The 29th Infantry Division
29th Division insignia and battle cry
The 29th Infantry Division was a National Guard division that had
been activated before the war and later sent to England to prepare for
the cross-channel invasion. The 29th was composed of its original units
from Virginia and Maryland plus replacements sent to England from all
over the United States. These units spent months taking part in
intensive training exercises as they prepared for their part in the
great invasion of Normandy.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Division's 116th Regimental Combat Team
(attached to the 1st Division for the initial assault) came ashore on
the western sectors of Omaha Beach. The 16th Regimental Combat Team of
the 1st Infantry Division landed on the eastern sectors of the beach.
Together, the two RCT’s made the initial thrusts on Omaha. The GI’s
experienced intense and deadly fire from well-positioned German troops
on the bluffs and the first-wave assault companies of the 116th
experienced heavy losses. Many groups were landed in wrong areas of the
beach, which added to the chaos and confusion of the battle. Several
companies lost their officers and NCO's, leaving many enlisted men
leaderless on the beach. Eventually, groups of men began to move off
the beach and up the bluffs, taking deadly fire every step of the way.
At mid-morning, the 115th RCT landed and bolstered the assault. On June
7th, the remaining units of the division came ashore and the 29th
became operational under the control of its commanding officer, Maj.
General Charles Gerhardt. After fearful casualties and savage fighting,
the 29'ers had helped secure a hold for freedom on the European
continent.
As the 29'ers became involved in the violent fighting in the
hedgerows of Normandy, they took large numbers of causalities but
proved to be a spirited and extremely effective fighting force. The
division helped capture the important city of St. Lo in July, after a
fierce and devastating battle. Later, the 29th helped take Brest in the
Brittany Peninsula, and then fought its way across Western Europe into
Germany by the end of the war. During their campaign in Normandy, the
29'ers won the respect and admiration of the French people and this
good will is the basis and the motivation for Normandy Allies.
The special certificate issued to 29th Division members
who fought in the first six weeks of the Normandy campaign. Justin
LeHew, son of Arthur LeHew, sent us this memorable photo. We are
honored to display this special bit of 29th Division history.
Twenty-nine, Let's Go !
Mark Mlynarski, whose father Matthew was a 29er during
World War II, made a special treasure available to us....a copy of the
booklet, 29, Let's Go! This was published at the end of the war by the
29th Division and has lots of information and several photos. We are
proud to offer this to you for viewing, courtesy of Mark.
The booklet is in an ADOBE ACROBAT PDF file and you can access it by clicking here.
If you need a free copy of ADOBE ACROBAT, click here.
Other pages with information about the 29th Division:
Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy
A site by 29th Division historian, Joseph Balkoski.
29th Infantry Division (L) Home Page
Official 29th Division Association Home Page
For more information on the 29th Division Association contact:
Alvin D. Ungerleider , National Editor, 29th Div. Association
5254 Signal Hill Drive
Burke, VA 22015-2164
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