During World War 1 the Fifth and Sixth Marines fighting in France as the Fourth Marine Brigade of the Army's Second Division were forced to wear the Army's uniform. The Marines had only the eagle, globe, and anchor on their soft covers to distinguish themselves from their Army brothers in arms. As this did not sit well with the Marines, a patch was designed to distinguish them from their counterparts. A black shield with one five-pointed star and an Indian head with full war bonnet was selected. It is said that the black was for mourning and respect for their casualties, the shield for defense, and the star for the Second Division Commander, Brigadier General John A. Lejeune, and the Indian for General Lejeune's nickname "Old Indian." Another source says the patch was derived from a U.S. Coin in circulation at the time.

General Lejeune himself gave a somewhat different history as to the origin of the patch in his 1930 autobiography "The Reminiscences of a Marine." He states; "There was no inferiority complex about the Second Division. We knew that we were second to none, but also that we were better than any! So we adopted the star and Indian head as Division Insignia, the Indian head representing it's fighting ability, and the star it's spirit or espirit de corps. It was, I think, the First Division of the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Force) to wear insignia."

"We carried the idea out, too, to its logical conclusion by providing a different background for each regiment, each Battalion, and each separate detachment."

The Sixth Marine Regiment used the same design in a diamond shape instead of a shield. The color of the background on which the star was placed shows the Battalion: black, Headquarters; green, Supply; purple, Machine-gun Company; red, First battalion; yellow, Second battalion; and blue, Third battalion.

The Marines of 3/6 paved their way to the fame during 1918 when they participated in action to repel repeated German attacks in the Battle of Belleau Wood and saved Paris from the invading German Army.

The Marines fought so fiercely in Belleau Wood that the German Soldiers came to fear them, and gave them the name Teufel Hunden (Devil Dog).

The Fourragere is a combat decoration instituted by Napoleon for units that distinguished themselves in battle. In 1918, Marines of the 5th and 6th Regiments, by their deeds of valor, inscribed the names of momentous and brilliant battles on the pages of Marine Corps History. They have the single honor of being the only two Regiments in the A.E.F. to receive three citations, two in the Order of the Army and one in the Orders of the Corps. The Fourragere and the Croix de Guerre with two palms and one Gilt Star. The first award of the Croix de Guerre came after the Battle of Belleau Wood. The second award of the Croix de Guerre followed shortly after the Battle of Soissons. The final award came after the Battle of Champagne, which opened the western approaches to the Argonne.

Just as individuals are decorated for courageous conduct in battle, so are the colors of an organization decorated to commemorate the deeds of the unit as a whole. American units so decorate are authorized by our government to place on their colors a streamer, one for each award. A unit twice cited with the French Croix de Guerre with Palm is entitled to a braided and knotted cord called the Fourragere in the green and red colors of Croix de Guerre. The Fourragere in the green and red colors of Croix de Guerre. The Fourragere becomes apart of the uniform of the unit so cited, and all members of the organization are authorized to wear the decoration on the left shoulder of the uniform, so as long as they remain a member of that organization. Individuals attached to the organization on at least two occasions on which it was cited in Orders of the French Army are entitled to wear the Fourragere at all times, regardless of whether or not they are serving in the unit decorated.