The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the United States Army National Guard, and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Army. Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pennsylvania Associators (1747–1777).Pennsylvania National Guard (published 19 September 2012), "28th Infantry Division Change-of-Command Ceremony", minute 1:10/3:53 The division was officially established in 1879 and federalized in 1914 for service with the US Army when the First World War started, and was redesignated as the 28th Division in 1917, after the entry of America into that war. Today, the division contains units from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and New Jersey.

It was originally nicknamed the "Keystone Division," as it was formed from units of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Pennsylvania being known as the "Keystone State." It was federalized during World War II, during which it was given the nickname the "Bloody Bucket" division by German forces due to the shape and color of its red keystone insignia. Today the 28th Infantry Division goes by the name given to it by General Pershing during World War I: "Iron Division." The 28th is the first Army National Guard division to field the Stryker infantry fighting vehicle, as part of the Army's reorganization in the first decade of the 2000s.

The 28th is also one of the most decorated infantry divisions in the United States Army.

Creation On 12 March 1879, Governor Henry Hoyt signed General Order Number One appointing Maj. Gen. John F. Hartranft as the first Division commander of the National Guard of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the first state to structure its National Guard units at such a high tactical level in peacetime. From 11 to 18 August 1894, Camp Samuel W. Crawford was the "Division Encampment at Gettysburg".

The division was mustered into federal service for the Spanish–American War in 1898. Pennsylvania initially levied 10,800 men, in ten infantry regiments and four artillery batteries. The entire division was mustered into federal service between 6 May and 22 July, and while 8,900 men had assembled at Mount Gretna for the muster parade on 28 April 1898, there was no difficulty in raising 12,000 men for service in two and a half months. However, only the 4th, 10th, and 16th Regiments, three artillery batteries, and three cavalry troops were deployed, to Puerto Rico. The 10th Regiment was then sent to the Philippines, being ordered home on 30 June 1899.

The division was called up to respond to labor disturbances in 1877 and 1900.

In 1914 the division was designated the 7th Division as part of a broad reorganization of the National Guard.Wilson, Maneuver and Firepower On 29 June 1916, the 7th Division was mustered into federal service at Mount Gretna and deployed to El Paso, Texas, to serve along the Mexican border as the Regular Punitive Expedition entered Mexico.Armies, Corps, Divisions, and Separate Brigades, 28th Div Major General Charles M. Clement commanded, directing the First Brigade comprising the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Regiments, the Second Brigade the 10th, 16th, and 18th Regiments, and the Third Brigade the 4th, 6th, and 8th Regiments. There was also a regiment of cavalry and one of artillery, plus two companies of signals troops and medical units. The camp outside El Paso gained the title 'Camp Stewart' after the Adjutant General, Thomas J. Stewart. On 19 September, one brigade was sent home. On 14 November, the 1st Artillery left for home; the 18th Infantry left for Pennsylvania on 18 December, and the remainder of the division between 2–19 January 1917. It appears that most of the division was mustered out of federal service on 23 February 1917 at Philadelphia.

The remnant left on the border included the 8th and 13th Regiments, the newly formed 3rd Artillery and Company C of the Engineers. They were released from active service in March 1917. However, the call-up process for World War I was underway as these units left the border. The 13th Regiment began its return home from Texas on 21 March 1917, but en route were told that their mustering-out orders had been rescinded.

History World War I Federalization The division moved to Camp Hancock, Georgia, in April 1917, the same month of the American entry into World War I, and was there when the entire division was drafted into federal service on 5 August 1917. From May to 11 October 1917, the division was reorganized into the two-brigade, four-regiment scheme, also known as a square division, and thus became the 28th Division.

The Turner Publishing account says that: The situation for the division at Camp Hancock was dismal. The men arrived there in summer uniforms, which were not replaced by winter ones until the winter was well along. Adequate blankets were not available until January. Training equipment was woeful. There was but one bayonet for each three men; machine guns made of wood; and there was but one 37-mm gun for the whole division.

In March 1918, several thousand National Army men sent from Camp Lee, Virginia, Camp George G. Meade, Maryland, and Camp Travis, Texas, were assigned to replace losses and complete the division.

Overseas service By May 1918, after several months of training, the division had arrived in Europe, and began training with the British. On 14 July, ahead of an expected German offensive, the division was moving forward, with most of it committed to the second line of defense south of the Marne River and east of Château-Thierry. As the division took up defensive positions, the Germans commenced their attack, which became the Battle of Chateau-Thierry, with a fierce artillery bombardment. When the German assault collided with the main force of the 28th, the fighting became bitter hand-to-hand combat. The 28th repelled the German forces and decisively defeated their enemy. However, four isolated companies of the 109th and 110th Infantry stationed on the first defensive line suffered heavy losses. After the battle, General John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force, visited the battlefield and declared that the 28th soldiers were "Men of Iron" and named the 28th ID as his "Iron Division." The 28th developed a red keystone-shaped shoulder patch, officially adopted on 27 October 1918.

During World War I, the division was involved in the Meuse-Argonne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne including the Battle of Fismes and Fismette, Oise-Aisne, and Ypres-Lys (FA) operations. During the war, it took a total of 14,139 casualties (2,165 killed and 11,974 wounded). Two individuals received the Medal of Honor: Sergeant James I. Mestrovitch, Company C, 111th Infantry; and Major Joseph H. Thompson, Headquarters, 110th Infantry. Edwin Martin wrote about the history of the division during World War I can be found in his book The Twenty-Eighth Division: Pennsylvania's Guard in the World War.

Order of battle

Source:

Headquarters, 28th Division 55th Infantry Brigade 109th Infantry Regiment (1st Pennsylvania Infantry and 1,779 men from 13th Pennsylvania Infantry, less band) 110th Infantry Regiment (3rd Pennsylvania Infantry, less band, and 10th Pennsylvania Infantry) 108th Machine Gun Battalion (Machine Gun Troop, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry, 142 men from Company B and parts of Headquarters Company less band, and Supply Company, 4th Pennsylvania Infantry) 56th Infantry Brigade 111th Infantry Regiment (56 officers and 1,864 men from 18th Pennsylvania Infantry and 1,852 officers and men from 6th Pennsylvania Infantry, less band) 112th Infantry Regiment (54 officers and 1,860 men from 16th Pennsylvania Infantry, and 1,980 officers and men from 8th Pennsylvania Infantry, less band) 109th Machine Gun Battalion (Machine Gun Company, Companies C and D, and parts of Sanitary Detachment and Supply Company, 4th Pennsylvania Infantry) 53rd Field Artillery BrigadeFile:Activities_and_citations_of_the_53rd_field_artillery_brigade_(IA_activitiescitati00pric).pdf 107th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) (1st Pennsylvania Field Artillery and 161 men from Troops F and H, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry) 108th Field Artillery Regiment (155 mm) (2nd Pennsylvania Field Artillery and 441 men from Troops A, C, D and G, I, K, L, and M, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry) 109th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) (3rd Pennsylvania Field Artillery and 159 men from Troops I, K, and L, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry) 103rd Trench Mortar Battery (detachments of Troops B and M, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry) 107th Machine Gun Battalion (2nd Battalion and parts of Headquarters and Supply Companies, 4th Pennsylvania Infantry) 103rd Engineer Regiment (1st Pennsylvania Engineers less 1 officer and 16 men, detachments of Headquarters Troop less band, Supply Troop, and Troops B, E, F, I, and M, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry) 103rd Field Signal Battalion (1st Battalion, Pennsylvania Signal Corps) Headquarters Troop, 28th Division (Pennsylvania Division Headquarters Troop and Troop I, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry) 103rd Train Headquarters and Military Police (Pennsylvania division headquarters and military police) 103rd Ammunition Train (Pennsylvania ammunition train) 103rd Engineer Train (1 officer and 16 enlisted men from 1st Pennsylvania Engineers) 103rd Supply Train (Pennsylvania supply train) 103rd Sanitary Train (Pennsylvania sanitary train) 109th, 110th, 111th, and 112th Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals

Interwar period The 28th Division headquarters arrived at the Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, aboard the USS Kroonland on 30 April 1919 after twelve months of overseas service and was demobilized on 17 May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. In accordance with the National Defense Act of 1920, the division was allotted to the state of Pennsylvania and assigned to the III Corps in 1921. The division headquarters was reorganized and federally recognized on 22 December 1921 at Philadelphia. The headquarters was relocated on 12 March 1933 to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The designated mobilization training center for the "Keystone" Division was Camp Bullis, Texas. An honor battalion of Pennsylvania National Guardsmen of the "Iron Division" dedicated the Pennsylvania World War Memorial in Varennes-en-Argonne, France, in 1928. The division, less the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade, conducted summer camp most years at Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, 1922–34, and at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania, 1935–39. The 53rd Field Artillery Brigade conducted its training most years at Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, so that its subordinate batteries could conduct live-fire training at the ranges located there. Generally, the division staff conducted command post exercises (CPXs) and staff training concurrent with the camps. The division staff also participated in the Third Corps Area CPX 6–19 July 1930 at Camp George G. Meade, Maryland; in the First Army CPXs in July 1931 and 1934 held at Camp Dix; and the army-level CPX at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in August 1936. For the 1935 camp, the division participated in the Third Corps Area phase of the First Army maneuvers at Indiantown Gap. During that maneuver, the 28th Division operated as part of the provisional III Corps. The "Keystone" Division also participated in the First Army maneuvers in 1939 and 1940 held at Plattsburg and Canton, New York, respectively. In both maneuvers, the 28th Division again operated as part of the provisional III Corps. In addition to the summer training, the entire division was called up for flood relief duty in March and April 1936 when Pennsylvania rivers overflowed in one of the worst floods in state history. The division was relieved from the III Corps on 30 December 1940 and assigned to the II Corps.

Commanders

Major General William G. Price Jr. (22 December 1921 – 23 March 1933) Major General Edward C. Shannon (23 March 1933 – 24 June 1939) Major General Edward Martin (26 June 1939 – 27 January 1942)

World War II