424^th Infantry Regiment

The 424th Infantry Regiment was activated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, on March 15, 1943, and assigned to the 106th Infantry Division. After training in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana, it staged through Camp Myles Standish and Jersey City, departed New York on October 21, 1944, reached England on October 28, and landed in France on December 5. The regiment crossed into Belgium on December 10 and entered the Schnee Eifel front with the rest of the division.

When the Ardennes offensive opened on December 16, the 424th held the division's southern sector near Heckhuscheid and Winterspelt while the 422nd and 423rd stood farther north in the Schnee Eifel salient. Strong artillery support helped check German attacks opposite the 424th during the first two days, but the collapse of the wider division position forced withdrawal. The regiment was pushed back across the Our River, lost much of its equipment, and joined the composite defense of St. Vith on December 20-21. After that withdrawal it was attached to the 7th Armored Division from December 24-30 and fought in the Manhay area before moving to Anthisnes.

The regiment returned to the line in January 1945. It defended the Wanne-Wanneranval region, then attacked with the 517th Parachute Infantry as the 106th Division took part in XVIII Airborne Corps' effort to clear the Ambleve-Salm angle and drive toward St. Vith. On January 13 the 424th attacked toward La Neuville, Coulee, Logbierme, and Houvegnez; the next day it secured Coulee and Logbierme. Later in January it again served with the 7th Armored Division around Meyerode and St. Vith, and in February it was briefly attached to the 99th Infantry Division. In March the regiment advanced along high ground between the Berk and Simmer Rivers until pinched out near Olds, then entered rehabilitation and later performed security and occupation duties in Germany.