[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 349 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 349

    Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 2d Infantry Division.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 6, 2017

   Ms. Cantwell (for herself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cruz, and Mrs. Murray) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 2d Infantry Division.

Whereas October 26, 2017, is the 100th anniversary of the organization of the 2d 
        Infantry Division;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division--

    (1) was established in October 1917 at Bourmont, France, as the Second 
Division;

    (2) was the first division organized on foreign soil; and

    (3) has been proudly serving since 1917;

Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division is the only Army unit that has ever been 
        commanded by a Marine Corps Officer because, at the time of activation, 
        the 2d Infantry Division--

    (1) was composed of both Army and Marine units; and

    (2) was commanded during World War I by--

    G    (A) Army officers Major General Omar Bundy and Major General James 
G. Harbord; and

    G    (B) Marine Corps generals Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen and 
Major General John A. Lejeune;

Whereas, since the heroic start of the 2d Division, the 2d Division has played 
        an integral part in United States history by serving in--

    (1) World War I;

    (2) World War II;

    (3) the Korean War;

    (4) the Cold War;

    (5) Operation Iraqi Freedom;

    (6) Operation Enduring Freedom; and

    (7) current operations in Korea;

Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division--

    (1) drew its first blood at the Battle of Belleau Wood, France in June 
1918; and

    (2) contributed to shattering the 4-year-old stalemate on the 
battlefield during the Chateau-Thierry campaign that followed;

Whereas, the 2d Division played a central role in other monumental struggles of 
        World War I, such as--

    (1) the defense of the Aisne;

    (2) the Battle of Soissons in the Aisne-Marne Offensive;

    (3) the Saint-Mihiel Offensive;

    (4) the Meuse-Argonne Offensive; and

    (5) the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge;

Whereas, immediately after the 2d Infantry Division, commonly known as the 
        ``Indianhead Division'', was established, the 2d Infantry Division 
        started to build a prestigious reputation for its service during World 
        War I;
Whereas, following World War I, the 2d Infantry Division was one of only 3 
        United States divisions to remain on active duty, which is a strong 
        testament to the accomplishments of the 2d Infantry Division;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division--

    (1) remained on occupation duty in Germany to enforce the Armistice 
until July 1919; and

    (2) came to the United States for the first time in July 1919, having 
fought in every major United States engagement and emerging as the most 
decorated United States Division of the American Expeditionary Forces;

Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during World War I, the 2d Infantry 
        Division was the recipient of--

    (1) French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Streamer embroidered AISNE-MARNE;

    (2) French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Streamer embroidered MEUSE-
ARGONNE; and

    (3) French Fourragere;

Whereas the 2d Division established the new home of the Division in Fort Sam 
        Houston, Texas, to test new concepts and innovations for the Army;
Whereas, in 1937, 2d Infantry Division became the first command reorganized 
        under the new triangular concept, having 3 separate regiments in the 
        division;
Whereas, Headquarters, 2d Division was redesignated on August 1, 1942, as 
        Headquarters, 2d Infantry Division;
Whereas, in June 1944, the 2d Infantry Division was called to action and made 
        the assault landing on Omaha Beach 1 day after D-Day, June 7, 1944, 
        which began the liberation of northern Europe from Nazi control;
Whereas, during World War II, the 2d Infantry Division fought bravely in France, 
        Germany, and Czechoslovakia from 1944 to 1945;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division continued to provide invaluable service 
        throughout World War II, including by--

    (1) fighting for the liberation of France and Belgium;

    (2) fighting for the liberation of Trevieres on June 10, 1944;

    (3) assaulting and securing Hill 192;

    (4) capturing Tinchebray on August 15, 1944;

    (5) capturing the vital port city of Brest, which was liberated in 
September 1944 after a fierce 28-day battle fought in streets and 
alleyways;

    (6) fighting at the Battle of the Bulge, where the 2d Infantry Division 
pierced the dreaded Siegfried Line and held critical roads leading to the 
cities of Liege and Antwerp;

    (7) capturing the city of Breisig on March 10 to 11, 1945;

    (8) crossing the Rhine to relieve the 9th Armored Division in Hadamar 
and Limburg an der Lahn on March 21, 1945;

    (9) capturing Merseburg on April 15, 1945;

    (10) capturing Leipzig on April 18, 1945; and

    (11) crossing into Czechoslovakia and attacking the city of Pilsen on 4 
May, 1945;

Whereas 6 members of the 2d Infantry Division received the Congressional Medal 
        of Honor for their gallantry actions during World War II;
Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during World War II, the 2d 
        Infantry Division was--

    (1) the recipient of the Belgian Fourragere World War II;

    (2) cited in the ``Order of the Day'' of the Belgian Army for action at 
Elsenborn Crest; and

    (3) cited in the ``Order of the Day'' of the Belgian Army for action in 
the Ardennes;

Whereas the 2d Infantry Division returned home to Fort Lewis, Washington on 
        April 15, 1946;
Whereas elements of the 2d Infantry Division arrived in Korea via Pusan, on July 
        31, 1950, becoming the first United States unit to arrive directly in 
        Korea from the United States;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division helped repel attackers on the Pusan Perimeter 
        during a 16-day attack beginning on the night of August 31, 1950, in a 
        battle in which 2d Infantry Division clerks, bandsman, technical 
        personnel, and supply personnel all joined the fight to repel the 
        attackers;
Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division was the first unit to break out of the Pusan 
        Perimeter and led the Eighth Army drive to the Manchurian Border;
Whereas, on November 26, 1950, with the intervention of the Chinese in the 
        Korean War, the 2d Infantry Division was tasked with protecting the rear 
        and right flank of the Eighth Army;
Whereas, the 23d Regimental Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division, and the French 
        Battalion were cut off and surrounded by 3 Chinese Divisions on February 
        13, 1951, at Chipyong-ni, but fiercely fought freezing weather 
        conditions and overwhelming Communist forces for more than 3 days, 
        killing over 5,000 enemies while possessing about \1/10\ of the enemies' 
        strength;
Whereas the 23d Regimental Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division, gave the first 
        major defeat to the Chinese at the battle of Chipyong-Ni, a turning 
        point in the Korean War;
Whereas 20 members of the 2d Infantry Division earned the Congressional Medal of 
        Honor during the Korean War;
Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during the Korean War, the 2d 
        Infantry Division was the recipient of--

    (1) the Presidential Unit Citation Streamer embroidered HONGCHON;

    (2) the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Streamer 
embroidered NAKTONG RIVER LINE; and

    (3) the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Streamer 
embroidered KOREA;

Whereas, after 3 years of fighting in Korea, the 2d Infantry Division was 
        transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington, arriving on October 7, 1954;
Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division was restructured with personnel and equipment 
        from the 10th Infantry Division in the spring of 1958, and moved to Fort 
        Benning, Georgia;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division provided support for 3 brigades supported by 
        armor, cavalry, and artillery under the Reorganization Objective Army 
        Division concept in April 1964;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division returned to Korea on July 1, 1965, and 
        exchanged personnel and equipment with the 1st Cavalry Division;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division was assigned to guard portions of the 
        demilitarized zone to keep the peace and help deter war on the Korean 
        peninsula;
Whereas members of the 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division, were 
        killed in an North Korean ambush on November 2, 1966;
Whereas 16 members of the Armed Forces of the United States were killed by enemy 
        attacks in the demilitarized zone;
Whereas Captain Arthur G. Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark T. Barrett of the 
        United Nations Joint Security Force were attacked and killed during a 
        routine tree-trimming operation on August 18, 1976;
Whereas, in response, the United Nations Command launched Operation Paul Bunyan 
        at 0700 hours on August 21, 1976, when a Republic of Korea Special 
        Forces Company, the 9th Infantry, and B Company, 2d Engineer Battalion, 
        moved in to cut down the infamous Panmunjeom Tree while supported by B-
        52 bombers and F-5 and F-11 fighter jets aboard a Midway Task Force 
        aircraft carrier standing by just offshore;
Whereas members of the 2d Infantry Division, proudly wearing ``Imjin Scout'' 
        patches, patrolled the demilitarized zone throughout the 1980s until 
        1992, and then remained deployed along the border;
Whereas the 3d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division--

    (1) was reactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington on April 16, 1995, as 
part of I Corps; and

    (2) became the first interim Brigade Combat Team in the Army in May 
2000, later to be equipped with Stryker vehicles;

Whereas, in the defense of United States interests, the 4th Brigade deployed in 
        support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from November 2003 to November 2004;
Whereas, in August 2004, the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, deployed with the 
        Republic of Korea Army, representing the first operational deployment 
        from the Republic of Korea;
Whereas the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division, was given control of 
        the Eastern half of Ar-Ramadi under the direct command of the 1st Marine 
        Division;
Whereas elements of the 2d Infantry Division were attached to the 2d Marine 
        Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a reversal of their respective 
        roles during World War I, where the 5th and 6th Marine Regiment of the 
        1st Marine Division fought under the United States Army 2d Infantry 
        Division;
Whereas the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, fought in the Fallujah Offensive 
        in November 2004, which provided Iraqis the opportunity to vote in the 
        historic national elections of January 2005;
Whereas the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, provided humanitarian relief to 
        hospitals, schools, and hundreds of Iraqi civilians who had been 
        displaced;
Whereas the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, redeployed from Iraq to Fort 
        Carson, Colorado in August 2005;
Whereas the 3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division, deployed from 
        Fort Lewis, Washington, to assist the Iraqi security forces with counter 
        insurgence operations in the Ninewa Province in support of Iraqi Freedom 
        from June 2006 to September 2007;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division transformed into the Republic of Korea-United 
        States Combined Division with a Republic of Korea Army unit on June 3, 
        2015, in a cooperative designed to strengthen the operational 
        capabilities of both the Republic of Korea Army and the United States 
        Army;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division is the last remaining permanently forward-
        stationed division in the United States Army;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division has been deterring aggression and maintaining 
        peace on the Korean Peninsula since 1965;
Whereas the 2d Infantry Division received 2 Korean Presidential Unit Citations 
        for its outstanding service in Korea from 1950 to the present; and
Whereas, since the establishment of the 2d Infantry Division in 1917--

    (1) elements of the 2d Infantry Division have been present all over the 
world, assisting in combat and noncombat missions for 100 years;

    (2) more than 13,200 members of the 2d Infantry Division have 
sacrificed their lives in combat; and

    (3) 40 members of the 2d Infantry Division have received the Medal of 
Honor in total: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commemorates ``A Century of Service'', the 100th 
        anniversary of the 2d Infantry Division on October 26, 2017;
            (2) commends the 2d Infantry Division, now known as the 
        ``Indianhead'', for continuing to exemplify the motto of the 2d 
        Infantry Division, ``Second to None!'' and ``Fight Tonight!'';
            (3) honors the memory of the more than 13,200 members of 
        the 2d Infantry Division who lost their lives in battle;
            (4) expresses gratitude and support for all members and 
        veterans of the 2d Infantry Division and their families; and
            (5) recognizes that the 2d Infantry Division holds an 
        honored place in United States history.
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