[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 4, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2369-S2370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 115--COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1ST 
                           INFANTRY DIVISION

  Mr. MORAN (for himself and Mr. Roberts) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services:

                              S. Res. 115

       Whereas June 8, 2017, is the 100th anniversary of the 
     organization of the 1st Infantry Division;
       Whereas the 1st Infantry Division was established in 1917 
     as the First Division, the first combat division in United 
     States history, and has been on continuous active duty since 
     1917;
       Whereas, from the heroic start of the 1st Infantry 
     Division, the 1st Infantry Division has played an integral 
     part in United States history by serving in--
       (1) World War I;
       (2) World War II;
       (3) the Cold War;
       (4) the Vietnam War;
       (5) Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm;
       (6) the Balkans peacekeeping missions;
       (7) the War on Terror; and
       (8) as of April 2017, multiple operations around the globe;
       Whereas, immediately after its establishment, the First 
     Division started to build a prestigious reputation for its 
     service in World War I;
       Whereas, in May 1918, the victory of the First Division at 
     the Battle of Cantigny, France, was the first United States 
     victory of World War I, and despite suffering more than 1,000 
     casualties in that battle, the First Division seized the 
     village from German forces, defended the village against 
     repeated counterattacks, and bolstered the morale of the 
     Allies;
       Whereas, after the Battle of Cantigny, the First Division 
     played a central role in other monumental battles of World 
     War I, such as--
       (1) the Battle of Soissons;
       (2) the Battle of Saint-Mihiel; and
       (3) the Meuse-Argonne Offensive;
       Whereas 5 soldiers of the First Division received the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor during World War I;
       Whereas the First Division--
       (1) remained on occupation duty in Germany to enforce the 
     Armistice; and
       (2) in September 1919, was the last combat division to 
     return home after World War I;
       Whereas, by the end of World War I, the First Division was 
     1 of only 4 United States divisions to remain on active duty, 
     which is a strong testament to its accomplishments;
       Whereas, in November 1939, the 1st Infantry Division was 
     called to action again and, in August 1942, became the first 
     United States division sent to Europe during World War II;
       Whereas, during World War II, the 1st Infantry Division 
     fought bravely in Algeria, Tunisia, and Sicily in 1942 and 
     1943 before the courage and resolve of the 1st Infantry 
     Division was tested on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France;
       Whereas the 1st Infantry Division, reinforced by units of 
     the 29th Infantry Division, made the assault landing on Omaha 
     Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944, which began the liberation of 
     Europe from Nazi control;
       Whereas the 1st Infantry Division continued its invaluable 
     service throughout World War II, including in--
       (1) the liberation of France and Belgium;
       (2) the seizing of Aachen, the first city of Nazi Germany 
     to fall to the Allies;
       (3) the Battle of the Huertgen Forest;
       (4) the Battle of the Bulge, in which the 1st Infantry 
     Division held the critical northern shoulder at Butgenbach, 
     Belgium;
       (5) the crossing of the Rhine River at Remagen;
       (6) the battles around the Ruhr Pocket in Germany; and
       (7) the offensive into Czechoslovakia, where the 1st 
     Infantry Division liberated Nazi labor camps at Falkenau and 
     Zwodau;
       Whereas 17 members of the 1st Infantry Division received 
     the Congressional Medal of Honor for their service during 
     World War II;
       Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during World 
     War II, the 1st Infantry Division was the recipient of--
       (1) the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and Streamers 
     embroidered with ``Kasserine'' and ``Normandy'';
       (2) the French Fourragere, embroidered with ``World War 
     II'';
       (3) the Belgian Fourragere; and
       (4) the subordinate units of the 1st Infantry Division 
     earned numerous Presidential Unit Citations and Army Valorous 
     Unit awards;
       Whereas the 1st Infantry Division guarded the Nuremburg 
     Trials and remained on occupation duty in Germany before 
     returning home to Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1955;
       Whereas, in 1965, the 1st Infantry Division was 1 of the 
     first 2 divisions sent to the Vietnam War, and the 1st 
     Infantry Division remained in Vietnam for 5 years, during 
     which the 1st Infantry Division--
       (1) protected the capital, Saigon, from attack by the North 
     Vietnamese Army;
       (2) conducted hundreds of--
          (A) offensive operations between Saigon and Cambodia 
     against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units; and
          (B) civil action and pacification operations to protect 
     and assist the Vietnamese people; and
       (3) responded to the 1968 Tet Offensive by clearing Tan Son 
     Nhut Air Force Base of enemy forces, securing Saigon and 
     counterattacking vigorously;
       Whereas 12 soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division earned the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War;
       Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during the 
     Vietnam War, the 1st Infantry Division was the recipient of--
       (1) the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm 
     for 1968;
       (2) the Civic Action Honor Medal First Class;
       (3) the United States Army Meritorious Unit Commendation; 
     and
       (4) the subordinate units of the 1st Infantry Division 
     earned numerous Presidential and Army awards;
       Whereas, from 1970 to 1990 the 1st Infantry Division--
       (1) was a key component of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization deterrent strategy;
       (2) deployed annually to Germany on major exercises that 
     demonstrated United States resolve to friend and foe alike; 
     and
       (3) contributed directly to the peaceful end of the Cold 
     War;
       Whereas, in November 1990, the 1st Infantry Division 
     deployed to Saudi Arabia and played a key role in the famous 
     ``left hook'' attack of the US VII Corps through the deserts 
     of western Iraq to destroy the Tawakalna Division of the 
     vaunted Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein, among many other 
     enemy forces;
       Whereas the 1st Infantry Division deployed to Bosnia for 31 
     months between 1996 and 2000, to Macedonia for 4 months in 
     1999, and to Kosovo for 22 months between 1999 and 2003--
       (1) to enforce international peace agreements;
       (2) to halt the worst ethnic violence in Europe since the 
     Holocaust; and
       (3) to bring peace and stability to the Balkans;
       Whereas, in 2004, the 1st Infantry Division deployed to 
     Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom as Task Force Danger and 
     conducted sophisticated counterinsurgency operations that led 
     to the first free and fair elections in Iraqi history in 
     2005;
       Whereas, between 2005 and 2014, the brigade combat teams 
     and other major headquarters and units of the 1st Infantry 
     Division have deployed repeatedly to Iraq and Afghanistan in 
     Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 
     Operation New Dawn;
       Whereas Specialist Ross A. McGinnis, a 1st Infantry 
     Division soldier, is 1 of the very few people of the United 
     States to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor in the War 
     on Terror;
       Whereas, in the defense of United States interests, the 1st 
     Infantry Division deployed its units and soldiers to Africa 
     in 2015 and Kuwait in 2016;
       Whereas, since November 2016, the headquarters of the 1st 
     Infantry Division has been in Iraq, where the 1st Infantry 
     Division is--
       (1) engaged in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq 
     and Syria (ISIS); and
       (2) providing the leadership structure for the Combined 
     Joint Forces Land Component Command-Operation Inherent 
     Resolve;
       Whereas, as of April 2017--
       (1) the Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Infantry 
     Division is deployed to Afghanistan and is conducting combat 
     aviation operations in support of the Afghan and 
     international security forces battling the Taliban;
       (2) the 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry 
     Division is deployed to the South Korea, where it bolsters 
     United States deterrence against North Korea; and
       (3) the 2nd Armor Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry 
     Division is at Fort Riley, Kansas, where it is honing its 
     combat-readiness in preparation for deployment; and
       Whereas, since the establishment of the 1st Infantry 
     Division in 1917--
       (1) the 1st Infantry Division has been present all over the 
     world, assisting in combat and noncombat missions for 100 
     years;
       (2) more than 13,000 soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division 
     have sacrificed their lives in combat; and
       (3) 35 soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division have received 
     the Medal of Honor: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commemorates ``A Century of Service'', the 100th 
     anniversary of the 1st Infantry Division on June 8, 2017;
       (2) commends the 1st Infantry Division for continuing to 
     exemplify the motto of the 1st Infantry Division, ``No 
     Mission Too Difficult. No Sacrifice Too Great. Duty First!'';
       (3) honors the memory of the more than 13,000 soldiers of 
     the 1st Infantry Division who lost their lives in battle;
       (4) expresses gratitude and support for all 1st Infantry 
     Division soldiers, veterans, and their families, including 
     1st Infantry Division soldiers and their families of the past 
     and future and those who are serving as of April 2017; and
       (5) recognizes that the 1st Infantry Division holds an 
     honored place in United States history.

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