The Iron Division, National Guard of Pennsylvania, in the World War

of

oldiers! You a

ision, United States Army, after the division had won its spurs in a glorious,

for the deeds of the gallant men and with real sorrow for the fallen, utter

e division in an incredibly short time. The gratified and delighted soldiery, already feeling the satisfaction of knowing

ually emanated from him has not been clearly established. That they did come f

ear on his left sleeve, just under the shoulder seam, a scarlet keystone, an unique distinction in the American Army. The citation called the Twenty-eighth a "Famous Red Figh

ision have been cited for gallantry and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by

ivil War and from every other war in the history of the nation. At the cost of many precious young lives and infinite suffering, it is true

ed with envy upon their comrades who did and pridefully appropriated the division's new-found honors, announcing the

where it was believed they would have a chance to become fire-hardened without too great responsibility falling to their lot, they met the brunt of the last German advance

evoted group of officers and enlisted men remained faithful and unshaken. The personnel fell and rose, fell and rose. Men constantly dropped out of the service as thei

p Hancock, at Augusta, Ga., were impressed with the quiet confidence with which the older officers and enlisted men viewed

ill give a good account of themselves when the time arrives. They are trained

ragged the younger ones. "The Hun won't have a chance. We'll

-stricken, but aglow with pride and love

, a title all its own. It was known as "the Flying Shock Division," and on frequent occasions it was disclosed, through the capture of prisoners, that the two Twenty-eighth Divisions were opposing each other-a fact eloquent in itself of

rthest point to which Confederate fighting men penetrated in their efforts to break through the Union lines. Here they were met and stopped by Pennsylvania troops (the Philadelphia Brigade). Had they not been stopped, military au

the cause of the Confederacy was a losing one, and for that reason the

f the Great War, one will stand at or near the tiny village of St. Agnan, in the Departmen

few days, to wild flight. The Germans, in their first rush through Belgium and France in 1914, came closer than that to Paris, but with less chance of success. Then virtually everything was against

by Pennsylvania's erstwhile despised National Guardsmen. Instead of news that Paris lay under the invader's heel came the gloriously thr

tional Guard, before the various reorganizations to which it was subjected. The division was a product of gradual growth since the Spanish-Ame

egiment of artillery; one battalion of engineers; one battalion of signal troo

the return home by the eagerness of officers and enlisted men, disgusted with the fruitless task assigned them on the border, to get out of the service. When America entered the war against Germany, however, recruiting agai

ormed and the number of infantry brigades was reduced to three. Also, a sta

standards. New designations also were awarded the units. It was necessary to reduce the number of infantry brigades to two, of two regiments each. The First Infantry Regiment, of Philadelphia; the Tenth, of Philippine fame, hailing fro

he companies up to the required strength. In the same manner, the Third, of Philadelphia, was consolidated with the Tenth; the Eigh

esignations; the former Third and Tenth, the 110th; the former Sixth an

ic old Second Infantry, transformed into the Second Artillery during the border duty, whose home station is Philadelphia, became the 108th Field Artillery. Th

as Headquarters Troop. The rest were scattered through different organizations. The 103d Trench Mortar Battery was

spitals and ambulance companies became parts of the 103d Sanitary Train. In addition, there were formed the 103d Mil

55th Infantry Brigade. The 111th and 112th regiments became the 56th Infantry Brigade and t

them-in the war, but no other organization so repr

tional Fi

t! Iron Divis

wledged their welcome on French soil with expansive smiles which s

upon the final phases of their instruction. The men were discouraged by their exceptionally long period of preparation. They felt within themselves that they were ready for the front line, and the evident hesitation of the military authorities to put them there was distressi

unctioning properly and smoothly as a division, and then have been moved up by easy stages. It should have occupied one billet area after another, each closer to the lines, until it should actually have been under artillery fire behind the fighting line. Then, with its nerves tautened

ters was established at Gonesse, a little over ten miles from the heart of Paris. The infantry regiments and the engineers were scattered

for instance, was at Mitry and Mory, twin villages, but a short distance apart and usually referre

at it was the old Second, and not one of their regiments, that had been turned into artillery. Men of the old Third, particularly, recalled that it had been generally expected, when t