Dragon Brigade Soldiers receive piece of history

Photo By Sgt. Shantelle Campbell | Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffery Moser, command sergeant major of the 701st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, puts the Big Red One combat patch on his color bearer during the patch ceremony at Contingency Outpost Base Speicher, Oct. 3.  

TIKRIT, IRAQ

10.09.2009

Story by Spc. Shantelle Campbell 

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq — Since 1918, when the men who fought with the 81st Division during World War I donned an image of a wildcat on the sleeve of their uniform, U.S. Army service members have been bonded together through the history of their unit patch.

During a patching ceremony held in front of the headquarters building of the 701st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oct. 3, "Dragon" brigade Soldiers placed the historical Big Red One patch onto their right shoulder sleeve.

"What makes you feel the most proud about wearing the patch is the associations affiliated with the Big Red One and the Soldiers themselves," said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael S. McCoy, the 4th IBCT command sergeant major, "of how much pride they take within the unit."

According to the Society of the First Infantry Division, there are two stories to which the Big Red One patch was born.

One story says that a red "1" was used to mark First Division supply trucks to distinguish its vehicles from those of its allies and later, the engineers from the First Division sewed red "1" to their uniforms.

The second story involves a general and a lieutenant according to that story, the patch was created, "during the build-up and training days of 1917, a general officer decided that the Division needed a suitable shoulder sleeve insignia. He proceeded to cut a crude numeral '1' from a ragged set of his flannel underwear. When a brash young lieutenant saw the red numeral, he shouted, 'The general's underwear is showing!' The general shouted back, 'all right young man, if you're so smart, come up with something better.' The lieutenant produced a prototype of today's patch, using a piece of cloth (probably grey) from a captured Soldier's uniform on which he placed the red '1'."

Nevertheless, in October 1918, the Big Red One patch was officially approved to be worn by Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division.

For many Soldiers at the ceremony, the Big Red One patch is their first combat patch binding them to a history that includes World War I and II, the Cold War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I feel honored and privileged to be wearing this patch," said Spc. Schennday Hansen, a supply clerk with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th IBCT, "especially as my first [combat] patch."

"With all the heritage and lineage that goes with the Big Red One, being the first — that's the key," said McCoy. "If you can't take pride in that then, what else can you take pride in?"

• Date Taken: 10.09.2009
• Date Posted: 10.09.2009 11:12
• Story ID: 39878
• Location: TIKRIT, IQ