History of the 2Nd Infantry Division

HIstory of the 2nd Infantry Division "Indianhead" Web sites relating to the 2nd Infantry Division

The 2nd Infantry Division, Korean War Veterans Alliance, Inc. Official Site

2nd Infantry Division, Korea Official Site

History of the 2nd Infantry Division in World War Two site by Nick Guiffant

Click here for personal stories from the 2nd Infantry Division World War I The 2d Infantry Division was activated Oct. 26, 1917, in Beaumont, France. At the time of its activation, the Indianhead Division was composed of one brigade of U.S. Infantry, one brigade of U.S. Marines, one brigade of artillery and various supporting units. The 2d Inf. Div.'s first fight came at the Battle of Belleau-Wood. Later it shattered a four- year stalemate on the battlefield during the Chateau-Thierry campaign that followed. The division won hard-fought victories at Soissons and Mont Blanc. Finally, the Indianhead Division participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which brought an end to the war. On Nov. 11, 1918, the Armistice was declared, and the 2nd Inf. Div. marched into Germany where it performed occupational duties until April 1919.

The Interwar Period Upon returning to the United States, the division was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It remained there for the next 23 years, serving as an experimental unit, testing new concepts and innovations for the Army. In 1940, the 2d Inf. Div. was the first command reorganized under the new triangular concept, which provided for three separate regiments in each division.

War World II As part of the build up for Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion, the 2d Inf. Div. was transferred from Fort Sam Houston to Ireland in October 1943. On June 7, 1944, D Day +1, the division stormed ashore at bloody Omaha Beach. While other units were stalled by the determined German resistance, the Indianheads blasted through the hedgerows of Normandy. After a fierce, 39-day battle, the 2d Inf. Div. took the vital port city of Brest, which was liberated on Sept. 18, 1944. From positions around St. Vith, Belgium, and throughout the Battle of the Bulge, the 2nd Inf. Div. held fast, preventing the enemy from seizing key roads leading to the cities of Liege and Antwerp. Resuming the offensive on Feb. 6, 1945, the division joined the race to annihilate the fleeing Wehrmacht. The Postwar World Though expecting to participate in the scheduled invasion of Japan, V-J Day found the 2d Inf. Div. back home again. After a series of stateside moves, the Indianheads were stationed in the state of Washington. From their Fort Lewis base, they conducted arctic, air transport, amphibious, and maneuver training.

The Korean War With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea during the summer of 1950, the 2d Inf. Div. was alerted for movement to the Far East. The division arrived in Korea via Pusan on July 23, becoming the first unit to reach Korea directly from the United States. Initially employed piecemeal, the entire division was committed to relieve the 24th Infantry Division at the Naktong River Line on Aug. 24, 1950. The 2d Inf. Div. was the first unit to break out of the Pusan perimeter. It later led the Eighth Army's drive to the Manchurian border. When Chinese forces entered the fight, soldiers of the 2nd Inf. Div. protected the rear flank of the Eighth Army as it retired to the south. In April and May 1951, the 2d Inf. Div. was instrumental in smashing the communist spring offensive. On April 9, 1953, the division was moved to a rear area, and on Aug. 20, 1954 - - four years after its last unit had arrived in Korea - - the 2nd Inf. Div. re-deployed to the United States.

A Rest from the Fight In the summer of 1954, the 2d Inf. Div. was transferred from Korea back to Fort Lewis, Wash., where it remained for only two years until being transferred to Alaska in August 1956. On Nov. 8, 1957, the Department of the Army announced the inactivation of the 2nd Inf. Div. However, in the spring of 1958, the Department of the Army reactivated the 2nd Inf. Div. at Fort Benning, Ga. Fort Benning remained the home of the new 2d Inf. Div. from 1958 to 1965. In March 1962 the 2d Inf. Div. was designated as a Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) unit.

The Cold War and Beyond As a result of increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula, the 2d Inf. Div. returned to the Republic of Korea in July 1965. North Korean forces had increased border incursions and infiltration attempts, and the 2d Inf. Div. helped halt these attacks. Since then, ROK and U.S. forces have worked side by side, guarding the Demilitarized Zone. During a routine tree trimming operation within the DMZ on Aug. 18, 1976, two American officers were bludgeoned to death in a melee with north Korean border guards in the Joint Security Area. The United Nations Command tasked the division to spearhead its response to the incident, known as Operation Paul Bunyon. On Aug. 21, a group of ROK soldiers and American infantry and engineers cut down the now infamous "Panmunjom Tree."

The 2d Infantry Division Today The Warriors of the 2d Inf. Div. are spread out across the western Korean peninsula and straddle the famous 38th parallel. The division's mission has remained the same for almost half a century: to assist in deterring north Korean aggression. Accordingly, the 2nd Inf. Div. stands SECOND TO NONE!

Return to Army Infantry Divisions