division 05

American Expeditionary Forces
	5th Division (Regular)

[Excerpt from Wyllie, Col. Robert E. "The Romance of Military Insignia."
The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. XXXVI, No. 6. December, 1919. ]

The insignia, the Ace of Diamonds, was placed on all the divisional baggage as a distinctive mark before leaving the United States for overseas service. No significant meaning is recalled, other than that the red was a compliment to the then commanding general, who came from the artillery. The following explanations have been made, however:
"Diamond dye—it never runs."
"A diamond is made up of two adjacent isosceles triangles, which make for the greatest strength." The division was nicknamed the "Red Diamond Division."

The Red Diamond was selected as the division insignia at the suggestion of Major Charles A. Meals of the Quartermaster Corps, who, on being told that the Division should have a distinctive emblem, promptly suggested the "Ace of Diamonds, less the ace." It was approved by General McMahon and officially adopted in General Order No. 2, January 18th, 1918. "The division insignia will be a red diamond with a vertical diagonal of six inches and a horizontal diagonal of four inches in the center of which will be a two-inch figure ‘5’ in white." After reaching France the "5" was removed from the insignia. All units were instructed to have the red diamond painted on their equipment for overseas shipment.

Authorized 17 November 1917 and formed from Regular Army units from 17 November 1917 to 1 April 1918. Movement overseas completed 19 June 1918.

9th Infantry Brigade:
60th Infantry Regiment
61st Infantry Regiment
14th Machine Gun Battalion

10th Infantry Brigade:
6th Infantry Regiment
11th Infantry Regiment
15th Machine Gun Battalion

5th Field Artillery Brigade:
19th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
20th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
21st Field Artillery Regiment (155mm)
5th Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Troops:
13th Machine Gun Battalion
7th Engineers
9th Field Signal Battalion
5th Train Headquarters and MP
5th Ammunition Train
5th Supply Train
7th Engineer Train
5th Sanitary Train (Ambulance Companies & Field Hospitals 17, 25, 29, 30)

Campaign Participation

Campaign Streamers (most units):
Alsace
Lorraine
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne

U. S. Victory Medal Clasps (most units):
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne
Defensive Sector

Product Flyers	Insignia	Nickname
Background	Primary Units	Campaign Participation