U.S. 5th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)—nicknamed the Red Diamond, the Red Devils, or die Roten Teufel—was an infantry division
of the United States Army
that served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War
, and with NATO and the U.S. Army III Corps
. Its final inactivation occurred on 24 November 1992.
, near Houston, Texas. The entire division had arrived in France by 1 May 1918 and components of the units were deployed into the front line.
Units associated with the division included:
The first soldiers of the unit to be killed in action died on 14 June of that year.
On 12 September, the unit was part of a major attack that reduced the salient at St. Mihiel
.
The division served in the Army of Occupation, being based in Belgium
and Luxembourg
until it was deactivated in Europe on 4 October 1921.
, Alabama
under the command of Brigadier General
Campbell Hodges. Under the new "triangular" organization, units assigned included:
The following spring, in 1940, the division was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, and then temporarily to Louisiana for training exercises, before being transferred to Fort Benjamin Harrison at the end of May 1940. That December the division relocated to Fort Custer, Michigan, from where it participated in the Tennessee maneuvers. The formation went next to Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas, in August 1941 for staging into both the Arkansas and Louisiana maneuvers before returning to Fort Custer that October. The division was stationed at Fort Custer when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States declared war during December 1941. As the winter passed the division was brought up to strength and fully equipped for forward deployment into a war zone. During April 1942, the 5th Division received its overseas orders and departed the New York Port of Embarkation at the end of the month for Iceland
. The division debarked in Iceland in May 1942, where it replaced the British garrison on this island outpost along the Atlantic convoy
routes, and a year later was reorganized and re-designated as the 5th Infantry Division on 24 May 1943.
, 9 July 1944 and four days later took up defensive positions in the vicinity of Caumont
. Launching a successful attack at Vidouville
26 July, the division drove on southeast of Saint-Lô
, attacked and captured Angers
, 9–10 August, captured Chartres
, (assisted by the 7th Armored Division), 18 August, pushed to Fontainebleau
, crossed the Seine
at Montereau
, 24 August, crossed the Marne
and seized Reims
, 30 August, and positions east of Verdun
. The division then prepared for the assault on Metz
, 7 September. In mid-September a bridgehead was secured across the Moselle
, south of Metz
, at Dornot
and Arnaville
after two attempts. The first attempt at Dornot by the 11th Regiment failed. German-held Fort Driant played a role in repulsing this crossing. A second crossing by the 10th Regiment at Arnaville was successful. The division continued operations against Metz, 16 September to 16 October 1944, withdrew, then returned to the assault on 9 November. Metz finally fell 22 November. The division crossed the German border, 4 December, captured Lauterbach (a suburb of Völklingen
) on the 5th, and elements reached the west bank of the Saar River
, 6 December, before the division moved to assembly areas.
On 16 December the Germans launched their winter offensive, and on the 18th the 5th ID was thrown in against the southern flank of the Bulge, helping to reduce it by the end of January 1945. In February and March, the division drove across and northeast of the Sauer
, where it smashed through the Siegfried Line
.
and then drove across the Czechoslovak border, 1 May, reaching Volary
and Vimperk
as the war in Europe ended.
, Massachusetts, were relieved and assigned to "The Big Red One." In September 1965, the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was moved, minus personnel, to Fort Carson, Colorado, and refilled there. The remaining personnel at Fort Devens formed the basis of the 196th Infantry Brigade
.
By 1968 the division was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, as a mechanized formation. 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was dispatched to Vietnam
after the Tet Offensive to replace a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The brigade, consisting of one battalion each of infantry, mechanized infantry, and armor, served there from July 1968 until 1971. Combat units included 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry; 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry (Mechanized); 1st Battalion, 77th Armor; A Troop, 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry; and 5th Battalion, 4th Artillery.(Society of the Fifth Division) On 22 August 1971, the colors of 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division were cased and the brigade was deactivated at Fort Carson. Its final assignment was to III Corps, with the mission of reinforcement of Europe if a general war was to break out there. In September 1969 the 4th Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Carson, although, on the later return of 4th Infantry Division home from Vietnam in December 1970, the 4th Division replaced the 5th Division at Fort Carson and the 5th Division appears to have disappeared from the active force.
On 21 October 1974 the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Polk
, LA., as part of the Army's new 24-division force. Due to lack of sufficient housing, the brigade initially only had two manoeuvre battalions. (Manoeuvre and Firepower, Chap XIII) The division base and a second brigade was organised in 1975-77, and the Louisiana Army National Guard
's 256th Infantry Brigade was assigned as the 'round-out' third brigade of the division.
In 1989, units of the 5th Division, based at Fort Polk, Louisiana, deployed in support of Operation Nimrod Dancer to "protect American interests" in Panama. First Battalion, 61st Infantry (Mechanized), "Roadrunners" (1st Brigade, 5th ID) was one of the first reinforcing units and remained there until September when there was a hand over to 4th Battalion, Sixth Infantry(Mechanized), "Regulars" (2nd Brigade, 5th ID). 4–6 Infantry was in country and assisted during Operation Just Cause
helping to overthrow Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, and also assisted in an emergency extraction of Delta Force
operators engaged in Operation Acid Gambit
when their helicopter went down.
The division was inactivated for the final time on 24 November 1992 as part of the post-Cold War
drawdown of US forces.
, a US infantry unit was designated "Red Devil Captain".
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
that served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and with NATO and the U.S. Army III Corps
U.S. III Corps
III Corps is a corps of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas. It is a major formation of the United States Army Forces Command....
. Its final inactivation occurred on 24 November 1992.
World War I
The 5th Division was activated on 11 December 1917 at Camp LoganCamp Logan
Camp Logan was a World War I-era army training camp in Houston, Texas. The site of the camp is now primarily occupied by Memorial Park where it borders the Crestwood neighborhood, near Memorial Elementary School. Some chunks of concrete, many building foundations, and extensive trenches used for...
, near Houston, Texas. The entire division had arrived in France by 1 May 1918 and components of the units were deployed into the front line.
Units associated with the division included:
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 60th Infantry Regiment
- 61st Infantry Regiment61st Infantry Regiment (United States)The 61st Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army traditionally associated with the 5th Infantry Division.-History:The regiment's camaign honors include Vietnam War...
- 14th Machine Gun Battalion
- 10th Infantry Brigade
- 6th Infantry Regiment
- 11th Infantry Regiment11th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-The First 11th Infantry:Under the authority granted the President by the Act of July 16, 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in...
- 15th Machine Gun Battalion
- 5th Field Artillery Brigade
- 19th Field Artillery Regiment19th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 19th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916-Distinctive Unit Insignia:*Description...
- 20th Field Artillery Regiment20th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 20th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916.-Distinctive Unit Insignia:*Description...
- 21st Field Artillery Regiment21st Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 21st Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916-Lineage:Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 21st Field ArtilleryOrganized 1 June 1917 at Camp Wilson, Texas...
- Division Troops
- 13th Machine Gun Battalion
- 7th Engineer Regiment
- Other units
- Division Trains [logistics]
The first soldiers of the unit to be killed in action died on 14 June of that year.
On 12 September, the unit was part of a major attack that reduced the salient at St. Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
.
The division served in the Army of Occupation, being based in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
until it was deactivated in Europe on 4 October 1921.
World War II
The 5th Division was activated as part of United States mobilization in response to the outbreak of European war in the fall of 1939, being formed at Fort McClellanFort McClellan
Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, was a United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million troops...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
under the command of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Campbell Hodges. Under the new "triangular" organization, units assigned included:
-
- 2nd Infantry Regiment2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
- 10th Infantry Regiment
- 11th Infantry Regiment11th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-The First 11th Infantry:Under the authority granted the President by the Act of July 16, 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in...
- 19th Field Artillery Regiment19th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 19th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916-Distinctive Unit Insignia:*Description...
- 7th Engineer Combat Battalion
- 2nd Infantry Regiment
The following spring, in 1940, the division was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, and then temporarily to Louisiana for training exercises, before being transferred to Fort Benjamin Harrison at the end of May 1940. That December the division relocated to Fort Custer, Michigan, from where it participated in the Tennessee maneuvers. The formation went next to Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas, in August 1941 for staging into both the Arkansas and Louisiana maneuvers before returning to Fort Custer that October. The division was stationed at Fort Custer when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States declared war during December 1941. As the winter passed the division was brought up to strength and fully equipped for forward deployment into a war zone. During April 1942, the 5th Division received its overseas orders and departed the New York Port of Embarkation at the end of the month for Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. The division debarked in Iceland in May 1942, where it replaced the British garrison on this island outpost along the Atlantic convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
routes, and a year later was reorganized and re-designated as the 5th Infantry Division on 24 May 1943.
Normandy landings
Now commanded by Major General Stafford L. Irwin the 5th Infantry Division landed on Utah BeachUtah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
, 9 July 1944 and four days later took up defensive positions in the vicinity of Caumont
Caumont
Caumont is the same as Chaumont in common French and the name or part of the name of several communes in France:*Caumont, Aisne, Picardy*Caumont, Ariège, Aquitaine*Caumont, Eure, Haute-Normandie*Caumont, Gers, Aquitaine*Caumont, Gironde, Aquitaine...
. Launching a successful attack at Vidouville
Vidouville
Vidouville is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France....
26 July, the division drove on southeast of Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, attacked and captured Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, 9–10 August, captured Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
, (assisted by the 7th Armored Division), 18 August, pushed to Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
, crossed the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
at Montereau
Montereau-Fault-Yonne
Montereau-Fault-Yonne, or simply Montereau, is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Name:...
, 24 August, crossed the Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
and seized Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, 30 August, and positions east of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
. The division then prepared for the assault on Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, 7 September. In mid-September a bridgehead was secured across the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, south of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, at Dornot
Dornot
Dornot is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine...
and Arnaville
Arnaville
Arnaville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is the birthplace of French composer and conductor André Amellér.-Geography:...
after two attempts. The first attempt at Dornot by the 11th Regiment failed. German-held Fort Driant played a role in repulsing this crossing. A second crossing by the 10th Regiment at Arnaville was successful. The division continued operations against Metz, 16 September to 16 October 1944, withdrew, then returned to the assault on 9 November. Metz finally fell 22 November. The division crossed the German border, 4 December, captured Lauterbach (a suburb of Völklingen
Völklingen
Völklingen is a town in the district of Saarbrücken, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, on the river Saar, approx. 10 km west of Saarbrücken....
) on the 5th, and elements reached the west bank of the Saar River
Saar River
The Saar is a river in northeastern France and western Germany, and a right tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Vosges mountains on the border of Alsace and Lorraine and flows northwards into the Moselle near Trier. It has two headstreams , that both start near Mont Donon, the highest peak...
, 6 December, before the division moved to assembly areas.
On 16 December the Germans launched their winter offensive, and on the 18th the 5th ID was thrown in against the southern flank of the Bulge, helping to reduce it by the end of January 1945. In February and March, the division drove across and northeast of the Sauer
Sauer
The Sauer or Sûre is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the river Moselle, its total length is 173 km....
, where it smashed through the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
.
First to cross the Rhine
The 5th ID became the first Allied unit to cross the Rhine River on the night of 22 March 1945. After capturing some 19,000 German soldier, the division continued to Frankfurt-am-Main, clearing and policing the town and its environs, 27–29 March. In April the division, under Major General Albert E. Brown took part in clearing the Ruhr PocketRuhr Pocket
The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclement that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War II, in the Ruhr Area of Germany. For all intents and purposes, it marked the end of major organized resistance on Nazi Germany's Western Front, as more than 300,000 troops were...
and then drove across the Czechoslovak border, 1 May, reaching Volary
Volary
Volary is a town in South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It is located at around , in the Šumava Mountains, close to the border with Germany. In 1946 the German population of the town was expelled and deported by Czech forces on the grounds of the Beneš decrees....
and Vimperk
Vimperk
Vimperk is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. In 2000 the town had 8,090 inhabitants. Vimperk is situated in the Šumava region in the Volyňka River valley among the foothills of the Boubín Mountains. The town elevation is 700 metres above sea level.Vimperk is surrounded by...
as the war in Europe ended.
Cold War
Following World War II, the 5th Infantry Division was inactivated on 20 September 1946. However, the division was reactivated on 15 July 1947 under Brigadier General John C. Church. The 1950s saw the division in Germany as part of the US contribution to NATO though the division later returned to the United States. When the 1st Infantry Division deployed to Vietnam in 1965 additional manoeuvre battalions were required; thus two infantry battalions from the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, at Fort DevensFort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
, Massachusetts, were relieved and assigned to "The Big Red One." In September 1965, the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was moved, minus personnel, to Fort Carson, Colorado, and refilled there. The remaining personnel at Fort Devens formed the basis of the 196th Infantry Brigade
196th Infantry Brigade (United States)
The 196th Infantry Brigade , also known as the Charger Brigade was first formed on 24 June 1921 as part of the United States Army Reserve's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers.-World War II:...
.
By 1968 the division was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, as a mechanized formation. 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was dispatched to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
after the Tet Offensive to replace a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The brigade, consisting of one battalion each of infantry, mechanized infantry, and armor, served there from July 1968 until 1971. Combat units included 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry; 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry (Mechanized); 1st Battalion, 77th Armor; A Troop, 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry; and 5th Battalion, 4th Artillery.(Society of the Fifth Division) On 22 August 1971, the colors of 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division were cased and the brigade was deactivated at Fort Carson. Its final assignment was to III Corps, with the mission of reinforcement of Europe if a general war was to break out there. In September 1969 the 4th Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Carson, although, on the later return of 4th Infantry Division home from Vietnam in December 1970, the 4th Division replaced the 5th Division at Fort Carson and the 5th Division appears to have disappeared from the active force.
On 21 October 1974 the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
, LA., as part of the Army's new 24-division force. Due to lack of sufficient housing, the brigade initially only had two manoeuvre battalions. (Manoeuvre and Firepower, Chap XIII) The division base and a second brigade was organised in 1975-77, and the Louisiana Army National Guard
Louisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force...
's 256th Infantry Brigade was assigned as the 'round-out' third brigade of the division.
In 1989, units of the 5th Division, based at Fort Polk, Louisiana, deployed in support of Operation Nimrod Dancer to "protect American interests" in Panama. First Battalion, 61st Infantry (Mechanized), "Roadrunners" (1st Brigade, 5th ID) was one of the first reinforcing units and remained there until September when there was a hand over to 4th Battalion, Sixth Infantry(Mechanized), "Regulars" (2nd Brigade, 5th ID). 4–6 Infantry was in country and assisted during Operation Just Cause
United States invasion of Panama
The United States Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W...
helping to overthrow Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, and also assisted in an emergency extraction of Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
operators engaged in Operation Acid Gambit
Operation Acid Gambit
Operation Acid Gambit was a plan to retrieve Kurt Muse, an American civilian living in Panama and widely reported to be a CIA operative from the Carcel Modelo, a notorious prison in Panama City...
when their helicopter went down.
The division was inactivated for the final time on 24 November 1992 as part of the post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
drawdown of US forces.
In popular culture
In the Axis & Allies miniatures role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, a US infantry unit was designated "Red Devil Captain".