Original Item: Only One Available. The 2nd Division was first constituted on 21 September 1917 in the Regular Army. It was organized on 26 October 1917 at Bourmont, Haute Marne, France. Twice during World War I the division was commanded by US Marine Corps generals, Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen and Major General John A. Lejeune (after whom the Marine Corps Camp in North Carolina is named), the only time in U.S. military history when Marine Corps officers commanded an Army division.

This set includes a beautiful 2nd Infantry Division patched tunic with US and Crossed Rifles collar devices featured on the cuff style collar. The tunic is completed with all buttons and snaps and is in great condition with very minor moth nips. The 2nd Infantry division “Indian Head” shoulder patch was hand sewn onto the left shoulder and is in beautiful condition with most of the colors and sections tightly retained. The 2 overseas stripes on the lower left sleeve are in wonderful condition. The wool dress shirt is without damage and in great, almost unissued condition.

The trousers are a beautiful pair but do show signs of slight wear and there are moth nips present throughout. They are without extensive damage and still retain the buttons on the calf area.

There are no markings that can be found on any item, but that doesn’t make this uniform any less attractive! A truly stunning set welcomed into any WW1 AEF displays!

Approximate Measurements
Collar to shoulder: 9"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 15”
Chest width: 18”
Waist width: 19"
Hip width: 21”
Front length: 30.5"

Pants
Waist: 16.5"
Inseam: 23.5"

The division spent the winter of 1917–18 training with French and Scottish veterans. Though judged unprepared by French tacticians, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was committed to combat in the spring of 1918 in a desperate attempt to halt a German advance toward Paris. Major General Edward Mann Lewis Commanded the 3rd Brigade as they deployed to reinforce the battered French along the Paris to Metz road. The Division first fought at the Battle of Belleau Wood and contributed to shattering the four-year-old stalemate on the battlefield during the Château-Thierry campaign that followed.

On 28 July 1918, Marine Corps Major General Lejeune assumed command of the 2nd Division and remained in that capacity until August 1919, when the unit returned to the US. The division went on to win hard-fought victories at Soissons and Blanc Mont. Finally the Indianhead Division participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive which ended any German hope for victory. On 11 November 1918 the Armistice was declared, and the 2nd Division entered Germany, where it assumed occupation duties until April 1919. 2nd Division returned to U.S. in July 1919.

The 2nd Division was three times awarded the French Croix de guerre for gallantry under fire at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and Blanc Mont. This entitles current members of the division and of those regiments that were part of the division at that time (including the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments) to wear a special lanyard, or fourragère, in commemoration. The Navy authorized a special uniform change that allows hospital corpsmen assigned to 5th and 6th Marine Regiments to wear a shoulder strap on the left shoulder of their dress uniform so that the fourragère can be worn.

The division lost 1,964 (plus USMC: 4,478) killed in action and 9,782 (plus USMC: 17,752) wounded in action.