102nd Infantry Division

The “Ozark” Division, named after the mountainous region located between the states of Missouri and Arkansas, the territory assigned to the division when it was created on June 24, 1921.

The 102nd Infantry Division was activated for World War II on September 15, 1942, and landed at Cherbourg on September 23, 1944, under the command of Major General Frank A. Keating. After a short period of training near Valognes, in the Manche department, it joined the German-Dutch border.

On November 3, the division was assigned to manage the area between the Wurm and Waurichen rivers. On November 29, it launched an assault on the Roer River, passing through the German towns of Welz, Flossdorf, and Linnich, after which it spent part of December patrolling along the river. It then took over the XIII Corps sector between the Wurm River and Barmen and trained in river crossing.

On February 23, 1945, as part of Operation Grenade, the 102nd Infantry Division crossed the Roer and passed through the towns of Lövenich and Erkelenz, capturing Krefeld on March 3 and finally reaching the Rhine. It spent the month of March defending this river between Homburg and Düsseldorf.

It then crossed the Rhine on April 9 to attack the Wesergebirge sector. It captured the towns of Wiselde and Hessisch-Oldendorf on April 12, before advancing on the Elbe and capturing Breitenfeld on the 15th, after which it halted about 80 km from Berlin. It patrolled

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