“Modern Soldiers are beginning to forget about the fight to liberate Europe.”
— Sam Doss
By Lt. Col. Jason S. Brown
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs officer
Engineers of the 4th Division construct corduroy road through the Hürtgen Forest, near Zweifall, Germany, Nov. 13, 1944. (Photo courtesy of the 4th Infantry Division Museum)
Hürtgen Forest, Germany —– Seventy two years after the single longest battle in U.S. Army history, “Ivy” Division boots once again marched across the hallowed hills of the Hürtgen Forest.
Members of the 4th Infantry Division staff participated in a staff ride Feb. 17-19, 2017, at the site of the World War II battle, tracing the steps of their forefathers and discussing their hard-fought lessons learned. The Soldiers were in Germany for a command post exercise.
The Battle for Hürtgen Forest lasted from Sept. 19, 1944, to Feb. 10, 1945, and marked the end of the German army withdrawal following its defeat in Normandy.
U.S. forces, in pursuit of the fleeing Wehrmacht, encountered stiff resistance at the famous Westwall, better known to the allies as the Siegfried Line. In the end, the battle for a mere 50 square miles of heavily forested hills on the German-Belgian border involved 11 U.S. Army divisions and cost 33,000 American and 28,000 German lives.
4th Infantry Division staff members walk along Route X-Ray Feb. 8, 2017. The small dirt road was the main supply route for the “Ivy” Division during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest in 1944. (Photo by Lt. Col. Jason S. Brown)
The staff ride gave the attendees unique insight into the struggles and challenges faced long ago on this same terrain. As generations pass and the U.S. military continues to serve in other parts of the world, the lessons learned during this pivotal fight continue to ring true today.
“Modern Soldiers are beginning to forget about the fight to liberate Europe,” said Sam Doss, historian and guide for the staff ride. “Walking these grounds reminds us of how important it is for modern Soldiers to analyze their situation and make informed decisions.”
The trip included visits to cemeteries and battlefields, bringing home the realities of the difficult fight. Of particular note was a walk along routes Yankee and X-Ray, single track dirt roads that served as main supply routes for the division and the focus of bitter fighting along the main German line of defense.
The roads offered stark contrast to the multilane highways used to supply modern-day Soldiers and reminded attendees of the importance of adapting strategies to the terrain.
The walk through the battlefield included studies of both German defenses and American maneuvers, as well as readings of the five Medal of Honor citations earned by Ivy Division Soldiers.
Pfc. Benny Barrow gives a helping hand to a buddy as the Soldiers with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Division, make a difficult climb in the Hürtgen Forest southwest of Duren, Germany, Nov. 18, 1944. (Photo courtesy of the 4th Infantry Division Museum)
Capt. Amy Briggs, officer in charge, essential personnel services, 4th Inf. Div., who was selected to attend the staff ride because of her analysis of the battle while attending the Captain’s Career Course, read the citation for 1st Lt. Bernard Ray, who lost his life Dec. 8, 1945, destroying German defensive works. “Learning about Medal of Honor winners is very important because their actions are something that every Soldier should emulate, no matter their job,” she said.
The trip was of special importance to the staff, as the 4th Inf. Div. celebrates its centennial in 2017. Established at Camp Greene, North Carolina, Dec. 10, 1917, to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, the division has served in every major conflict since.
“You are all members of a unique and storied organization,” said Col. Miles Brown, chief of staff, 4th Inf. Div. “This division has a long, storied history, and you should be proud to wear the Ivy patch.”
Centennial remembrances and celebrations will continue throughout 2017.
Members of the 4th Infantry Division staff learn about the importance of the 12th Infantry Regiment securing Vossenack, Germany, during the Battle of Schmidt, part of the World War II Battle of Hürtgen Forest. (Photo by Lt. Col. Jason S. Brown)
Weary infantrymen with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Division, take a brief rest on a slope in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany, Nov. 18, 1944. (Photo courtesy of the 4th Infantry Division Museum)
The first snowfall of the year finds GIs with 4th Division sawing logs Nov. 13, 1944, in Hürtgen Forest, near Zweifall, Germany. (Photo courtesy of the 4th Infantry Division Museum)
American infantrymen with the 4th Division move across a bridge over a small stream deep in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany, Nov. 18, 1944. (Photo courtesy of the 4th Infantry Division Museum)
Members of the 4th Infantry Division staff survey Dragon’s Teeth on the Westwall, or Siegfried Line, during a Feb. 18, 2017, staff ride of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. The Soldiers traced the steps of 4th Division Soldiers during World War II and discussed the hard-fought lessons learned during the battle that lasted from Sept. 19, 1944, to Feb. 10, 1945, and marked the end of the German army withdrawal following its defeat in Normandy, France. (Photo by Lt. Col. Jason Brown)