The 28th Infantry Division of the United States Army, known as the “Keystone Division” for its red keystone-shaped insignia, was one of the oldest and most heavily engaged American divisions of the Second World War. Composed primarily of National Guard units from Pennsylvania, the division was federalized in February 1941 and underwent extensive training in preparation for overseas deployment.

The division landed in Normandy in late July 1944, following the D-Day landings, and entered combat as part of the American breakout from the hedgerows of Normandy. Its first major engagement came during the battle for the city of Saint-Lô and the subsequent advance across northern France. In August and September 1944, the 28th took part in the liberation of Paris and moved eastward toward the German frontier, engaging in fierce fighting in the Hürtgen Forest.

The Hürtgen campaign, fought from September to November 1944, became one of the most grueling operations of the European Theater. The 28th Division suffered devastating casualties in attempts to break through German defensive positions amid dense forest, mines, and fortified bunkers. Despite determined efforts, the division made only limited gains and was severely depleted by the time it was withdrawn from the front.

Following a brief period of rest and reorganization, the 28th Infantry Division was redeployed to the Ardennes region of Luxembourg in early December 1944. Within days, it was hit by the full force of the German counteroffensive that would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. The division was heavily engaged in delaying actions against superior German armored and infantry formations during the opening phase of the attack, particularly in and around the towns of Wiltz and Clervaux. Though outnumbered and temporarily overrun in some sectors, the division’s resistance helped disrupt the German timetable and contributed to the eventual stabilization of the front.

In the final months of the war, the 28th re-entered Germany and participated in the Allied advance across the Rhine and into central Germany. By V-E Day, the division had established a combat record marked by persistence, resilience under fire, and repeated commitment to major offensives. Its engagements at Hürtgen and in the Ardennes became emblematic of the brutal, attritional character of the late-war fighting on the Western Front.

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