Insignia, Collar, Officer, Co. F, 26th Inf. Regt., 1st Inf. Div., France
Genuine WWI US Army Infantry Officer collar insignia (crossed rifles), intended for Company F, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
Quite good, worn condition. Pin is in working order.
As part of the first American soldiers to arrive in France, the 26th Inf. Regt. immediately left for the front. Along with its sister regiments of the division, it earned more campaign streamers than any other regiments during World War I. However, they came at a terrible cost. Over 900 Blue Spaders died in a six-month period. At Soissons alone, the regimental commander executive officer, two of three battalion commanders and the regimental sergeant major were killed in action; sixty-two officers were killed or wounded; and of the 3,100 Blue Spaders that started the attack, over 1,500 had been killed or wounded. But the battle was won and this turned the tide for the Allies at a crucial period during the summer of 1918. By the war's end, the soldiers had earned seven battle streamers and two foreign awards.
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