In this lesson plan,* students will learn about the role the role the Big Red One played in World War II. Upon completion of the lesson, they will be able to explain the significance of the Big Red One to the North Africa Campaign and to the overall success of the allies in the European theater of operations, and compare the differences and similarities between what the Big Red One faced in World War II and what U.S. troops currently face in today’s conflicts.

*This series of oral history lessons was created by Curtis Odom, a graduate student Stephen F. Austin State University, as part of his thesis work for a Masters Degree in Public History. The series was edited by Michael Raines, a teacher of Geography at Center High School, Center, Texas.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
§ 113.32 United States Since Reconstruction
(C) Knowledge and skills.

(1) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history from 1877 to the present. The student is expected to: (B) apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods; and (C) explain the significance of the following dates: 1898, 1914-1918, 1929, 1941-1945, and 1957.

(6) History. The student understands the impact of significant national and international decisions and conflicts from World War II and the Cold War to the present on the United States. The student is expected to: (B) analyze major issues and events of World War II such as fighting the war on multiple fronts, the internment of Japanese-Americans, the Holocaust, the battle of Midway, the invasion of Normandy, and the development of and Harry Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb.

(24) Social studies skills. The student applies critical thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to: (C) explain and use different methods that historians use to interpret the past; (D) use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use multiple sources of evidence; (E) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author; and (F) identify bias in written, oral and visual material.

(25) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to: (A) use social studies terminology correctly; (B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation; and (D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
113.33 World History Studies
(C) Knowledge and skills.

(2) History. The student understands how the present relates to the past. The student is expected to: (A) identify elements in contemporary situations that parallel a historical situation; (B) describe variables in a contemporary situation that could result in different outcomes.

1. Students will learn what the Big Red One was and what it contributed to World War II through class discussion and a PowerPoint presentation.



2. Students will prepare a speech analyzing the effectiveness of the Big Red One. Students will answer questions in their speech such as what made the Big Red One effective, why has the Big Red One acquired such a reputation, and how would you have reacted if you were in the situations that the Big Red One was put in. (Note: The Big Red was largely successful because of the determination of the soldiers and because of its leaders, General Terry Allen and Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. The fame of the Big Red One has spread through the years because of movies like Patton and the Big Red One.)



3. Students will discuss the similarities between the Big Red One in World War II and the Second Iraq War.
• What similarities exist between the war in Iraq and World War II in which the Big Red One fought? Both wars were fought to end the reign of evil dictators (Iraq War = Saddam Hussein; World War II = Adolf Hitler).
• What differences exist between the war in Iraq and World War II in which the Big Red One fought? Technology for the Iraq War is much improved with the advent of computers and other modern day inventions. In World War II, the Allies knew who their enemy was (i.e. Germans and Italians). In the Iraq War, it is often unclear who the real enemy is because the enemy is camouflaged as every day citizens.
• What lessons can be applied from the Big Red One’s actions in World War II to the Second Iraq War? Continue to fight bravely even if circumstances look overwhelming. 

The Big Red One Overview
The Perry Bonner Oral History mentions the Big Red One. The Big Red One was the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division that became famous during World War I and World War II. The division derived its name from a patch that soldiers in the division wore on their left shoulder. The following timeline depicts the major events of World War II that the Big Red One took part in. Today the Big Red One is based at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Overview of Second Iraqi War
The Second Iraqi War began because the United States suspected Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction. These types of weapons, often associated with terrorist activities, became a hot topic after September 11, 2001. On September 11, 2001, terrorists hi-jacked four planes in the United States and flew two of those planes into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. After these attacks, President George W. Bush launched a campaign against terror, which included opposing nations suspected of aiding terrorists such as Iraq. As a result of these events, the United States went to war with Iraq in March of 2003. The United States quickly succeeded in ousting Saddam Hussein and his subordinates from leadership. Shortly thereafter, however, the war effort has stagnated for several reasons. First, American leadership has not been able to define what it means to win the war in Iraq. Second, because the enemy combatants in Iraq are insurgents, it is difficult to distinguish them from the general population and force them to surrender. Third, support in the United States for the war has waned. In early 2007 Congress began repeatedly called for the United States to leave Iraq. As a result of these factors, it appears that the war’s only success in Iraq was to oust Saddam Hussein because no weapons of mass destruction had been found as of fall 2007.

The Big Red One overview and timeline PowerPoint

• November 8, 1942: Big Red One landed on the coast of Algeria near Oran. The Big Red One overcame equipment problems to make the landings successful.
• May 9, 1943: Big Red One ceased operations in Africa when German Afrika Korps surrenders. Big Red One teamed with the Eight British Army to force Germany’s surrender.
• July 10, 1943: Big Red One began Operation Husky in Sicily on the shore of   Gela. During the Sicilian campaign, the Big Red One would march over 150 miles from Palermo to Messina and then back to Palermo.
• June 6, 1944: Big Red one landed on Omaha Beach as part of the D-Day invasion   at Normandy, France. The fighting on Omaha Beach was more intense than at any other beach during the D-Day Invasion. Many attribute the success of the Big Red One on the beach to the determination and courage of the soldiers.
• October 21, 1944: Germans surrender to the Big Red One at Aachen, Germany.
• December 16, 1944: Battle of the Bulge began. The Big Red One protected the   outskirts of the Bulge by holding Bullingen.
• January 15, 1945: Big Red One penetrated the Siegfried line and occupied the Remagen bridgehead.
• April 1, 1945: Big Red One marched 150 miles to the east of Siegen.
• April 8, 1945: Big Red One enters Czechoslovakia.
• May 8, 1945: War in Europe ends.

Perry Bonner's Oral History audio clips (Coming soon)
Transcript of Perry Bonner's Oral History Interview Overview and Timeline of the Big Red One (Right-click to save as PowerPoint) Overview of the Second Iraqi War

Bibliography for Perry Bonner Oral History Lessons