division 78

American Expeditionary Forces
	78th "Lightning" Division

Product Flyers	Insignia	Nickname
Background	Primary Units	Campaign Participation

Insignia

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

The original insignia was a semicircle of red and was adopted in the United States for marking baggage, but when shoulder insignia was adopted in France the lightning was added to represent the popular name of Lightning Division.

[Excerpt from Pictorial History]

The word "Lightning" was suggested by a ballot and approved by Major General Scott as the nickname of the Division. Later, in France, when the shoulder insignia order was issued, the first insignia used by the Division was a red semi-circular red patch. That was followed by the addition of three zigzag streaks of white on the red patch to represent lightning. That also fell into disfavor, being the butt of many jibes. "A cat having a fit in a bottle of catsup" was one of the jesting remarks which gained currency. Finally the present insignia, one streak of silver or white on a red patch, was issued to officers and men by headquarters.

Nickname

"Lightning" Division.

Background

National Army division established 5 August 1917 by the War Department, to be formed at Camp Dix, NJ. Filled with draftees from Delaware, New Jersey and New York. Movement Overseas commenced on 18 May 1918 and was completed by 12 June 1918.

Primary Units

155th Infantry Brigade:
309th Infantry Regiment
310th Infantry Regiment
308th Machine Gun Battalion

156th Infantry Brigade:
311th Infantry Regiment
312th Infantry Regiment
309th Machine Gun Battalion

153d Field Artillery Brigade:
307th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
308th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
309th Field Artillery Regiment (155mm)
303d Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Troops:
307th Machine Gun Battalion
303d Engineer Regiment
303d Field Signal Battalion
303d Train Headquarters and MP
303d Ammunition Train
303d Supply Train
303d Engineer Train
303d Sanitary Train (Ambulance Companies & Field Hospitals 309, 310, 311, 312)

Campaign Participation

Campaign Streamers:
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne
Lorraine

U. S. Victory Medal Clasps:
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne
Defensive Sector

Product Flyers

DB 78-1: 78th Division, Division Histories

DB PA-3: The Camp Dix Pictorial Review

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