30th Infantry Division

The U.S. Army's 30th Infantry Division, known by the nickname Old Hickory, was deployed to the European theater in 1944. Composed mainly of members of the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee National Guards, the division was mobilized for federal service in 1940 and spent several years training in the United States and the United Kingdom before seeing combat.

The division landed in Normandy on June 11, 1944, a few days after D-Day, and was assigned to the First U.S. Army. It took part in the fighting in the Battle of Normandy, operating in the bocage and participating in operations to break through German defenses. In July 1944, the 30th Infantry Division was involved in Operation Cobra, the American breakthrough from Saint-Lô, contributing to the breaking of the German front and the advance towards western and southern France.

After the Normandy breakthrough, the division took part in the rapid advance through France and Belgium during the summer of 1944. In the fall, it was engaged in fighting around Aachen and in operations against the Siegfried Line, taking part in the first major battles on German soil. The division then operated along the German-Belgian border, participating in defensive and offensive actions in heavily fortified terrain.
During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, the 30th Infantry Division was engaged in defending the northern sector of the German offensive, particularly in the Malmedy and Stavelot areas. It helped stabilize the front and reduce German penetration before resuming the offensive in early 1945.

In February 1945, the division took part in the Allied offensive towards the Roer, then participated in the Rhineland campaign, crossing the river and advancing towards the Rhine. It then continued its advance into central Germany, taking part in the reduction of pockets of resistance and the capture of cities until the German surrender in May 1945.

The 30th Infantry Division's service record includes campaign credits for Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. Its engagement spanned from the Normandy landings to the final operations in Germany, covering all the major phases of the ground war fought by American forces on the Western Front.