The 30th Infantry Regiment served with the 3rd Infantry Division from mobilization through the final advance into Austria. Before overseas movement it trained from the Presidio of San Francisco through Fort Ord, Fort Lewis, and Camp Pickett. It sailed from Hampton Roads in October 1942 and assaulted Fedala on November 8. On July 10, 1943, it landed at Licata as the right outer claw of the division assault, crossing Blue Beach. In Sicily, the regiment secured Riesi, moved through Naro, fought at San Fratello, and supplied the battalion task force that landed east of Sant'Agata and later outflanked German positions near Capo d'Orlando.
The regiment landed in Italy on September 18, 1943, and advanced with the division beyond Salerno. At the Volturno, the 30th Infantry helped deceive and fix defenders on the Triflisco ridge, then crossed after the German withdrawal and occupied the position. It fought through the Mignano and Winter Line battles, then assaulted Anzio on January 22, 1944. During the beachhead fighting the regiment held along the west branch of the Mussolini Canal, attacked up the Campomorto-Cisterna road, fought around Ponte Rotto and Cisterna, and later advanced through Valmontone toward the Rome phase.
On August 15, 1944, the 30th Infantry followed the 7th Infantry ashore at Alpha Red in southern France. It moved rapidly through Cogolin, captured Collobrieres ahead of schedule, cleared Le Luc and Brignoles, and joined the drive toward Toulon and the Rhone. In the Vosges it crossed the Meurthe with the 7th Infantry and helped drive on Strasbourg. During the Colmar Pocket offensive, the regiment seized the Maison Rouge bridge but was thrown back by armored counterattack before regrouping, taking Holtzwihr, and pushing to the Colmar Canal. It entered Germany in March 1945, fought through the West Wall, Rhine, Main, Nuremberg, and Bavaria operations, and ended the war in Austria.
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