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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1483 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1483

Recognizing the exemplary service and sacrifice of the soldiers of the 
     14th Armored Division of the United States Army, known as the 
                    Liberators, during World War II.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2010

  Mr. Gingrey of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Skelton) submitted the 
  following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the exemplary service and sacrifice of the soldiers of the 
     14th Armored Division of the United States Army, known as the 
                    Liberators, during World War II.

Whereas the 14th Armored Division was activated on November 15, 1942, at Camp 
        Chafee, Arkansas, as a unit of the United States Army;
Whereas the Division's 19th, 62d, and 68th Armored Infantry Battalions traced 
        their lineage back to the 62d Infantry Regiment, which was deployed 
        during World War I;
Whereas the Division landed in southern France on October 29, 1944, and first 
        entered combat on November 14, 1944;
Whereas the Division participated in the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central 
        European Campaigns, with part of the Division also participating in the 
        Maritime Alps Campaign;
Whereas the Division participated in the liberation of the French province of 
        Alsace in late November, 1944, and on December 13, 1944, joined the rest 
        of the 7th Army in attacking the strongly fortified positions of the 
        Siegfried Line inside Germany, and was there engaged in battle on 
        December 19, when General Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the 7th Army to 
        withdraw from Germany in response to the serious threat posed by a major 
        German offensive in the Ardennes;
Whereas when the German army launched Operation Nordwind, the last major German 
        offensive of the European war, against 7th Army positions, the Division 
        engaged several German divisions between January 1 and January 7, 1945, 
        contributing materially to stopping the initial German attacks;
Whereas it was during one of these engagements on January 3 and 4, 1945, that 
        the Division's Private First Class George B. Turner earned the Medal of 
        Honor for his heroic actions in helping to repel repeated German attacks 
        at Philippsbourg, France;
Whereas, on January 9, 1945, the Division stopped the German XXXIX Panzer Corps 
        from breaking through the 7th Army's lines at the villages of Hatten and 
        Rittershoffen;
Whereas, between January 9 and January 21, 1945, the Division fought the 21st 
        Panzer Division, 25th Panzer Grenadier Division, 20th Regiment of the 
        7th Parachute Division, and the 104th Regiment of the 47th 
        Volksgrenadier Division to a standstill during the ensuing Battle of 
        Hatten-Rittershoffen;
Whereas units of the Division were awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for 
        their actions at Hatten and Rittershoffen;
Whereas, on March 24, 1945, after days of heavy fighting, the Division broke 
        through the Siegfried Line and advanced to the Rhine River;
Whereas, after crossing the Rhine River, the Division liberated Stalag XIII-C 
        and Oflag XIII-B, two large prisoner of war camps at Hammelburg, 
        Germany;
Whereas, during April 1945, the Division rapidly advanced hundreds of miles 
        across southern Germany, fighting numerous battles before crossing the 
        Danube River north of Munich;
Whereas, on April 29, 1945, the Division, after a fierce engagement with several 
        thousand SS troops, liberated Stalag VII-A, the largest prisoner of war 
        camp in Germany;
Whereas the Division is designated a ``Liberating Unit'' by the United States 
        Holocaust Memorial Museum in recognition of its liberation of 
        approximately 250,000 civilians of many nationalities and ethnicities 
        from forced labor and concentration camps, including several large sub-
        camps of the notorious Dachau concentration camp system;
Whereas the Secretary of the Army awarded the Division the distinctive unit 
        designation, ``Liberators'', in recognition of the Division's role in 
        liberating approximately 30,000 members of the Armed Forces of the 
        United States and 170,000 Allied military personnel from German prisoner 
        of war camps; and
Whereas the proud fighting tradition and accomplishments of the Division and its 
        men, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice, must not be 
        forgotten: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
exemplary service and sacrifice of the soldiers of the 14th Armored 
Division of the United States Army, known as the Liberators, during 
World War II.
                                 <all>
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