III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 390 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 16, 2008 Received and referred to the Committee on Armed Services CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Honoring the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the United States.

Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was established on October 11, 1879, and is recognized as the oldest, continuously serving division in the Army; Whereas units of the 28th Infantry Division date back to 1747, when Benjamin Franklin organized a battalion in Philadelphia; Whereas units of the 28th Infantry Division served in the Revolutionary War, including units that served with distinction in the Continental Army under General George Washington; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was integral to the success of World War I campaigns in the European theater, including those in Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Oise Marne, Lorraine, and Mesuse-Argone; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division earned the title of “Iron Division” by General John J. Pershing for its valiant efforts during World War I; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division contributed to military operations in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe during World War II; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division’s perseverance through the harsh winter of 1944–1945 on the western front led to a decisive victory in the Battle for the Huertgen Forest, the longest single battle engaged by the Army; Whereas soon after the Battle of the Huertgen Forest, the 28th Infantry Division withstood the onslaught of the main thrust of the last great German offensive during the Battle of the Bulge, giving time for reinforcements to arrive and defeat the Germans; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was activated again in 1950 to serve in Germany; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was folded into the Army Selective Reserve Force during the Vietnam War; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division aided relief efforts throughout the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Agnes in 1972; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was called into action during the partial meltdown of the nuclear reactor of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in 1979; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division contributed to international coalition forces to facilitate efforts in Operation Desert Storm; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has been part of peacekeeping missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of Kosova, and the Sinai Peninsula; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has deployed troops for Operation Noble Eagle, securing high-profile infrastructure targets in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has deployed troops to Operation Enduring Freedom, which ousted the Taliban regime in Afghanistan; Whereas in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 28th Infantry Division played a crucial role in the search for weapons of mass destruction, the invasion of Iraq, the security in post-invasion Iraq, the training of an Iraqi police force, securing transport convoys, and the safe detainment of suspected terrorists; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has over 2,600 soldiers who are missing in action from World War I and World War II; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has 127 units in 90 armories in 75 cities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has been sent to aid portions of our Nation affected by harsh winter storms, flooding, violent windstorms, and other severe weather emergencies; and Whereas 10 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 4 recipients of the Legion of Merit, and 258 recipients of the Silver Star have been members of the 28th Infantry Division: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress honors the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the United States and directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard for appropriate display.

Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2008. Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk