018 28th Infantry Division

Nickname: Keystone Division (Called by the Nazis: “Bloody Bucket” Division). . Shoulder Patch; Red keystone for Keystone State, Pennsylvania. . Source: Pennsylvania National Guard units. . Slogan: Roll On. . History: Organized Sept., 1917, Camp Hancock, Ga. Overseas: May-June, 1918. Actions: Argonne, Marne. . Training: Inducted: Feb. 17, 1941, Indiantown Gap, Pa. Other stations: Camp Livingston, La.; Carrabelle, Fla.; Camp Pickett, Va.; Camp Bradford, Va. Maneuvers: A. P. Hill Military Reservation, Aug., 1941; Louisiana, Third Army, Sept.-Nov., 1942. West Virginia, Aug.-Sept., 1943. Overseas: Oct. 8, 1943 (ETO). . Commanding Generals Maj. Gen. Edward Martin, Feb.-Dec., 1941; Maj. Gen. J. Garesche Ord, Jan. – May, 1942; Maj. Gen. (Now Gen.) Omar N. Bradley, June, 1942, to Jan., 1943; Maj. Gen. Lloyd Brown, Jan., 1943, to July, 1944; Brig. Gen. James E. Wharton, Aug., 1944 (one dayfatally wounded a few hours after taking command); Maj. Gen. Norman D. Cota, Aug., 1944 to present. . Component Units: (As of Oct., 1943): 109th, 110th and 112th Infantry Regiments; 107th, 109th, 229th (L) and 108th (M) FA Battalions. Higher Commands: (combat) First Army and Third Army. . Awards: French Croix de Guerre to 109th Regt. for capture Colmar, Feb., 1945. . Combat Highlights: By the fury of its assaults launched on Normandy beaches July 22, 1944, the 28th became known to the Germans as the “Bloody Bucket” Division. By August, the Division was in the thick of hedgerow fighting, capturing Percy, Gathemo and St. Sever forest. Emerging from the hedgerows by Aug. 20, the 28th was rolling toward Paris. Verneuil, Breteuil and Damville fell and on Aug. 29, the Division entered Paris. It crossed the Meuse Sept. 6. Averaging 17 miles a day, the 28th moved into Belgium and swept on a north-south line into Luxembourg. On Sept. 11, the 28th became the first division to enter Germany in force. It was ordered Nov. 2, 1944, to secure Hurtgen Forest. Storming through the “green Hell” the Division captured Vossenack, Kommerscheidt and Schmidt, completing conquest of the forest by the end of November. The Keystone men were on the Our river, near Wallenstein, Dec. 15, 1944, when the Nazi winter offensive began. The division rocked under the attack of five Nazi divisions hurled across the Our river the first day. Later, the 28th faced nine divisions and held its ground. Early in 1945, the 28th defended the Meuse, went on to capture Colmar. Later it crossed the Rhine-Rhone canal, took positions on Olef river, Feb. 23, 1945, and struck at the Ahr river Mar. 28, reaching Kaiserlauten by war’s end.