In Their Words

Birth of the First Division

These are the Army’s General Orders officially establishing the First Division on May 23, 1917. Prior to World War I the Army was not organized in divisions, but rather regiments. These smaller units were brought together to form the First Division, which was the first unit sent overseas and the first to experience the front-lines of World War I.

General Orders
The Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center

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Birth of the First Division (1) Birth of the First Division (2) Birth of the First Division (3)
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