317^th Infantry Regiment

The 317th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, on July 15, 1942, assigned to the 80th Infantry Division, and trained through Tennessee, Kansas, California, and New Jersey before sailing from New York on July 1, 1944. It arrived in England on July 7 and landed in France on August 3. After Le Mans, the Falaise Gap, Argentan, and the Meuse crossing at Commercy, the regiment made the division's first Moselle attempt near Toul on September 6. The crossing failed under fire from dominant German positions, but the regiment returned to the Dieulouard operation, crossed on September 12, and fought in the bridgehead against repeated counterattacks.

In Lorraine the 317th fought at the Bois de la Rumont, joined the November Seille attack on the division left, and suffered heavily on Delme Ridge while advancing toward Faulquemont. It moved on foot through mud toward Seingbouse after St. Avold fell, then forced a foothold in Farebersviller on November 28 before German armor and infantry counterattacks drove the depleted regiment out. Withdrawn in December, it entered the Ardennes fight from Luxembourg, attacked near Welscheid and Bourscheid, and on Christmas Day lost heavily trying to open the Kehmen-Scheidel road.

The regiment crossed into Germany on February 18, cleared the Bollendorf area, surprised enemy forces at Enzen, crossed the Pruem near Wissmannsdorf on February 27, and helped the division break out beyond the West Wall. On March 28 the 317th assaulted across the Rhine from Mainz, losing only five wounded as the bridgehead expanded and linked with the 319th across the Main. It then fought at Kassel, entered Erfurt with the 318th, crossed Austria, and reached the Enns before Germany surrendered. On May 4 it sped southeast to Voecklabruck as XX Corps closed along the Enns.