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The 1st Infantry Division aka The Big Red One Has Been Sold To Sears

Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty Posted on by


Any U.S. Army veterans out there? Any veterans that served in the 1st Army infantry division? If you long for the good old days of wearing your army duds, then Sears will have the answer starting in October.

The U.S. Army has sold out. They are selling the license to use the insignia of the 1st Army on a line of clothing to Sears.

I wasn’t in the Army, my Dad retired as a Lt. Colonel. He wasn’t in the 1st Army. But, I don’t like the smell of this. It just seems demeaning to sell off the right to use insignias that have been bloodied so many times to protect us.

The reason justifying is even more insulting:

The Army Brand collections will also give back to those who have given so
much in service to the United States. The license fee paid by Army Brand is
used to support programs that benefit the well-being of the troops and their
families.

I thought a huge chunk of our massive federal tax bill went to support programs that are for the well-being of the troops and families. I guess their are programs that are not federally supported, but this is one time that I think the gummit should fund a program that is worthy.

I think this attitude stinks too.

“Over the years, military-inspired clothing has played a distinct role in shaping fashion trends,” Mr. Israel said. “We are now able to exclusively offer a line that is pure to the origins of that inspiration.”

I don’t know how Sears and the Army came up with their deal. I hope Congress investigates. I hope Veterans groups get up in arms (not literally) and raise Hell about this.

I had heard of the Big Red One as the 1st Infantry is known, but I didn’t know:

  • The Division’s history begins in 1917 when General John “Blackjack” Pershing arrived in France with the First American Expeditionary Force.  The “Fighting First” led the way for American troops in World War I.  Names like Cantigny, Soissons, St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest tell the story of the gallantry of the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, now wearing the famous “Big Red One” patch on their left shoulder.
  • During World War II, the 1st Infantry Division was the first to reach England, the first to fight the enemy in North Africa and Sicily, the first on the beaches of Normandy in D-Day and the first to capture a major German City – Aachen.
  • In the summer of 1965, the Big Red One was the first division called to fight in Vietnam.
  • On November 8, 1990, the 1st Infantry Division was alerted and over the next two months, deployed more than 12,000 soldiers and 7,000 pieces of equipment to Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm.
  • Another first, the Big Red One led the charge into Iraq.  After spearheading the armored attack into Iraq, by February 27, 1991 the division broke the enemy’s defense along the Kuwait border and cut off the path of retreat for the fleeing Iraq Army.

The Big Red One ceased to exist officially in July, 2006.

“NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT, NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT”

And in the case of the Army bigwigs:

“AVAILABLE IF THE MONEY IS RIGHT”

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Comments

The 1st Infantry Division aka The Big Red One Has Been Sold To Sears — 14 Comments

  1. This really sucks. Shouldn’t really be any surprise though. The pentagon is intimately tied up with most public companies anyway. There was a good article in tomdispatch not too long ago about the cross-pollination between the military and the commercial worlds.

  5. My father was in the 26th Regiment (the Blue Spaders) of the 1st Infantry Division in WWII. He fought in Africa (won Silver Star at Kasserine Pass), Sicily (Gold Star), Omaha Beach in Norway, fought his way through the hedgerows all summer of 1944, the wilderness battles in the fall, and in the Battle of the Bulge in December. He was wounded twice and received 2 Purple Hearts.

    After the war, he moved over to the nuclear weapons program, and retired from the army after 21 years. He died in 1993, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

    To see that the emblem of the Fighting First is now a fashion accessory would be sacrilege to him. For the first time I can remember, I’m actually glad he’s not around to see this.

  7. [email protected]: I just can’t understand ANY military officer signing off on this. If the colors are “cased” does this take it out of the hands of the military? It just stink.

    @Rich: And now, teenyboppers and others will be wearing it and think it’s just an ordinary decoration.

  8. “The Big Red One ceased to exist officially in July, 2006”.

    Actually the 1st Infantry Division AKA the Big Red One, was moved from Fort Riley Kansas to Germany in the mid 90s and has recently been moved back to Fort Riley Kansas and is currently still active. I am currently assigned to 1st Battalion 34th Armor, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Battalion and I wear my “Big Red One” patch on my uniform so do I now belong to Sears or the Army?

  11. Im glad sears sells rhis for the BIG RED ONE It gives the vets who served with the FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION TO display the outfit we served in the time of war like i did in viet nam.

  13. This is historic and the value of so many heroes. I don’t think any money is worth to buy this. I think they should keep this for the great memories of our first warriors.

  14. Are the Big Red One’s Oath Keepers, that is my question, or will you follow Gov’t orders to detain and police us against the Constitutional Oath you took to honor and protect US??

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