The 3rd Infantry Division  was organized at Camp Greene, North Carolina, 21 November 1917. The division was originally comprised of the 4th, 7th, 30th, and 38th Infantry Regiments, the 10th, 18th, and 76th FA Regiments, and the 6th Engineer Regiment, with a total of 28,000 men. The division entered into training at Camp Green, North Carolina and Fort Bliss, Texas, then sent to France, arriving there in April 1918. 

           

It was during WWI that the division earned the name “Rock of the Marne” at the Marne River near Chateau-Thierry on July 15, 1918. The name was given when when flanking units retreated, then Division Commander, Major General Joseph Dickman, told our French Allies “Nous Resterons La” (we shall remain here). Although the stand was successful, the price was high. General “Black Jack” Pershing said it best when he called the Division’s performance “one of the most brilliant in our military annals.” The division earned six battle stars in WWI. The 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers were awarded two Medals of Honor during WWI. 

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During WWII  the Division was credited with 531 combat days which was the most combat days of any unit in the European Theater. The 3rd Infantry Division fought in the North African Campaign, the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (Sicily Anzio, Rome) Operation Dragoon (The Invasion of Southern France),  the Vosges Mountains Colmar, the Siegfried Line, , Nurnberg, Munich, Berchtesgaden, and finally Salzburg, Germany where the division stayed for the remainder of occupation. 

The 3rd Infantry Division was credited as the only U.S. division that served in all 10 campaigns of the WWII, participating in four amphibious landings, and suffered the most casualties of any U. S. unit in the theater.

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North Africa- Operation Torch 

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The 3rd Infantry Division  saw it's first action of WWII as a member of the Western Task Force in Operation Torch,which was the the Allied invasion of North Africa. The Division landed at Fedala on 8 November 1942, capturing half of French Morocco. The division remained In French Morocco for the remainder of the campaign,which came to an end in May 1943 with the surrender of almost 250,000 Axis soldiers who subsequently became prisoners of war (POWs). While there the 2nd battalion of the 30th Infantry Regiment were tasked as security during the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. In  February 1943 Major General Anderson left the division and was replaced by Major General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr., who instituted a tough training regime and ensured that all ranks in the division could march five miles in one hour, and four miles an hour thereafter. The troops called it "the Truscott Trot". The division began intensive training in amphibious landing operations.

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Sicily Invasion- Operation Husky

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On 10 July 1943, the division landed in Sicily, code named Operation Husky. Landing at Licata town on the beach, to west, called Torre di Gaffi and Mollarella and on the beach, to east, called Falconara. The division, serving under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton's U.S. Seventh Army, fought its way into Palermo before elements of the 2nd Armored Division could get there, in the process marching 90 miles in three days, and raced on to capture Messina on 17 August 1943. Capturing Messina ended the Sicilian campaign, it was here  the division had a short rest to refit and receive replacements. It ws during the campaign the 3rd Division earned a reputation as one of the best divisions in the Seventh Army.

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Salerno- Operation Avalanche

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On 18 September 1943, the 3rd Division came ashore at Salerno, this was several days after the initial invasion. The 3rd came under the command of VI Corps, The corps was part of Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark's U.S. Fifth Army. The 3rd Division was destined to see some of the fiercest and toughest fighting of the war thus far, serving on the Italian Front. Seeing intensive action along the way, the division drove to and across the Volturno River by October 1943, and then to Monte Cassino, where the Battle of Monte Cassino would later be fought, before, with the rest of the 15th Army Group, being held up at the Winter Line (also known as the Gustav Line). In mid-November the division, after spearheading the Fifth Army's advance and suffering heavy casualties during the past few weeks, was relieved by the 36th Infantry Division and on 17 November, 1943, was pulled off of the line to refit and receive replacements. The division rested until the end of December in the knee-deep mud near San Felice. They practiced river crossings on the Volturno indicated that Marne-men would force the issue at the Rapido which flowed through Cassino.  The division remained out of action to prepare for Operation Shingle.

 

*A 30th Infantry Regiment officer at Monte Rotundo,  Capt. Maurice L. "Footsie" Britt, Lone Oak, Ark., former Detroit Lions' football star, CO Co. L, 30th, became a legendary figure through his exploits. Despite painful grenade wounds, he inspired his company of 40 to stand off three separate counter-attacks, throwing "at least 30 grenades," firing his carbine, a Thompson, and anything he could shoot to beat off the enemy. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

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Anzio- Operation Shingle

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On 22 January 1944, the division took part of the amphibious landing at Anzio, codenamed Operation Shingle, the division would remain in a stalemate with the German Army and  It would remain there for just approx four months holding against a number of deadly German counterattacks. On 29 February 1944, the 3rd Division fought off an attack by three German divisions, who fell back with heavy losses two days later. On 29 February 1944, the division fought off an attack by three German divisions. In a single day of combat at Anzio, the 3rd Infantry Division suffered more than 900 casualties, the most of any U.S. division on one day in WW II. The division's former commander, Major General Lucas, was replaced as commander of VI Corps by the 3rd Division's commander, Major General Truscott. Truscott was replaced in command of the 3rd Division by Brigadier General John W. "Iron Mike" O'Daniel. It was here at Anzio that BG O'Daniel told the men of the division to paint the division patch on the helmet. It was also at Anzio that the 3rd Infantry Division learned of the famed nickname from the German POW's as the "blue and white devils". 

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Operation Dragoon-Colmar Pocket-Germany

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On 15 August 1944, Operation Dragoon, the division, under the U.S. Seventh Army, landed at St. Tropez. The division rounded up 1000 PWs and began dashing parallel to the coast toward Toulon an Marseille. Sealing off the two ports later captured by the French for landing of additional troops, the 3rd now whipped north along the Rhone River valley. In 30 days, the division covered 400 miles, its units stretched more than half that distance. Tracks fell off tanks, trucks begged for repairs, men plowed ahead, hot on the enemy's heels. The division had reached an area on D plus 10 that was scheduled to be taken on D plus 40. Nazis withdrew towards the Belfort Gap but they weren't fast enough. advanced up the Rhone Valley, through the Vosges Mountains, and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg, 26–27 November 1944. After maintaining defensive positions it took part in clearing the Colmar Pocket on 23 January, and on 15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrücken. The division advanced through the defenses and crossed the Rhine, 26 March 1945; then drove on to take Nuremberg in a fierce battle, capturing the city in block-by-block fighting, 17–20 April. The 3rd pushed on to take Augsburg (where it liberated thousands of forced laborers) and Munich, 27–30 April, and was in the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended.

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Battle Casualties

• Total battle casualties: 25,977

• Killed in action: 4,922

• Wounded in action: 18,766

• Missing in action: 554

• Prisoners of war: 1,735

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References:

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https://www.society3rdid.org/3rd-division-history

http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/3rdinfantry/index.html

History of the 3rd Division in World War II

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