History of the U.S. 30th Infantry Regiment

[Walt's Daughter]

Oh trust me I KNOW! People don't realize how much work goes into all of this. I certainly do.

 

One of our readers wrote to me a while back and after chatting for a while, I told her I had tons of info I haven't even scanned and placed on the site yet, regarding the VI Corps units. Explained it would probably take me at least another year or more to get all this done.

 

Believe it or not, she wrote back and said I was being SELFISH, keeping all this to myself. SAY WHAT?

 

As you can imagine, I was pretty upset. It's not as though I am doing this to be mean, or that I'm lazy!!!! It's simply this; I don't have enough hours in my day, nor do I receive any help. There's nothing I'd like better than to have everything in my office scanned and uploaded for viewing.

 

:banghead:

[Walt's Daughter]

Ah, just finished reading the entire history. Of course I caught this:

 

On April 28th the 30th Infantry cross the Lech River. Moving quickly the 30th Infantry was the first unit into Munich the cradle of Naziism on April 30th. On May 4th, the 7th Infantry moves in front of the 2nd Free French Armored Division and the 101st Airborne Division to be the first unit into Berchtesgaden and the "Eagle's Nest." The war would end for the 30th Infantry in Salzburg, Austria on May 5th, 1945 after 31 months of hard combat.

 

I don't know if you were part of the discussion years back, but we talked about this very thing, and in fact I shared an article which WWII Magazine had published about the 3rd BEING first.

 

We actually had one of our members LEAVE our forum after he told me how disrespectful I was and how I insulted the memory of his brother, a member of the 101st. He was PISSED!

[MARNE]

Ah, just finished reading the entire history. Of course I caught this:

 

 

 

I don't know if you were part of the discussion years back, but we talked about this very thing, and in fact I shared an article which WWII Magazine had published about the 3rd BEING first.

 

We actually had one of our members LEAVE our forum after he told me how disrespectful I was and how I insulted the memory of his brother, a member of the 101st. He was PISSED!

 

Marion,

 

I'll be honest with you... he can cry me, you and the rest of the veterans on this forum a river. The U.S. 7th Infantry's Battle Patrol was first into the city. I know so, because IN 2004 I met the 7th IR's Battle Patrols platoon sergeant Bill Tenini.

 

He stated and I quote... "We were on the right, and the 10th Engineers had built a bridge across the river we had to cross to enter Berchtesgaden. I was witness to most of the discussion between the 10th's CO, and the 2nd FFAD CO Gen. LeClerc... who said... "he wanted to be the first into Berchtesgaden" the 10th's CO informed the general that he could not let him cross till the far bank was scouted and cleared of an enemy elements that may be in the area... the general conceded. The 10th's CO, looked me and gave me my orders... "Take the Battle Patrol across, scout and check for five minutes and then haul ass to Berchtesgaden." I said yes, sir and we were off. He also ordered elements of the US 756th Tank & 601st Tank Destroyer Bn.'s, with the 7th's 3rd Battalion were to follow in support. He said we got half way up and the road was blocked but, we remembered passing a railroad trussell so we back tracked and took it into the town. Of which the Germans and the town mayor were awaiting our arrival to surrender the town.

 

The 756th Tank, 601st Tank Destroyer &the 7th's IR's, 3rd Bn. arrived as we were concluding the surrender ceremony. He, also stated they move up and entered Hitler's Berghof "Eagles Nest" on May 4th, 1945. Taking champagne, photo albums...etc. Le Clerc's 2nd FFAD, also moved into town ahead of the 101st Airborne. Col. Heintges the CO of the 7th IR... assigned them a French sector which included the "Eagle's Nest." Col. Heintges and Col. Sink of the 506th PIR had gone to West Point together and were friends. Col. Sink said he'd be up the following morning to relieve him... well, at 9am the following morning a quick flag raising ceremony was held at the "Eagle's Nest"... after which the 7th IR left.

 

At the same time CHARLIE Co., NOT Easy Co., 506th PIR was entering the town. Col. Heintges mistake was the fact he had failed to make any notation, anywhere in the town that the 7th IR had been the first into the town on May 4th. So, throughout the years the men of the 101st Airborne have been led to believe they were the first in when in reality it was in fact the Battle Patrol & the 3rd Battalion, 7th IR that originally took the town. The birthplace of National Socialism.

 

In fact, for further proof... look up Page 418, in Gen. Eisenhower's book "Crusade In Europe" and Page 106 in Gen. Maxwell Taylor's Memoirs "Swords and Plowshares" both men credit the 3rd Division with being the first into Berchtesgaden.

 

What happened is everyone sees "Band of Brothers" and assumes... that thats the truth and a lot of it is. However, what Stephen Abmrose did was he DIDN'T do the research... he paid college students to do all of that. All he did was take their research and put it into book form to tell a story. He never got the full story and in the process got some of the story wrong.

 

In turn... if anyone should be insulted, its the men of the 3rd Division and more over the 7th IR. Those men have been denied the respect and satisfaction of a momentous accomplishment in their units history because of foolish historians continually getting it wrong. 65 years it took to get vindication.. so that former member can cry me a river, to me it was an accomplishment long overdue for recognition by both the world, historians and the U.S. Army.

 

If ANYONE should know best of all of this is our dear friend and member... Joe Fournier, 3rd Battalion, 7th IR. He was there.

 

Regards,

MARNE

[Walt's Daughter]

Amen. You know your history.

 

But there is one thing you are wrong about (but soon to be happy about). The 3rd Inf Div DID leave some sort of proof there; for some of the men did carve their signatures and they are still there. Cool huh?

 

While I am happy Mr Ambrose did bring some light to the subject and give exposure to many WWII veterans, he also made a lot of mistakes. As far as I am concerned some of his were blatant. With the internet and innumerable data made available in this day and age, there is no excuse for this. Sad but true.

 

Have you read the article in WWII mag? Let me know.