The 2nd Infantry Division was activated on Oct. 26, 1917, in Beaumont, France. At the time of its activation, the Indian head Division was composed of one brigade of U.S. Infantry, one brigade of U.S. Marines, one brigade of artillery and various supporting units. The 2nd Inf. Div.'s first fight came at the Battle of Belleau-Wood. Later it shattered a four-year stalemate on the battlefield during the Chateau-Thierry campaign that followed. The division won hard-fought victories at Soissons and Mont Blanc. Finally, the Indian head Division participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which brought an end to the war. On Nov. 11, 1918, the Armistice was declared; and the 2nd Inf. Div. marched into Germany where it performed occupational duties until April 1919.

Upon returning to the United States, the division was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It remained there for the next 23 years, serving as an experimental unit, testing new concepts and innovations for the Army. In 1940, the 2nd Inf. Div. was the first command reorganized under the new triangular concept, which provided for three separate regiments in each division.

As part of the build up for Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion, the 2nd Inf. Div. was transferred from Fort Sam Houston to Ireland in October 1943. On June 7, 1944, D Day +1, the division stormed ashore at bloody Omaha Beach. While other units were stalled by the determined German resistance, the Indian heads blasted through the hedgerows of Normandy. After a fierce, 39-day battle, the 2nd Inf. Div. took the vital port city of Brest, which was liberated on Sept. 18, 1944. From positions around St. Vith, Belgium, and throughout the Battle of the Bulge, the 2nd Inf. Div. held fast, preventing the enemy from seizing key roads leading to the cities of Liege and Antwerp. Resuming the offensive on Feb. 6, 1945, the division joined the race to annihilate the fleeing Wehrmacht.

Though expecting to participate in the scheduled invasion of Japan, V-J Day found the 2nd Inf. Div. back home again. After a series of stateside moves, the Indian heads were stationed in the state of Washington. From their Fort Lewis base, they conducted arctic, air transport, amphibious, and maneuver training. 

With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea during the summer of 1950, the 2nd Inf. Div. was alerted for movement to the Far East. The division arrived in Korea via Pusan on July 23, becoming the first unit to reach Korea directly from the United States. Initially employed piecemeal, the entire division was committed to relieve the 24th Infantry Division at the Naktong River Line on Aug. 24, 1950. The 2nd Inf. Div. was the first unit to break out of the Pusan perimeter. It later led the Eighth Army's drive to the Manchurian border. When Chinese forces entered the fight, soldiers of the 2nd Inf. Div. protected the rear flank of the Eighth Army as it retired to the south. In April and May 1951, the 2nd Inf. Div. was instrumental in smashing the communist spring offensive. On April 9, 1953, the division was moved to a rear area, and on Aug. 20, 1954 - - four years after its last unit had arrived in Korea - - the 2nd Inf. Div. re-deployed to the United States.

In the summer of 1954, the 2nd Inf. Div. was transferred from Korea back to Fort Lewis, Wash., where it remained for only two years until being transferred to Alaska in August 1956. On Nov. 8, 1957, the Department of the Army announced the inactivation of the 2nd Inf. Div. However, in the spring of 1958, the Department of the Army reactivated the 2nd Inf. Div. at Fort Benning, Ga. Fort Benning remained the home of the new 2nd Inf. Div. from 1958 to 1965.

In February of 1960 the 2nd. Inf. Div. was formally named as a OVUREP unit. Which stood for (Overseas Unit Replacement). This Ovurep unit was the "first" in Army history to train as an entire unit, from Basic Combat Training through Advanced Unit Training. They had 8 months of very hard training, then was shipped off to ROK (Republic of Korea) in March of 1961. This was the 2nd. Division, 1st. Battle Group, 11th. Infantry and they took their training on Kelley Hill at Ft. Benning. The Ovurep was separated in the spring of 1962 and all of the members were assigned to other units throughout ROK.

In March 1962 the 2nd Inf. Div. was designated as a Strategic Air Command (STRAC) unit.

As a result of increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula, the 2nd Inf. Div. returned to the Republic of Korea in July 1965. North Korean forces had increased border incursions and infiltration attempts, and the 2nd Inf. Div. helped halt these attacks. Since then, ROK and U.S. forces have worked side by side, guarding the Demilitarized Zone. During a routine tree trimming operation within the DMZ on Aug. 18, 1976, two American officers were bludgeoned to death in a melee with north Korean border guards in the Joint Security Area. The United Nations Command tasked the division to spearhead its response to the incident, known as Operation Paul Bunyon. On Aug. 21, a group of ROK soldiers and American infantry and engineers cut down the now infamous "Panmunjom Tree."

The Warriors of the 2nd Inf. Div. are spread out across the western Korean peninsula and straddle the famous 38th parallel. The division's mission has remained the same for almost half a century: to assist in deterring north Korean aggression. Accordingly, the 2nd Inf. Div. stands SECOND TO NONE!

Headquarters: Ujiongbu, Korea

Deployment: There are two brigades in Korea, and one brigade in Ft. Lewis, WA.  It is likely (thought not confirmed) that there are prepositioned stocks in Korea to support US units arriving there in wartime.

Division Units