{"id":335600,"date":"2024-12-18T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=335600"},"modified":"2024-12-20T05:31:47","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T05:31:47","slug":"north-carolina-guard-leaders-honor-30th-infantry-division","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=335600","title":{"rendered":"North Carolina Guard Leaders Honor 30th Infantry Division"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n A wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 17, 2024, honored the Citizen-Soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division on the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. (U.S Army National Guard Photos by Cpl. Nigel Hatcher)
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ARLINGTON, Va. – North Carolina National Guard leaders laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery Dec. 17 to mark\u00a0the 80th anniversary of the day the 30th Infantry Division entered the Battle of the Bulge, one of the most harrowing and pivotal conflicts of World War II.<\/p>\n

Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the adjutant general of North Carolina, Brig. Gen. Wes Morrison, assistant adjutant general-maneuver, Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Garner, North Carolina Army National Guard senior enlisted leader, and Command Sgt. Maj. Sidney Baker, 30th Armor Brigade Combat Team command sergeant major, were joined at the wreath-laying by visitors and members of the 30th Infantry Division Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wreath-laying is in honor of those of the 30th Infantry Division who were killed in action or missing in action,\u201d said Hunt. \u201cTheir ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eighty years earlier, the 30th Infantry Division \u2014 known as \u201cOld Hickory\u201d \u2014 was called to action. The division was resting in Holland after its victory at Aachen when it was chosen to block the German advance in the Malmedy-Stavelot area. As the Soldiers boarded trucks for the front lines, they heard Axis Sally on the radio, naming them \u201cRoosevelt\u2019s SS\u201d \u2014 a moniker that reflected the division\u2019s ferocity in battle.<\/p>\n

Two days later, on Dec. 19, 1944, Old Hickory delivered a critical blow to the German counteroffensive. At Stoumont, Belgium, they defeated Kampfgruppe Peiper, halting the advance of the German counteroffensive\u2019s lead element. The 30th Infantry Division\u2019s efforts didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

In the weeks that followed, it contributed to a series of decisive counterattacks that culminated in the allied victory in January 1945 at key locations such as La Gleize and St. Vith. Captured German Soldiers from the infamous 1st SS Panzer Division revealed that their officers had assured them they wouldn\u2019t face Old Hickory, knowing the division\u2019s reputation for unyielding resilience \u2014 a promise that proved false.<\/p>\n

Morrison, who recently commanded the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, reflected on the gravity of the wreath-laying and the honor of being part of the heritage of the 30th Infantry Division.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington helps us reflect on the sacrifices made 80 years ago by so many in the largest battle in our Army\u2019s history,\u201d said Morrison. \u201cIt motivates me to ensure we are doing our best to carry on the legacy they forged for the 30th Infantry Division, the North Carolina National Guard, and our United States Army so long ago. We ensure we continue the legacy by being always ready to meet challenges at home or abroad, just as they did in the Battle of the Bulge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actions of the 30th Infantry Division in the winter of 1944 serve as a testament to the enduring spirit of service, inspiring future generations of Soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division legacy lives on in the Soldiers still wearing the \u2018Old Hickory\u2019 patch today. These Soldiers come from North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia,\u201d said Garner. \u201cSince the European Campaigns of WWI and WWII, \u2018Old Hickory\u2019 has been ready and answered the call. This has been displayed in the multiple combat deployments to the Middle East fighting the War on Terror and, most recently, in the response to the devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. There is no doubt that when the next call comes, the Soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division legacy will be ready to answer the call.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 17, 2024, honored the Citizen-Soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division on the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. (U.S Army National Guard Photos by Cpl. Nigel Hatcher) (Photo Credit: Cpl. Nigel Hatcher) VIEW ORIGINAL ARLINGTON, Va. – North Carolina National Guard leaders laid a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":335602,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-335600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=335600"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":335603,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335600\/revisions\/335603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/335602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=335600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=335600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=335600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}