Worn from:
20 August 1921 - Current.

Yellow is the traditional cavalry color; the horse's head
refers to the division's original cavalry structure. Black,
symbolic of iron, represents the transition to tanks and armor.
The black diagonal stripe represents a sword baldric and is a
mark of military honor; it also implies movement "up the field"
and thus symbolizes aggressive elan and attack. The one diagonal,
as well as the one horse's head, may also allude to the division's
numerical designation. The patch is in the shape of a Norman shield,
signifying chivalry and knightly valor. Due to the size of the patch,
non-First Cavalry troops in Vietnam sometimes referred to the First
Cavalry as the "Blanket Division." The division was activated
13 September 1921 at Fort Bliss, Texas. Some say the size of the patch
came about because the dust kicked up by the horse-mounted in 1943 prior
to being sent to the Pacific 23 May 1943. Upon arriving in the Pacific
theater, the division made its way to a chain of islands and arrived in
Tokyo 8 September 1945 (the first American division into Japan). It was
the first American division to enter the North Korean capital of Pyongyang,
and it was the first full division to arrive in Vietnam. In Vietnam, the
First Team fought the bitter battle of Ia Drang Valley; fought again in
Binh Dinh province; and sent the Sky Troopers into the battles of Binh Thuan
provice as well as Hue, Khe Sanh, Quang Tri City, and the A Shau Valley
effectively demonstrating the power of the new air mobile warfare.

Current location: Fort Hood, Texas.

Campaigns:
World War II (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Leyte, Luzon),

Korean War (UN Defensive, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention,
First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring offensive,
UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Winter),

Vietnam (Defense, Counteroffensive and Phases II/III/IV/V/VI/VII,
Tet and Tet/69, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive),

Armed Forces Expeditions (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait).

Decorations:
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
(streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 - 4 July 1945),
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
(streamer embroidered Waegwan-Teagu),
Chryssoun Aristion Andrias
(streamer embroidered Korea),
Presidential Unit Citation
(streamer embroidered Pleiku Province),
Valorous Unit Award
(streamer embroidered Fish Hook),
Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry with Palm
(streamers embroidered Vietnam 1965 - 1969;
Vietnam 1969 - 1970; Vietnam 1970 - 1971),
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal First Class
(streamer embroidered Vietnam 1969 - 1970).