3rd Division had quite a history
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE
Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, U. S. Army
"Men who have offered their lives for their country know that patriotism is not fear of something;
it is the love of something." Adlai Stevenson-1952 speech to American Legion
www.3rdiv.org
3D INFANTRY DIVISION (MECHANIZED)
History, Symbols and Traditions
Last Update February 21, 2007
History of the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized)
"ROCK OF THE MARNE!"
The 3rd Division (re-designated as the 3rd Infantry Division August 1, 1942) was constituted November 12, 1917 in the Regular Army and organized at Camp Greene, NC November 21, 1917. The division was composed 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. It underwent training at Camp Greene, NC and Fort Bliss, TX and shipped to France arriving in April 1918. A monument to the origination of the 3rd Division stands today in Charlotte, NC at the corner of Wilkinson Blvd. and Monument St.
The 3rd Infantry Division earned the motto "Rock of the Marne" at the Marne River near Chateau-Thierry on July 15, 1918. When flanking units retreated, then Division Commander Major General Joseph Dickman, told our French allies "Nous Resterons La-We shall remain here." This motto is on the 3rd Infantry Division Distinctive Insignia. Although the stand was quite successful, we paid a high price. General "Black Jack" Pershing said it best, when he called the Divisions performance one of the most brilliant of our military annals.
World War II was to add even greater glory to the Marne Legend. As the sole United States fighting force for 531 continuous days of combat, the 3d Infantry Division fought in places like Casablanca, Anzio, Tome, the Vosges Mountains, Colmar, the Siegfried Line, Palermo, Nurnberg, Munich, Berchtesgaden, and Salzburg.
3d Infantry Division soldiers earned two medals of Honor during World War I, and 36 more during World War II. The most decorated soldier in World War II was among them: Lieutenant Audie Murphy, serving with the 15th Infantry in Italy and France.
During the Korean War, the Division, being known as the "Fire Brigade", received ten Battle Stars. The Korean War also added eleven more Medal of Honor winners, bringing the total to forty-nine.
In April 1958, the Marne Division returned to Germany to secure the defense of Western Europe and ultimately win the Cold War.
In November of 1990, soldiers of the 3d Infantry Division were once again called into action. Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, over 6,000 Marne men and women deployed with operation Desert Storm as part of the Allied Coalition which brought a swift end to Saddam Hussien’s military aggression in the Gulf region. Nearly 1,000 soldiers deployed to Southeastern Turkey and Northern Iraq to Provide Comfort to Kurdish Refugees. Almost 100 were part of Task Force Victory, which began the task of rebuilding Kuwait.
Today, a new chapter of Marne history begins with the activation of the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Stewart and in the Coastal Empire. They have moved from Germany and now are in Fort Stewart GA. (3 Brigades) the third brigade is in Fort Benning GA and the Aviation Brigade at Hunter Army Airfield.
Fort Stewart is official home to the 3rd Infantry Division - Mechanized, formerly the 24th Infantry Division - Mechanized. Nicknamed the "Marne Division" after the historic battle of the Marne River in France during WWI, the reputation of the 3rd Infantry Division equals the 24th.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Early in 2003 the deployability and fighting capability of the Marne Division was highly visible Worldwide when the entire Division deployed in weeks to Kuwait. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein government imposed tyranny over the people of Iraq. Today the Division remains there contributing to stabilization and nation building with Coalition forces and the people of that long oppressed nation.
The Fort Stewart-based 3rd Infantry Division, which helped lead the charge to Baghdad, is the first Army division tapped to return to Iraq since the March 2003 invasion. The Marne team continues our deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in support of our assigned mission as part of the global war on terror. 1st Brigade Combat Team arrived at its assigned Forward Operating Bases in Iraq and is initiating operations. Aviation Brigade is completing its move into Iraq and has also begun operations. The rest of the Division continues to move equipment and personnel to our camps in Kuwait.
Thanks to Henry Burke, Outpost 3, for the history of the 3ID.
"ROCK OF THE MARNE!"
Near Mézy, France, July 1918. Here the German Army made its last great attack of World War I. It struck in the Marne River area along the road to Paris, and the weight of the blow fell on the 30th and 38th U.S. Infantry Regiments of the 3rd Division. This was their first fight.
Firing in three directions, blasted by artillery fire, taking all flesh and blood could stand, the regiments held on doggedly and threw the enemy back across the Marne. This defense checked the Germans' assault and made an Allied offensive possible.
General Pershing called it "one of the most brilliant pages of our military annals."
Thanks to Lew Pergament for this information.
For further info go to
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/art/P-P/USAIA/Rock.htm
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Description: Upon a blue square three white stripes from heraldic sinister chief to dexter base, the blue background between the white stripes, all within a green border.
Symbolism: The blue stripes represent Infantry, loyalty and the steadfastness of American soldiers. The three diagonal white stripes designate the major operations in which the division took part up until the signing of the Armistice ( the Marne, St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne), as well as represent the numerical designation of the Division.
Desert Patch 2006 Subdued Patch
The origin of Nous Resterons La,
the slogan of the 3rd Infantry Division
Distinctive Unit Insignia
Description: A silver colored metal and enamel device, consisting of a silver rock issuing from the inner arc of a blue annulet inscribed with the words "NOUS RESTERONS LA"
(We Will Stay There) in silver letters; on the rock and surmounting the upper part of the annulet, a silver wyvern winged blue bearing thereon three silver diagonal bands.
Symbolism: The rock, inscription, and wyvern refer to the two designations by which men of the 3d Infantry Division are popularly known, i.e., "Marne Men" and "Blue and White Devils." The rock represents the division's firm stand against the German offensive at the Marne River in World War I.
It was there that the commanding officer, Major General Joseph Dickman, stated "Nous Resterons LA." The wyvern, an heraldic form of the devil, bears the division's blue and white stripes on its wing in commemoration of the division's action at Anzio, Italy, in World War II where they were called "Blue and White Devils" by the enemy.
"Rock of the Marne!"
.
