008 8th Infantry Division

Nickname: Golden Arrow ( also Pathfinder ). Shoulder Patch; An upward pointing golden arrow with a silver 8 superimposed, all on a blue shield.. Slogan: “These Are My Credentials.” . Type of Division: Regular Army. . History: Activated: Jan., 1918, Camp Fremont, Calif. Overseas: Sept., 1918, too late for combat action. Reconstituted as inactive unit: March 1923. . Training: Reactivated: July, 1940, Fort Jackson. Stations: Camp Forrest, Fort Leonard Wood, Atlantic Coast-North Carolina to Florida Keys. Maneuvers: Tenn., Second Army; Calif.-Arizona. Maneuver Area. Motorized: Apr., 1942; demotorized: May, 1943. Overseas: Dec., 1943 (ETO). . Commanding Generals: Maj. Gen. James P. Marley, Apr., 1941, to July, 1942; Maj. Gen. Paul E. Peabody, Aug., 1942, to Jan., 1943; Maj. Gen. William C. McMahon. Feb., 1943, to July, 1944; Maj. Gen. Donald A. Stroh, July-Dec., 1944; Maj. Gen. William G. Weaver. Dec., 1944, to Feb., 1945; Maj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore, Feb., 1945, to present. . Component Units: (As of Dec., 1943): 13th (dates back to 1798), 28th (dates back to 1901) and 121st (Ga. Militia) Infantry Regiments; 43rd, 45th, 56th (L) and 28th (M) FA Battalions. Higher Commands: First and Ninth Armies. . Awards: Distinguished Unit Citation to 3rd Battalion, 28th Inf. for action at Bergstein, Germany, Dec. 1-5, 1944. . Combat Highlights: The Pathfinder Division landed in France D-Day plus 28. The first attack July 8, 1944, aimed at the Ay river, which was crossed the next day. By the end of the month, the German 7th was in full retreat. Rennes was taken in August and the 8th moved on toward Brest. The 8th headed for a concentration area near Brest and on August 14th moved en route to Cap Frehel peninsula to take over positions formerly occupied by the French. By the beginning of September the 8th had taken Kergeroas and had helped to take Fourneuf. Shifting to the Crozon peninsula, in mid September, the 8th (Sept. 18) forced the surrender of Lt. Gen. Erwin Bauch with all German forces in the Crozon peninsula. The Division then smashed across France to Luxembourg. The 8th crossed the Ruhr, Feb. 23, 1945, but behind that achievement was the gallantry of men who had paved the way for the movement by slugging it out with the Germans in the green Hell of Hurtgen Forest in early winter. On Feb. 2, 1945, the Division crossed the Erft Canal and the rush to maintain contact with the flying enemy was on. Cologne came next, in March and then Hochenburg. At war’s end, the 8th was in the vicinity of Schweren, Germany.