how did the big red one get its name
1st Infantry Division (United States) The 1st Infantry Division is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving in the Regular Army.[4] It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I.[5] It was officially nicknamed "The Big Red One" (abbreviated "BRO"[2]) after its shoulder patch[5] and is also nicknamed "The Fighting First".[5] However, the division has also received troop monikers of "The Big Dead One" and "The Bloody First" as puns on the respective officially sanctioned nicknames.[6] It is currently based at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Where the Red Fern Grows One night Old Dan and Little Ann tree a mountain lion, and it attacks. Billy enters the fight with his axe, hoping to save his dogs, but they end up having to save him. Eventually, they kill the mountain lion, but Old Dan is badly wounded, and Billy finds his intestines in a bush. He dies late that night. Billy is heartbroken, and Little Ann loses the will to live, stops eating, and dies of grief a few days later on Old Dan's grave. Billy's father tries to tell him that it is all for the best, because with the money they received from winning the championship hunt, they can move to town. He goes to visit Old Dan and Little Ann's graves and finds a giant red fern between them. According to Native American legend, only an angel can plant one. He feels ready to move on knowing that his dogs are always going to be remembered.