Big Red One

The Big Red One, named for the insignia of the First Infantry Division, is the unsparing World War II saga of a handful of GIs battling their way from North Africa through Sicily, Omaha Beach and Belgium to the ultimate horror of the Nazi Death Camps.

No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great— Duty First!" For a century, from the Western Front of World War I to the modern wars, this motto has spurred the soldiers who wear the shoulder patch bearing the Big Red One.

A white-knuckle account of the First Infantry Division’s harrowing D-Day assault on the eastern sector of Omaha Beach - acclaimed historian John C. McManus has written a gripping history that will stand as the last word on this titanic battle. Nicknamed the Big Red One, First Division had fought from North Africa to Sicily, earning a reputation as stalwart warriors on the front lines and rabble-rousers in the rear.