Yankee Divison

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Branch

U.S. Army

Members

About Yankee Divison

The Yankee Division, officially known as the 26th Infantry Division, was formed from National Guard units from New England in 1917. During World War I, the division served with distinction in France, participating in key battles such as the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. Re-mobilized for World War II, the Yankee Division landed in France after D-Day and fought through northern France, the Rhineland, and into Germany. The division remained an important National Guard formation during the Cold War, before being inactivated as a division in 1993 and reorganized into smaller units.

Unit Members

ANJ(

Arthur Nelson Jones (Deceased)

U.S. Army

Yankee DivisonView Profile

Fred Phillips

U.S. Army

Yankee DivisonView Profile

Photos

Boot Camp

Company C 1st Bn. 38th Inf. Regt. • U.S. Army • 1989

1980

101st airborne division • U.S. Army

U.S. Army

New uniform for wedding

82nd Airborne • U.S. Army • 2018

About Yankee Divison

About this Unit

Historical Facts

• Origins: The Yankee Division (26th Infantry Division) was formed in 1917 from National Guard units from the six New England states, hence the nickname "Yankee Division." • Shoulder Patch: Its distinctive "YD" monogram patch stands for "Yankee Division," one of the first divisional shoulder insignias adopted by the U.S. Army. • World War I Service: The division was among the first American units to arrive in France during World War I and participated in major campaigns such as Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. • Historic Firsts: The Yankee Division was the first National Guard division to arrive in France as a complete unit during World War I. • World War II Role: The division landed in France shortly after D-Day in 1944 and fought across France, Germany, and Austria, liberating several towns and concentration camps. • Famous Members: The division included notable figures such as poet Joyce Kilmer and "Wild Bill" Donovan, the future head of the OSS (predecessor to the CIA). • Siege of Bastogne: During the Battle of the Bulge, the 26th provided crucial relief to the surrounded 101st Airborne in Bastogne. • Decorations: The division and its members received numerous awards, including the French Croix de Guerre and the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross. • Cold War Service: After WWII, the Yankee Division continued as part of the National Guard, eventually becoming a mechanized infantry unit during the Cold War. • Legacy: The division’s lineage continues today in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, with its traditions and honors still celebrated in New England.