Nicknames of U.S. Army divisions

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Many Army divisions have over the years earned nicknames; some laudatory, some derogatory, but all colourful. Sometimes, the nicknames themselves have overshadowed the actual regimental title, e.g. the "Screaming Eagles" for the 101st Airborne Division.

Contents

[edit] Special Designation

An official Special Designation is a "nickname granted to a military organization" which has been authorized by the Center of Military History and recognized through a certificate signed by the Secretary of the Army.[1]

A division's nickname may derive from numerous sources:

  • it may be inspired by the division's badge or insignia, such as the 1st Infantry Division's "Big Red One". On the other hand, some division's badges are actually suggested by the nickname, such as the "CY" patch of the "Cyclone Division" (38th Infantry Division);
  • it may derive from the place where the division was raised or trained (36th Infantry Division, "Texas"), or the places of origin of the division's soldiers (29th Infantry Division, "Blue and Gray", for northern and southern states);
  • it may be bestowed by the enemy in battle, such as the moniker "Red Devils", a nickname for the 5th Infantry Division "granted" by the Germans at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, World War I;
  • it may be the pairing of an adjective (such as "Fighting") paired with the division's ordinal, such as "The Fighting First" for the 1st Infantry Division; or
  • it may defy accurate explanation (albeit not without numerous theories), such as the 9th Infantry Division, or "Old Reliables".

Active divisions are listed in boldface; no distinction has been made between regular Army divisions and those of the Army Reserve or National Guard. The origin of the nickname is noted where possible. In some cases, the nickname was officially adopted by the division in question; this is indicated along with date of adoption (where known). Official status might also be inferred by the presence of the nickname on official distinctive unit insignia or in official military source materials.

[edit] Airborne divisions

  • 11th Airborne Division – "The Angels"; possibly after their shoulder patch, a white-bordered red circle with a white numeral "11", with white wings rising obliquely from the circle, all on a royal blue field
  • 82nd Airborne Division – "All-Americans"; original members of the division in 1917 came from every state in the Union [2]
  • 101st Airborne Division – "The Screaming Eagles"; after their shoulder insignia, an American eagle's head on a black shield

[edit] Armored divisions

[edit] Cavalry divisions

[edit] Infantry divisions

"The Big Red One" of the 1st Infantry Division.
Enlarge
"The Big Red One" of the 1st Infantry Division.

[edit] References

  • The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950 [22]
  • The Institute of Heraldry, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army [23]

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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