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Dearest European Friends, (From Lew Adams)

I am happy to report that Part I, of "Heroes of Old Hickory" has been completed and we are pressing forward on the completion of Part II.

One of the issues we intend to present in the film, is why the Old Hickory Division was rated the Number One division of the ETO and yet never received the Presidential Unit Citation, as recommended, at wars end. This honor has been denied the men of the 30th Infantry Division for more than 70 years and many still anguish over this terrible injustice. Most suggest that the 30th was a National Guard Division and not the "regular" US Army. Although, composed primarily of volunteers and National Guardsmen, originally slated as replacements for the regular army, the Old Hickory Division fought in all major campaigns of the ETO and did a great deal of the heavy lifting during WWII. They became so distinguished in battle they became known as the Workhorse of the Western Front, and were so respected by their enemy were called: Roosevelt's SS troops

Sadly, in those early times, discrimination was a reality among branches of the military.

Immediately after the war SL Marshal one of Eisenhower's chief of staff, was asked to evaluate all the divisions that served in Europe during WWII. After review Marshal's staff of more than 35 military historians not only rated the Old Hickory as the Number One division, but recommended that it receive the highest honor.

There is no greater level of proof, facts, or evidence required, than the review and findings by Marshal and his staff.

The good news — is that a new action has been launched to receive the Presidential Unit Citation on behalf of the 30th Infantry Division.

An action committee has been formed, headed by General Gregory Lusk, Adjutant General of the NC National Guard. Other notables include: Col Wes Morrison Executive Director of the 30th Infantry Division Association, Commander Col Vernon Simpson, Maj. Melissa Colbreth, Bob Baumer author/historian, Frank Denius 30th Infantry Observer, Lew Adams Producer, and many others. Hopefully, this can be accomplished while some of the veterans are still here to receive it.

On September the 17th a new petition was posted on the White House website, requesting an official hearing. In order to accomplish a full review in the Washington it will require that we solicit and gather 100,000 signatures, before October 17.

Maj. Melissa Colbreth is in charge of the petition drive. See her email below.

On behave of all the Old Hickory veterans who sacrificed so much please go to the White House petition website, sign the petition, and pass this information on to everyone you know who enjoys the freedom that our Old Hickory soldiers so gallantly helped to restore.

After signing the petition — please go to your address books, inform and forward the link to as many recipients as possible, local newspapers, radio and television stations. You can also contact any US Congressman via email or letter, to express your support of the 30th Infantry Division receiving the Presidential Unit Citation.

We sincerely love and miss all our wonderful friends throughout Europe, and especially those who contributed so greatly in helping us bring the Old Hickory story to America and the world. We are so fortunate to have you all as our lifelong friends, and allies.
Sending Our Best Thoughts Always,
Lew and Louise Adams
Producers
And all the Old Hickory men, who we have all come to love and honor

Link to White House petition:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/…/help-30th-infantry-divis…

Attachment: SL Marshal letter of findings and recommendation:

Marshall Letter
16 March 1946
Dear General Hobbs:� Now that I am leaving the service, I thought it might be well to give you the following information for whatever satisfaction you might derive therefrom. �I was historian of the ETO. Toward the end of last fall, for the purpose of breaking the log-jam of paper concerning division presidential unit citations, General Eisenhower instructed me to draw up a rating sheet on the divisions. This entailed in the actual processing that we had to go over the total work of all the more experienced divisions, infantry and armor, and report back to him which divisions we considered had performed the most efficient and consistent battle services.� We so did, and we named certain infantry divisions in the first category and same with armor, and we placed others in a second category and yet others in a third. The 30th was among five divisions in the first category.� However, we picked the 30th Division No. 1 on the list of first category divisions. It was the combined judgment of the approximately 35 historical officers who had worked on the records and in the field that the 30th had merited this distinction. It was our finding that the 30th had been outstanding in three operations and that we could consistently recommend it for citation on any one of these three occasions. It was further found that it had in no single instance performed discreditably or weakly when considered against the averages of the Theater and that in no single operation had it carried less than its share of the burden or looked bad when compared with the forces on its flanks. We were especially impressed with the fact that it had consistently achieved results without undue wastage of its men.� I do not know whether further honors will come to the 30th. I hope they do. For we had to keep looking at the balance of things always and we felt that the 30th was the outstanding infantry division in the ETO.� Respectfully yours,
�/s/S.L.A. Marshall� Colonel S.L.A. Marshall, GSC� Historian of ETO