The 29th Infantry Division during World War II
In 1985, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the US Army Center of Military History began a program to honor US Army divisions that took part in the Allied liberation of Nazi camps. The US Army Center of Military History defines a liberating division as one whose official records show its presence at a camp within 48 hours of the first soldier’s arrival. The 29th Infantry Division is among the 36 US divisions that have been recognized to date.
Key Facts
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1
US, British, Soviet, and Canadian troops encountered concentration camps and other sites of Nazi crimes as they advanced across Europe in 1944 and 1945.
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2
The Allied soldiers liberated sick and starving camp prisoners from Nazi tyranny. They also provided them with food, clothing, and medical aid.
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3
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the US Army Center of Military History have recognized 36 US divisions for their role in the liberation of Nazi camps.
29th Infantry Division Campaigns during World War II
The 29th Infantry Division was created in July 1917, a few months after the United States entered World War I. It served in France in 1918. In early 1941, the "Blue and Gray" division was reactivated for service and became part of the first Allied assault on the Normandy beaches on D-Day (June 6, 1944), the massive invasion of western Europe. After landing at Omaha Beach, the unit pushed westward to participate in the attack on the French port of Brest.
In October 1944, the 29th advanced eastward. It reached the German border by the end of the year. In February 1945, it drove into Germany and in April was active in the fierce fighting in the Ruhr region. By war's end, the “Blue and Gray” had reached the Elbe River.
The 29th Infantry Division and the Liberation of Dinslaken
As the 29th Infantry Division advanced into Germany, it liberated Dinslaken, a civilian labor camp.
Recognition as a Liberating Division
The 29th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1995.
29th Infantry Division Battle Casualty Figures
The following are tentative battle casualty figures for the 29th Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operations:
- Killed: 3,720
- Wounded: 15,403
- Missing: 462
- Captured: 526
- Total battle casualties: 20,111
29th Infantry Division Nickname and Insignia
During World War I, the 29th Infantry Division was formed from National Guard units based in several mid-Atlantic states. The 29th’s nickname, “the Blue and Gray Division,” comes from its insignia or patch. This patch was designed by Major A.J. Ulio (later Adjutant General of the Army). He used the history of the mid-Atlantic region as an inspiration for the design. The National Guard units that made up the 29th came from states that had been on opposite sides during the American Civil War. With the formation of the 29th Infantry Division, men from this once-divided region were now fighting together. To reflect this history, Ulio adapted what he called the Korean “symbol of life” as the divisional symbol. The patch is in the shape of a circle divided in half by an s-shaped line. This line forms two interconnected halves, like drops of water. The left side of the circle is blue (the color of the Union forces' uniforms). The right side of the circle is gray (the color of the Confederate forces’ uniforms). It is the United States Army’s first registered divisional patch.
Footnotes
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Footnote reference1.
Casualty figures as of February 2024 according to the US Army Center of Military History
Critical Thinking Questions
What challenges did Allied forces face when they encountered the camps and sites of other atrocities?
What challenges faced survivors of the Holocaust upon liberation?