Army's special uniforms for the 2022 Army-Navy Game aren't just designed to honor the 1st Armored Division; they're telling the story of “Old Ironsides” during a critical time in the history of the U.S. Army and the United States itself: World War II.
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On Nov. 8, 1942, the U.S. launched Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. After the fall of France in 1940, a Nazi-allied Vichy puppet regime governed the French possessions in North Africa. The Americans, including the 1st Armored Division, landed at three points in Morocco and Algeria while the British launched attacks against the German Afrika Korps in Egypt and Libya.
Before the Army landed in North Africa, Americans had little to celebrate. With a few exceptions, World War II was not going well for the Allies. The Japanese were on the offensive across the Pacific, and the U.S. Army had not been tested in Europe or Africa. Operation Torch, however, was a success that led to the downfall of the Vichy French in Africa.
Following Operation Torch, the Americans met the German and Italians for the first time at the Battle of Kasserine Pass. The U.S. Army took a beating from the Axis forces, but elements of the 1st Armored Division held their ground long enough for reinforcements to arrive and blunt the Axis offensive.
By the time the two sides met again at the Battle of El…
