1st Army WW I

The First Army was on active duty with Headquarters at Fort Jay
(Governors Island), New York, when the United States entered
WW II.

The First Army Headquarters embarked for England in
October of 1943 and upon arrival there began preparations for
the assault on the Normandy beaches (Operation Overlord).


Elements of the First Army invaded the Continent on June 6th, 1944,
and during the next 337 days of combat until VE (Victory in Europe)
Day fought almost continuously in the Normandy, Northern France,
Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. First Army units
fought at Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Cherbourg, St. Lo,Mortain, the
Falaise-Argen-tan Pocket, the Liberation of Paris, Aachen, Huertgen
Forest, Cologne, the Remagen Bridgehead, and the the Ruhr Pocket.

Among the "firsts" credited to the First Army in Europe are:
first on the Beaches at Normandy;
first to break out of the beachhead;
first US Troops to enter Paris;
first to crack the Siegfried Line;
first to cross the Rhine River;
first to meet with the Russians.


The First Army patch was approved for wear on November 18th, 1918
by the American Expeditionary Force. The letter "A" was chosen to
represent "Army" and is also the "first" letter of the alphabet
suggesting the "First Army."