Description
Battling a shadowy enemy on uncertain terrain, the 2,594,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who served their country during the Vietnam War sacrificed their lives to sustain the hopes of a people striving to cast off the shackles of tyranny.
The 82nd Division was first constituted during World War I on 5 August 1917 as an infantry division in the National Army. It was organized and formally activated on 25 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.The division consisted entirely of newly conscripted soldiers. The original enlisted men assigned to the division came from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, but during October 1917, a large number were transferred to fill shortages in Regular Army and National Guard units preparing to move overseas, and replacements for them were received mostly from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The citizens of Atlanta held a contest to give a nickname to the new division, and in April 1918, Major General Eben Swift, the commanding general, chose “All American” to reflect the unique composition of the 82nd—it had soldiers from all 48 states, up until Alaska and Hawaii were added by 1959.
In modern times, as of August 2021, elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, particularly the Immediate Response Force, deployed to Afghanistan to secure the evacuation of American diplomats and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants as the Taliban seized much of the country and converged on Kabul. Throughout Operation Allies Refuge, the 82nd Airborne Division served as the Operational Command, Task Force 82.
Operation Allies Refuge, led by Major General Chris Donahue, is a combined and joint ongoing NATO command post composed of forces representing NATO allied Nations, 1st Brigade Combat Team “Devil”, aviation capabilities from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade “Pegasus”, medical capabilities from the 44th Medical Brigade, riot control capabilities from the 16th Military Police Brigade, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command who oversaw sustainment in the joint operational area from a command post in Kuwait
This hiking stick medallion honors the courage and dedication of the all those who served in the 82nd Airborne Division.
This item measures a 1 3/8 inch x 1 3/8 inch (34mm x 35mm) oval.
