Evening star., 1943-09-17
Regiment in Vanguard
OF Closing Sicily Push
Led by Virginian
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY,
Star Staff Corresponhent

WITH 7th ARMY, SICILY (By
MaiD From the cotton defenses o1
New Orleans under Andrew Jack
son to the foxholeS on the rocky
mountainside over MeSsina is the
record of the 7th Infantry vanguard
of the historic push eastward from
San Stefano, which brought the
campaign in Sicily to a victorious
end.
The story of this regular Army
regiment, now under command of
a colonel from Winchester, Va,
perhaps reaches its 145-year cres-
cendo of individual heroiSm in the
thorn-covered, artillery blasted East
Sicily mountains.
The regiment, which received part
OF its training for the present war
in the Virginia mountains, was Or
ganized in 1898. 1t was the dis
ciplined nucleus of Jackson's forces
at New Orleans. 1t assaulted and
captm ed the heights of Cerro
Gordo and Chapultepec and
occupied Mexico City in 1847. It
took part in practically every ma jor
battle of the Civil War. 1t rescued
the pitiable remnants of Clusters
command after the Little Big Horn
and marched 1,7OO miles in six
months in this Sioux campaign
alone. 1t fought in Cuba and the
Philippines. 1t took part in three
offenSiveS in France and the oc-
cupation of Germany.
Regimental Pride High.
Almost beyond question. it was
historically the most distinguished
outfit to take part in the Sicilian
campaign. Regimental pride was
high. Great exploits were ex-
pected of the 7th from the moment
of It's landing on the designated
beachhead west of Licate, in the
misty dawn of July 10.
In the darkness the landing was
made few miles away from the
point expected. The regiment found
itself confronted with high, almost
perpendicular cliffs few yards
from the high-tide mark. These
cliffs were covered with barbed-
wire entanglements. But the regi-
ment, long chating under the in
activity of Africa, mounted them.
In the face of SpaSmodic sniping,
without serious casualties.
The immediate objective was the
gray, drab town of Palma di Mon
techiaro, on the way to Agrigento.
The regiment entered this city,
find a wild demonstration in prog
ress. The carabinieri had been
withdrawn a day before and the
townsfolks were having a heyday
of looting They were almost un-
controllable-both in their enthu-
siasm for grabbing anything living
around loose and in their welcome
TO the Americans Even as the 7th
Infantry was entering, the crowd
was engaged in demolishing the
Fascist headquarters.
Moved to Agrigento.
From Palma di Montechiaro the
regiment moved on toward the i'm
portant city of Agrigento, over rough
hill roads strongly defended by
enemy artillery. Hitherto Italian
resistance had been slight. A deter
mined fight, of which the Seventh
bore the brunt, was made to save
Agrigento. which has an excellent
defensive ppSition. at a Considerable
altitude and is approached by wind
ing. poorly constructed mountain
roads. Under cover of artillery, the
Seventh advanced land, after re-
pulsing a couple of counter attacks,
entered the city on July IT,
This battle may be considered to
have broken the backbone of Italian
resistance in Sicily, which was not
very confident from the first. The
Seventh entered the city and found
the populace friendly. The same
looting of stores and wealthy homes
whose owners, being Fascists. had
fed the city-was in progress. 1t
continued until the carabinieri
could be reorganized
From Agrigento, the regiment
moved on to Porto Empodocle, site
OF an important airport, where it