The record of the 4th Infantry Division in two World Wars and in South Vietnam is one of fierce fighting, outstanding success and tremendous sacrifices. It is a record that has contributed heavily to the history of our country.

During the First World War, the Ivymen fought in the campaigns of Aisne.Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse. Argonne. In the Meuse-Argonne, the 4th achieved its initial triumph in a resounding list of "firsts" by cracking the Hindenhurg Line and stopping the Kaiser’s all-out drive on Paris.

At Normandy the 4th Division smashed ashore on Utah Beach and later spearheaded the drive on Cherbourg. The hard-driving 4th Division elements were the first US troops into Paris and the first Allied troops to set foot on German soil. During the Battle of the Bulge, the brunt of the last major German drive of World War II fell on the 4th Division, but with every man on the line the units threw back the determined attacks on their positions.

Ivymen wasted little time going into action. On October 18th the Ivy Division launched Operation Paul Revere IV west of Pleiku, with the 2nd Brigade pushing into the rugged jungle-covered Central Highlands along the border. A week later, on the coast near Tuy Hoa, the 1st Brigade kicked off Operation Adams in an effort to clear the infamous Highway 1 and eliminate the Viet Cong from Phu Yen Province.

The division’s 3rd Brigade went under the operational control of the 25th Infantry Division, and in return the Ivy Division took control of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Division, which was already operating in the Central

Highlands. In August 1967, the two 3rd Brigades exchanged colors and became permanent parts of the division that they had worked with for nearly a year.

With the division now having the responsibility for screening the Cambodian border from northern Kontum Province to Ban Me Thuot, Ivy units engaged and bloodied large North Vietnamese Army forces. As enemy units attempted to sneak across the border, the 4th moved to engage them and took great tolls upon the enemy. Major battles erupted in November 1966 and February-March 1967. Then came the "Nine Days in May," when the 1st Brigade tangled in five hard-pitched battles. July saw two major fights and then all was quiet until November 3rd and the Battle of Dak To

The time between large unit battles saw many small enemy contacts, continually inflicting heavy damage on his resupply and reinforcement plans. The use of long range reconnaissance patrols played a vital role in locating the eremy and interpreting his actions.

The Fighting Fourth has answered its third call to arms with distinction. Throughout Vietnam’s Central Highlands, the Ivy patch is worn proudly by Ivymen, respected by civilians and feared by the enemy.