319^th Infantry Regiment

The 319th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, on July 16, 1942, and trained in the United States before sailing from New York on July 1, 1944. It reached England on July 7 and landed in France on August 3. During the pursuit across France the regiment served successively under XX Corps, VIII Corps, and XII Corps as the division operated around Le Mans, the Falaise Gap, Argentan, and the Meuse crossing. In Lorraine it formed the division's right wing, forced the canal west of the Moselle, advanced into Toul, and served with the 4th Armored Division during the Dieulouard fighting.

The regiment remained prominent throughout the Lorraine campaign. Its elements helped defend the Dieulouard bridgehead, fought at Loisy, and later advanced when German withdrawals opened the way east of the Bois de la Rumont. In October the 319th took a farm strongpoint, lost elements at Sivry to counterattack, and then regained momentum at Mount Toulon, Lixieres, and Sivry. On November 8 it attacked across the Seille on the division right, helped clear the start line, and supported the advance toward Faulquemont. Late that month it fought close to St. Avold before the German withdrawal.

In the Ardennes the 319th led on the division left toward Vichten, Merzig, Heiderscheid, and the Sauer, cutting across German columns and holding Ringel Hill against counterattacks. It crossed near Heiderscheidergrund in January, crossed at Merkols and Kautenbach, and attacked at Wallendorf in February. During the West Wall battle it contained and reduced pillboxes along the Our, helped take Roth, and kept pace with armor near Obergeckler. On March 20 it entered Kaiserslautern, crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim, then crossed the Main near Bischofsheim on March 28. It accepted Weimar's surrender, helped clear Jena, and ended near Braunau and the Enns.