Enlisted Men
Missing: 5 Officers, 107 Enlisted Men
Seriously wounded or injured: 94 Officers, 1,733 Enlisted Men
Slightly wounded or injured: 38 Officers, 749 Enlisted Men
Total casualties: 3,432.

Cumulative Casualties for 55 days of combat since D-Day June 6, 1944:
Killed or died of injuries: 133 Officers, 1,699 Enlisted Men
Total casualties: 8,846 (this equals over 50% of 4ID strength on D-Day)

Some History About 4ID Units You May Be Unaware of

You may or may not know that the major Infantry and Armor units of the current 4th Infantry Division are made up of the Infantry units of the 4ID (8th, 12th, 22nd) and the Armor units of the 2nd Armored Division (66th, 67th, 68th) plus, of course, all the very important other units of the division. That merger was made at a reflagging ceremony on December 15, 1995 as the Army downsized to 10 active duty divisions and the 2nd Armored Division was deactivated.

This is not the first time the 4ID and 2AD have worked closely together. During the St. Lo Breakout in late July/early August 1944, the two divisions worked as a team. Most significantly, the 22nd Infantry Regiment was attached to the 66th Armored Regiment under the command of the 2AD to form "Task Force Rose". They provided the spearhead for the breakthrough at St. Lo which got the American forces out of the intense hedgerow fighting they had been involved in since landing on the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944. As a result of their actions and teamwork, the 66th Armor and 22nd Infantry Regiments earned the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) - which reads as follows:

Unit Citation - Presidential Unit Citation - St. Lo Breakout

The 22nd Infantry Regiment is cited for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in action in Normandy, France, during the period 26 July to 1 August 1944. The 22nd Infantry Regiment was the infantry element of an armored-infantry combat command (66th Armor Regiment was Armor unit) which successfully effected a breakthrough of the German line of resistance west of St. Lo, forming the St. Gillis-Marigny gap through which the armored-infantry column surged deep into German-held territory. Operating against hardened infantry, artillery, and panzer units, this Regiment, often riding its accompanying tanks, met and overcame the stiffest German resistance in desperate engagements at St. Gillis, Canisy, le Mesnil Herman, Villebaudon, Moyen, Percy, and Tessy-sur-Vire.

The 22nd Infantry Regiment, in its first action with an armored division, after a short period of indoctrination, assumed the role of armored infantry with unparalleled success. Throughout the swiftly moving, seven-day operation, the infantry teams kept pace with the tanks, only resting briefly at night relentlessly to press the attack at dawn. Rear echelons fought with enemy groups bypassed in the assault. There was little protection from the heavy artillery which the Germans brought to bear on the American armor. Enemy bombers continually harassed the American troops at night, but in an outstanding performance of duty, the 22nd Infantry Regiment perfected an infantry-tank team which, by the power of its determined fighting spirit, became an irresistible force on the battlefield. (I think it is safe to assume that the 66th Armored Regiment's PUC reads very much like this one - as a 22nd guy, I have a copy of our PUC).

So - it is not a coincidence that elements of the 22nd Infantry Regiment and 66th Armored Regiment are again teamed up, as they have been since late 1995, to show their might against an enemy of America. 1-22 Infantry and 1-66 Armor are two of the three maneuver battalions of the 1st BCT of 4ID today and worked together, along with 3-66 Armor, during the first deployment to Iraq in 2003-2004 and again during deployments to Baghdad in 2005-2006 and 2008-2009.

1 August 1967 – A change of division assignments happened in Vietnam when 3rd Brigade of 4ID and 3rd Brigade of 25ID changed shoulder patches and took the identity of the division they had been working with the past year. The 4ID lost 2-12 IN, 2-22 IN, 3-22 IN, and 2-77 FA to 25ID and we picked up 1-14 IN, 1-35 IN, 2-35 IN and 2-9 FA. We finally got 2-77 FA back into 4ID in 2004 and 2-12 IN returned to the 4ID fold in 2008. 2-22 IN remains in 10 MTN DIV and 3-22 IN is inactive.

3 August 1918 – For the first time since arriving in France, the 4th Division began to fight as a complete unit, rather than being detailed as attachments to other units.

6 August 1966 – Exactly twenty-two years and two months after landing in Normandy, France on D-Day, troops of the 4th Infantry Division landed in Qui Nhon, Vietnam to begin a four and a half year 4ID deployment in Vietnam. By dark, 1-12 IN and 1-22 IN were establishing security at the new 4ID base camp south of Pleiku.

11 August 2003 – Operation Ivy Needle, to stitch the gaps in the area of operations where non-compliant forces remained, started in the 4ID area in Iraq. As part of this operation, 2BCT conducted Operation Warhorse Cliffhanger, the first of six brigade air assault missions and one of the largest air assaults since the Vietnam War.

25 August 1944 – Troops of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division entered Paris, liberating the city from four years of German occupation. Not stopping to celebrate, the 8th and 22nd Infantry Regiments continued the pursuit of the retreating Germans.

General of the Army Omar Bradley wrote in his book, "A Soldier's Story":

"To hell with prestige," I finally told Allen, "tell the 4th to slam in (to Paris) and take the liberation." Learning of these orders and fearing an affront to France, LeClerc's French 2nd Armored Division mounted their tanks and burned up their treads on the brick roads to enter Paris.

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As the French 2nd Armored Division entered Paris, mingled with men of the 4th Infantry Division's 12th Infantry Regiment, it was common to see their tanks abandoned as the French soldiers disappeared into the bars and brothels of Paris. Soldiers of the 12th Infantry Regiment pressed on to take out the remaining German hot spots and snipers.

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In COL Gerden Johnson's book, "History of the 12th Infantry Regiment in WWII", originally published in 1947, he wrote: ...The significant date flashed through the minds of the men and brought home with startling impact how much battle had been crowded into two short months of the 12th Infantry's drive - June 25, Cherbourg; July 25, the (St. Lo) breakthrough; and now August 25 - Paris!

At 1230 COL James S. Luckett contacted Colonel Billotte of General LeClerc's French Army Staff, and the Police Prefect Captain Edgard Pisani, at the Prefecture of Police located opposite Notre Dame Cathedral. The colonel was informed of a show of resistance in a German barracks near Palais de la Republique. COL Luckett, MAJ Lindner and four enlisted men armed with tommy guns hopped into their jeeps and proceeded with some difficulty to the area in question. At the Palais de la Republique, French Second Armored forces were firing at the bullet spattered barracks nearby. A short truce was arranged. Terms were discussed with the besieged German commander, General von Chaulitz. The Nazi would not surrender without a show of arms - a matter of honor. Thereupon both parties retired to their cover and fired their weapons. At 1300 the German general surrendered and was taken into custody by the French. He was returned under heavy guard to the Prefecture of Police. COL Luckett then returned to the Montparnasse railroad station where General LeClerc and the American V Corps commander, General Leonard T. Gerow, were located. He was told by General Gerow just what sectors of Paris to clear.

It was evident that had it not been for the timely arrival of the men and the supporting weapons of the 12th Regimental Combat Team, the small isolated pockets of German resistance would have developed into a strong threat to vital bridges and communication links in the city. However, Paris, the capital city, belongs to the French. Hence the capitulation of Nazi officials to General LeClerc in Montparnasse at 1700 hours...

27 August 1966 – The first combat operations, other than routine patrolling around the base camp, began for 4ID units in Vietnam. 1-22 IN, moved to Tuy Hoa, OPCON to CG, 1st Bde, 101 ABN DIV, where they covered an area from Vung Ro Bay north to Tuy Hoa.

29-30 August 1966 – 2-8 IN moved by helicopter from the 4ID base camp to become OPCON to CG, 3d Bde, 25ID and to participate in Operation Paul Revere III, which had begun on 26 Aug 66. 1-12 IN remained with responsibility to secure the 4ID base camp as it continued to be built.

4ID Casualties for August 1944:

Killed or died of injuries: 20 Officers, 257 Enlisted Men
Missing: 1 Officer, 51 Enlisted Men
Seriously wounded or injured: 34 Officers, 623 Enlisted Men
Slightly wounded or injured: 34 Officers, 575 Enlisted Men
Total casualties: 1,595
Prisoners captured: 1,236.

Cumulative Casualties since D-Day June 6, 1944:
Killed or died of injuries: 153 Officers, 1,956 Enlisted Men
Total casualties: 10,441 (this equals approximately 65% of 4ID strength on D-Day)

1 September 1967 – Operation MacArthur began in Vietnam. This was the 4ID’s longest operation of the war, running from 1 Sep 67 to 31 Jan 69.

3 September 1966 – PFC Albert Collins, C/1-22 IN, was the first 4ID KIA in Vietnam when hit by small arms fire while operating in the hills south of Tuy Hoa.

5 September 1944 – After three months fighting across France, the 4ID crossed into Belgium, in hot pursuit of the retreating Germans.

10 September 2003 – Operation Ivy Focus, targeting specific former regime loyalists, began.

11 September 1944 – A patrol from the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division crossed the German border, the first American Infantry unit to cross into the German Reich. For the remainder of the month of September 1944, the 4ID fought German fortifications in the Siegfried Line.

12 September 1918 – The 4th Division, along with other divisions of the First American Army, launched the St. Mihiel offensive.

12 September 1944 – The 4ID crossed the German border in force, to begin attacking into the Siegfried Line.

21 September 1921 – As part of the Army Reorganization Act of 1920, the 4th Division was inactivated at Camp Lewis, Washington.

23 September 2003 – The mid-tour leave program that continues today was announced in Iraq.

25 September 1966 – 4ID Headquarters arrived in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, where they would stay until 7 December 1970.

26 September 1918 – The 4th Division attacked in the first phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

3 October 2009– Soldiers of 3-61 CAV, 4BCT, 4ID fought a major battle in Kamdesh, Afghanistan when their outpost was attacked with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. The battle was won, eight 4ID Soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice. Two Soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor - SSG Clinton L. Romesha and SPC Ty M. Carter both serving with Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

4 October 1918 – Phase II of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive began, with units of the 4^th Division wearing gas masks as they attacked through heavy German machine gun, artillery, and gas projectiles.

October 2006 – During the month of Ramadan, the 4ID had their single largest casualty month in all their tours in Iraq. Forty-eight 4ID/MND-B Soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in October 2006.

28 October 2005 – MG James D. Thurman and CSM Ron Riling cased the 4ID colors in a ceremony at Cameron Field at Fort Hood, TX as the 4ID prepared to start their second deployment to Iraq.

1 November 1967 – The Battle of Dak To began, which included units from 4ID and 173^rd ABN BDE. The battle would last until 1 December, 1967 – along with Tet 1968, one of the bloodiest battles for the 4ID in the Vietnam War.

6 November 1944 – The 12^th Infantry Regiment moved into the Hurtgen Forest to take over positions being vacated by the 109^th Infantry Regiment of the 28^th Infantry Regiment.

6 November to 7 December 1944 – The 12^th Infantry was the first 4ID unit to fight in a month long battle which still stands as the bloodiest battle in 4ID history – the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest. On 16 November 1944, the remainder of the 4ID moved into the forest and fighting raged until the 4ID was withdrawn on 7 December 1944 and sent south to Luxembourg to recover from the rigors of combat and receive replacements from those Ivymen lost in the Hurtgen. Combat and non-combat casualties for the Division amounted to over 7,500 personnel – but the 4ID did fight their way through the forest, a feat which previous units had been unable to do.

11 November 1918– The armistice ending WWI was signed, ending the fighting for the 4^th Division. This day is still commemorated each year as Veterans Day.

16 November 1944– The 8^th and 22^nd Infantry Regiments of the 4ID joined the 12^th Infantry Regiment in the Battleof the HurtgenForest.

17 November 1944– 1LT Bernard Ray, F/2-8 IN, earned the Medal of Honor (posthumously) while fighting in the Hurtgen Forest of Germany.

20 November 1944– LTC George L. Mabry, Jr., CO of 2-8 IN, earned the Medal of Honor while fighting in the Hurtgen Forest of Germany.

27 November 1944– SSG (then PFC) Marcario Garcia, B/1-22 IN, earned the Medal of Honor while fighting in the Hurtgen Forest of Germany.

Notes about logistics – November 1944:

Extreme difficulties were encountered in the delivery of rations, water and ammunition and in the recovery of vehicles, weapons and other equipment (considerable combat losses) because of the mass of trees and branches brought down by mortar and artillery fire, plus all the mines and traps.

With the troops continuously exposed to rain and mud, trench foot broke out and evacuation of these cases was heavy.  Issue of overshoes and additional socks was expedited and reduced appreciably the trench foot cases.

November 1944 Casualties:

KIA       Officers = 42, Enlisted Men = 390
MIA      Officers = 10, Enlisted Men = 245  (Many of these were later listed as KIA)
SWA    Officers = 20, Enlisted Men = 318 (Seriously Wounded in Action)
LWA     Officers = 133, Enlisted Men = 2,895 (Lightly Wounded in Action)

Total     Officers =205, Enlisted Men = 3,848

Prisoners Captured:  1,757

8 December 1968– SGT Ray McKibben, B/7-17 CAV, earned the Medal of Honor (posthumously) while fighting with the 4ID in Vietnam.

13 December 2003– Soldiers of 1BCT of 4ID, along with Special Operations forces, captured Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, hiding in a hole on a farm outside the town of Ad Dwar, Iraq.

16 December 1944– The Germans launched their last great counter-offensive of WWII, the Battleof the Bulge. The 4ID was spread along a “quiet” area in the front along a 35 mile long stretch of Luxembourg City, in the Echternach, Grevenmacher, and Remich cantons. Fighting raged through the remainder of December and into January, 1945, but the 4ID held their ground. General George S. Patton wrote the following to the 4ID CG:

“Your fight in the Hurtgen Forest was an epic of stark infantry combat; but, in my opinion, your latest fight – from the 16^th to the 26^th of December – when, with a depleted and tired division, you halted the left shoulder of the German thrust into the American lines and saved the City of Luxembourg and the tremendous supply establishments and road nets in that vicinity, is the most outstanding accomplishment of yourself and your division.”

Notes about logistics – December 1944:

The supply of Class I (rations) and III (gasoline) was normal.

Class II: the most serious shortage continued to be overshoes. It was created when large numbers of reinforcements arrived without overshoes. The Division was short 1835 pairs.  Other critical shortage were cups, canteen and tent, shelter-half.  A requisition was placed for 7640 snow camouflage suits but at the end of the period, only 450 suits had been procured.

Sufficient quantities of Class V (ammunition) supplies were available except mines and all types of firing devices.

December 1944 casualties:

               Officers   Enlisted
KIA             10           344
MIA            10           418
SWA            9             90  (Seriously Wounded in Action)
LWA           51           926  (Lightly Wounded in Action)

Total           80         1778

Prisoners:  684

Since landing on Utah Beach on 6 June 1944 through 31 December 1944, the 4ID lost 229 officers and 2,939 enlisted men (total of 3,168) KIA with over 17,000 additional who had been wounded in the 209 consecutive days of combat.  Another 90 days of combat are ahead of the 4ID before they get their first relief since D-Day.

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