World War I
The 80th Division was first organized August 5, 1917 in the National Army and headquartered at Camp Lee (now known as Fort Lee), Virginia. The Division originally consisted of men mostly from Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia and was nicknamed the "Blue Ridge Division." The unit's distinctive insignia was adopted in 1918 and consists of three blue mountain peaks representing the Blue Ridge Mountains in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The Division also adopted the Latin Motto, "Vis Montium" or "Strength of the Mountains."

In World War I, the 80th Division reached full strength with 23,000 soldiers and sailed to France, landing on June 8, 1918. The 80th Division trained with the British Third Army and joined forces on the front lines near the Artois sector with heavy action in the Somme Offensive of 1918 and in the Meuse-Argonne. The 80th returned to the States in May 1919 and was inactivated at Camp Lee on June 26, 1919.

The Division of Unique Distinction - never failed to gain its objective. It was the only A.E.F. Division called upon three times in the great Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The 80th was ranked first of all National Army Divisions by the War Department. It always led and captured two Huns for every man wounded. The 80th accomplished these results of vast importance to the success of the general operations with a far smaller percentage of casualties than any other division engaged.

World War II
Twenty three years later, on July 15, 1942, the 80th Division was again ordered into active service. Major General Joseph Dorch Patch, the Division Commander, issued General Order No. 1 to reactivate the 80th Division. Initially, soldiers reported to Camp Forrest, Tennessee, named for General Nathan Bedford Forrest, a famous Confederate calvary commander in the Civil War. The Division later moved for training at Camp Phillips, near Salina, Kansas and in the California-Arizona Desert Training Center (known today as Fort Irwin).

The 80th Division set sail aboard the SS Queen Mary on July 4, 1944, landing a few days later on July 7 at Greenock, Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The arrival of the 80th Division in England brought the European Theater of Operations total of U.S. Divisions to 22: 14 infantry, 6 armored, and 2 airborne. By the end of the campaign, there would be a total of ?? Divisions in Europe.

The Division proceeded south to Northwich, England via trains for additional training. Training included learning how to waterproof equipment for the upcoming channel crossing. The Division crossed the English Channel in LSTs and Liberty Ships landing in Normandy on Utah Beach shortly after noon on August 2, 1944, D-Day + 57 and assembled near St. Jores, France. A few days later on August 8, 1944, the 80th was initiated into battle when it took over the LeMans bridgehead in the XX Corps area.

By the end of the war, May 7, 1945, the 80th Division had seen 277 days of combat. It had captured 212,295 enemy soldiers. The 80th Division returned to the United States in January 1946, after spending time in Europe helping to restore and keep peace after the war. The 80th Division had been one of the stalwarts of Patton's Third Army, but it cost them dearly. During their 277 days of combat, the 80th Infantry Division had 17,087 casualties:

According to reports, the 80th Division's "bloodiest day" was 8 October 1944, where approximately 115 Men lost their lives. The "bloodiest month" was September, 1944.

Many officers and enlisted men of the 80th Infantry Division received battle honors, including 4 who received the Medal of Honor:

• Sgt Day G. Turner, Company B, 319th Inf Reg;
  Dahl Luxembourg; 8 JAN 45
  
  
• 1st Lt Edgar H. Lloyd, 319th Inf Reg;
  near Pompey, France; 14 SEP 44 (KIA)
  
  
• 2nd Lt Harry J. Michael, 318th Inf Reg;
  at Neiderzerf, Germany; 14 MAR 45 (KIA)
  
  
• Pvt Paul J. Wiedorfer, 318th Inf Reg;
  near Chaumont, Belgium; 25 DEC 44
  

Other honors awarded offices and enlisted men of the 80th Infantry Division include:

80th Infantry Division – Table of Organization

317th Infantry Regiment
318th Infantry Regiment
319th Infantry Regiment
80th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
305th Engineer Combat Battalion
305th Medical Battalion

80th Division Artillery
313th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
314th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
315th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
905th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

Special Troops
780th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
80th Quartermaster Company
80th Signal Company
Military Police Platoon
Headquarters Company
Band

Commanding General
7 Jul 44 - Maj. Gen. Horace L. McBride

Assistant Division Commander
7 Jul 44 - Brig. Gen. Owen Summers
7 Mar 45 - Col. George W. Smythe
1 May 45 - Brig. Gen. George W. Smythe

Artillery Commander
7 Jul 44 - Brig. Gen. Edmund W. Searby
19 Sep 44 - Brig. Gen. Jay W. MacKelvie

Chief of Staff
7 Jul 44 - Col. Max S. Johnson
10 Jan 45 - Col. Samuel P. Walker

Assistant Chief of Staff G-1
7 Jul 44 - Lt. Col. Leon O. Clayton

Assistant Chief of Staff G-2
7 Jul 44 - Maj. Richard R. Fleisher
15 Sep 44 - Lt. Col. Richard R. Fleisher

Assistant Chief of Staff G-3
7 Jul 44 - Lt. Col. Augustus G. Elegar

Assistant Chief of Staff G-4
7 Jul 44 - Lt. Col. Erland L. Sandberg

Assistant Chief of Staff G-5
7 Jul 44 - Maj. Edmund A. Ball
16 Nov 44 - Lt. Col. Edmund A. Ball

Adjutant General
7 Jul 44 - Lt. Col. John W. Trone

Commanding Officer, 317th Infantry
7 Jul 44 - Col. A. Donald Cameron
3 Oct 44 - Col. Warfield M. Lewis
4 Dec 44 - Lt. Col. Henry G. Fisher

Commanding Officer, 318th Infantry
7 Jul 44 - Col. Harry D. McHugh
13 Sep 44 - Col. Milton C. Shattuck
26 Sep 44 - Col. Lansing McVickar
15 Jan 45 - Col. James S. Luckett

Commanding Officer, 319th Infantry
7 Jul 44 - Col. Orion L. Davidson
22 Nov 44 - Col. William N. Taylor
13 Feb 45 - Col. Normando A. Costello

Attachments

Detachments

WWII Command Posts