70th Inf Division

Merrowed edge shoulder insignia, original WWII, of the 70th Inf Division.

The 70th Infantry Division (nicknamed Trailblazers) was a unit of the US Army during World War II. It was at the forefront of the US 7th Army when it entered Germany, south of Saarbrücken.

The three infantry regiments of the 70th Infantry Division, the 274th, 275th, and 276th, landed at Marseilles, France, from 10 to 15 December 1944, and were formed into Task Force Herren under the command of Deputy Division Commander Thomas W. Herren before the remainder of the division arrived on 18 January 1945. Task Force Herren took control of defensive positions along the west bank of the Rhine River on 28 December 1944, in the vicinity of Bischwiller, south of the Haguenau Forest. Elements participated in the fight to stop the German Operation Nordwind and struck the enemy at Philippsburg and Wingen between Bitche and Hagenau. In mid-January 1945, the task force moved to an area directly south of Saarbrücken, where it conducted reconnaissance and combat patrols, and improved its defensive positions. Upon the arrival of the remainder of the division, Task Force Herren was disbanded.

The division continued its patrols and combat raids as it prepared for an offensive campaign in mid-February. On 17 February 1945, the division attacked just below the Saar River. The 70th drove onto the high ground overlooking Saarbr