At the left side of the entrance to the grove of trees surrounding the memorial. Marker

You are now standing at the memorial of the US Army’s 1^st Infantry division. The memorial, made of polished black granite, is about ten meters high and has the form of a hexagonal pyramid with the division symbol of the US 1st Infantry Division. 639 names of division members fallen from February 8 to May 7 1945 in Germany and in the Czech territory are stated there (4 Captains, 24 Lieutenants, 135 Sergeants, 65 Corporals, and 415 Lance Corporals and common soldiers). Some names are of Czech origin (Drozd Joseph, Kapustka Joseph, Kazda Matej, Kabuta George, Placek Emil, Vojtisek Frank). Among them are also the names of 19 division members who fell at the very end of the war in fightings against the Nazis in the Cheb region.

The memorial was ceremonially unveiled on October 27, 1946 in the presence of General Ludvik Svoboda, General Bocek, the American Ambassador Mr. Lawrence Steinhart, and the military attaché General Koenig.

HISTORY OF THE 1^ST INFANTRY DIVISION

The US 1^st Infantry Division “The Big Red One” belongs among the most famous American infantry divisions. Their history started with the presence in World War I when General John J. Pershing brought the first American Expeditionary Corps to help France.

In World War II, as one of the first American divisions, they took part in the fighting during the amphibious operation called “Torch” during the landing on November 8, 1942, near Oran in North Africa. Being at the forefront, the sharply observed troop suffered heavy casualties. After many fightings along with allied forces they succeeded in securing control of the important harbours of North Africa—Casablana, Oran, and Algiers. In the following period the soldiers of this division went through the fire of battles near Kasserin Pass and Mateur. Especially in the northern part of Tunisia they had to fight very hard against the German troops of General von Arnim and Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. After the occupation of Tunisia, the American IInd Corps meets the British 8^th Army. On May 13, 1943 then the Osa forces located in North Africa capitulate.

After the fightings in North Africa were over, the Allies planned another action, which was the landing in Sicily. It was General D. Eisenhower who was charged to be in command for the coming operation called “Husky”. Land forces comprised the 8^th British Army under the command of General Bernard L. Montgomery and the 7^th US Army of General G. S. Patton. At the landing near the Gela harbor also the 1^st Infantry Division disembarked as part of the IInd Corps. On the second day of the landing of Gela the soldiers got into an arduous situation when being attacked by the tank division “Herman Göring” with their Tiger tanks. The division was bound to entrench themselves on the shore. Being supported by the Navy they succeeded in beating off the German counter-attack after several hours. During the next attack of the north, the 1^st Division captures Niscema and Mazzarino. After a week of fightings they succeeded in capturing Troina, and thus enabling allied forces to advance on Messina. With the capture of Messina, the battle for Sicily ended.

After succeeding in Africa and capturing Sicily the 1^st Division troops redeployed to England. On June 6, 1944, on D-day, the Big Red One takes part on the invasion in Normandy on the legendary Omaha Beach – the bloodiest place of the landing. In those days, in attempting to get bridgehead for the other troops, the division suffered big losses.

After the fightings and breakthrough in Normandy they push along with the 1^st US Arm y towards Belgium and liberate Liege. For the tough resistance of German troops, insufficiency of fuel, ammunition, and other reserves, the American troops advance slower then before. Moving forward the division crosses so called Siegfried Line. After crossing the German border heavy battles for Aachen, the first larger German town, wait for the division. Aachen had symbolic value for Germans, that’s why they offered tough resistance during the fightings. The division continues to advance in Germany but the German troops are going to start a big counteroffensive in the Ardens. For this reason the experienced 1^st Infantry Division was rapidly transferred into this area on the line Malmedy-Butgenbach. The Brigadier General Clift Andrus takes the command and under his command they succeeded in permanently stopping German troops that suffered big losses. In January 1945 the division also takes part in the last counterattack at the foothills of the Ardens.  The legendary “Battle of the Bulge” ended with the victory of the American Army, which was redeemed with big losses suffered by the 1^st Infantry Division.

After the battle of Ardens the division enters Rhine planes and advances on Bonn. Southward from Bonn they crossed the Rhine near Remagen and push over Siegen into the area of so called “Ruhr pocket”, where the last hard fightings wait for them. Finally, they achieve the Hartz mountain.

In the middle of April 1945 the 3^rd US Army under the command of General George S. Patton gets near the Czechoslovak border. The First Infantry Division achieved the line Adorf – Hof – Frantiskovy Lazne – Cheb. After the fightings and the liberation of Cheb by the 97^th Infantry Division on April 26, 1945, they take control of the town and its surroundings. The last German resistance they are confronted with appears in this region and in the surrounding area of Slavkovskyles.

On May 4, 1945 General Omar Bradley, commander of the 12^th Army Corps, gives an order to the 3^rd US Army to enter the territory of Czechoslovakia. On May 5, 1945 the Big Red One gets their last war task from the Commandant of the Vth Corps, General C.R. Huebner to make an attack on the indicated area along with the 9^th US Armoured Division and to occupy Karlovy Vary. Both divisions started immediately preparations to fulfill Huebner’s order. On May 6, 1945, bright and early, both divisions started out in the indicated direction. Near Potociste and Oblina they were confronted with an unexpected German attack, which could be fought off after several hours by superiority of the 1^st Infantry Division. The US advance was interrupted in the area of Kammeny Dvur –Zlata where the last military engagement between them and German troops vehemently defending this area occurred.  Both parts suffered big losses. Only a heavy artillery and tanks offensive allowed the Corps to advance.

The Big Red One finished their final advance in Europe on May 7, 1945 in Karlovy Vary. 

DUTY FIRST

According to the historical sources compiled by Zdenek Svoboda, USA Friends Society, Cheb