2nd Infantry Division

The U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division was engaged on the European front from 1944 onwards during World War II. Before its deployment to Europe, the division had been activated and prepared for amphibious operations and large-scale infantry combat.

The division took part in the Normandy landings, landing on the beaches of the Omaha Beach sector at the end of June 1944. After the landings, it participated in operations to secure the Normandy bocage and continue the advance inland, taking part in the liberation of towns and the reduction of German pockets in the region.

After the Normandy campaign, the 2nd Infantry Division participated in the offensive across northern and eastern France, advancing toward the German border and taking part in combat in the Lorraine region, including engagements along the Moselle River and securing roads and towns strategic to the American advance.

During the winter of 1944-1945, the division was engaged in the Battle of the Bulge, participating in defensive operations and counterattacks to contain the German offensive, then resuming the advance after the enemy attack failed.

In 1945, the division took part in the final offensive in Germany. It crossed the Rhine, participated in the Rhineland campaign and the advance into central Germany, engaging German forces in reducing pockets of resistance and capturing cities until Germany's surrender in May 1945.

The campaign credits awarded to the 2nd Infantry Division include Normandy, Lorraine, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe. The division participated in the main operations of the U.S. Army on the Western Front, from the Normandy landings to the occupation of German territory at the end of the conflict.