[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 340 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 340

    Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 3d Infantry Division.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 16, 2017

  Mr. Perdue (for himself, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 3d Infantry Division.

Whereas November 21, 2017, is the 100th anniversary of the organization of the 
        3d Infantry Division;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division was organized in 1917 as the 3d Division, with 
        headquarters at Camp Greene in North Carolina, and has been on 
        continuous duty ever since;
Whereas, from its inception, the 3d Infantry Division and the component units of 
        the 3d Infantry Division have played a vital role in the history of the 
        United States by serving in--

    (1) World War I;

    (2) World War II;

    (3) the Korean War;

    (4) the Cold War;

    (5) Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (commonly known as ``the 
Persian Gulf War'');

    (6) Operation Enduring Freedom;

    (7) Operation Iraqi Freedom;

    (8) Operation Freedom's Sentinel;

    (9) Operation Resolute Support;

    (10) Operation Atlantic Resolve; and

    (11) a number of other named and unnamed operations around the world;

Whereas elements of the 3d Division first went into combat in March 1918 at the 
        beginning of the German offensive efforts that were designed to end 
        World War I;
Whereas, soon after the 3d Division was established, the division began to gain 
        prestige for its service during World War I;
Whereas, in July of 1918, the success of the 3d Division at the Battle of 
        Chateau-Thierry earned the division, and especially the 38th Infantry of 
        the division, the legendary nickname ``Rock of the Marne'' because the 
        division held steadfast against German soldiers who were marching toward 
        Paris in what would be the last German offensive of World War I;
Whereas, during the Battle of Chateau-Thierry, division commander Major General 
        Joseph Dickman gave his famous order to hold the defensive position 
        along the Marne River in French, stating, ``Nous resterons la!'', which 
        in English means, ``We shall remain here!'', providing what would become 
        the official motto of the 3d Division;
Whereas the 3d Division played an important role in other major campaigns of 
        World War I, including the campaigns of--

    (1) Aisne;

    (2) Champagne-Marne;

    (3) Aisne-Marne;

    (4) Saint-Mihiel; and

    (5) Meuse-Argonne;

Whereas 2 soldiers of the 3d Division, Private First Class John L. Barkley and 
        First Lieutenant George Price Hays, earned the Medal of Honor during 
        World War I;
Whereas, after World War I, the 3d Division was one of only 3 divisions of the 
        Army to remain on active duty, a strong testament to the steadfastness, 
        combat experience, and mission success of the division;
Whereas the 3d Division was redesignated as the 3d Infantry Division in 1942;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division was again called into action in November of 
        1942, entering World War II as one of the first divisions of the United 
        States to fight the Nazi empire in north Africa;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division made an amphibious landing in French Morocco 
        and quickly captured the city of Casablanca, distinguishing itself as 
        one of the premier assault units of the Army;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division advanced through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia 
        before participating in the amphibious assault on Sicily;
Whereas, during the campaign to take control of Sicily, and before moving to 
        mainland Italy, the 3d Infantry Division earned a reputation as one of 
        the best divisions in the Seventh Army under the command of Lieutenant 
        General George Patton;
Whereas, between January and May of 1943, the 3d Infantry Division participated 
        in an amphibious assault operation and beachhead defense at Anzio on the 
        West Coast of Italy, repelling multiple attacks by 3 German divisions, 
        fighting valiantly, and, on 1 day, suffering 995 casualties, once again 
        proving to be a steadfast ``Rock'';
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division, after breaking out of the Anzio beachhead and 
        reaching Rome, participated in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of 
        southern France;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division, after months of intense fighting, entered 
        Germany and crossed the Rhine River, making its way through Nuremberg, 
        Munich, and Salzburg before assisting in the capture of Adolf Hitler's 
        mountain retreat near Berchtesgaden in April of 1945;
Whereas, as of the date on which Germany unconditionally surrendered in May of 
        1945, the 3d Infantry Division had suffered 35,000 casualties during 
        World War II, while fighting and marching 3,200 miles from Casablanca to 
        Salzburg;
Whereas, during World War II, the 3d Infantry Division was the only division of 
        the United States to serve in 10 major campaigns, specifically the 
        campaigns of--

    (1) Algeria-French Morocco;

    (2) Tunisia;

    (3) Sicily;

    (4) Naples-Foggia;

    (5) Anzio;

    (6) Rome-Arno;

    (7) southern France;

    (8) Rhineland;

    (9) Ardennes-Alsace; and

    (10) Central Europe;

Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during World War II, the 3d 
        Infantry Division was awarded--

    (1) the French Croix de Guerre with Palm (and streamer embroidered with 
``Colmar'');

    (2) the French Fourragere, for seizing the last Nazi stronghold in 
France; and

    (3) the Presidential Unit Citation;

Whereas, during World War II, 39 soldiers of the 3d Infantry Division earned the 
        Medal of Honor;
Whereas one of the most decorated soldiers of World War II, Lieutenant Audie 
        Murphy, served in the 3d Infantry Division;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division was again called to service in September of 
        1950 when the first elements of the division arrived on the Korean 
        Peninsula in support of the Government of the Republic of Korea and its 
        military, contributing to operations in Hamhung-Hungnam in 1950 and the 
        recapture of the South Korean capital of Seoul in 1951, following the 
        surge of Chinese troops;
Whereas, from November 30 to December 24, 1950, the 3d Infantry Division served 
        as the covering force for the largest beachhead evacuation in the 
        history of the military of the United States, facilitating the escape of 
        105,000 troops, 91,000 refugees, 17,500 vehicles, and 350,000 tons of 
        cargo from Hungnam, after which the division moved from the East Coast 
        to the West Coast of South Korea and helped to fight back the Chinese 
        forces that had overtaken Seoul;
Whereas, in 1951, elements of the 3d Infantry Division helped to recapture Seoul 
        and were instrumental in pushing Chinese forces back to the 38th 
        parallel and in enduring the brunt of Chinese attempted attacks to 
        retake Seoul, earning the division the new nickname, the ``Rock of 
        Seoul'';
Whereas, during the Korean War, the 3d Infantry Division also became known as 
        the ``Fire Brigade'' for its quick responses to crises;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division participated in 8 campaigns during the Korean 
        War and had 13 Medal of Honor recipients as a result of that service;
Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during the Korean War, the 3d 
        Infantry Division and its subordinate units received--

    (1) the Presidential Unit Citation;

    (2) the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (and streamer 
embroidered with ``Uijongbu Corridor'');

    (3) the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (and streamer 
embroidered with ``Iron Triangle''); and

    (4) the Chryssoun Aristion Andrias-Bravery Gold Medal of Greece (and 
streamer embroidered with ``Korea'');

Whereas the 3d Infantry Division returned to Germany in April 1958 to help 
        secure Western Europe from the threat of attack by the nations, headed 
        by the Soviet Union, that had signed the Warsaw Pact and remained 
        stationed in Germany until 1996 to assist fellow member nations of the 
        North Atlantic Treaty Organization (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``NATO''), directly contributing to the peaceful end of the Cold War;
Whereas, in December 1990, in response to the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam 
        Hussein, the 3d Brigade of the 3d Infantry Division deployed to Saudi 
        Arabia in support of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield;
Whereas the 3d Brigade of the 3d Infantry Division distinguished itself as the 
        Advanced Guard Brigade leading the main attack of the 1st Armored 
        Division and VII Corps against the Iraqi Republican Guard Forces Command 
        as part of the 100-hour ground assault on Iraq from February 24 to 28, 
        1991;
Whereas, as of the date on which the Persian Gulf War ended, the 3d Brigade of 
        the 3d Infantry Division had, during that conflict, destroyed 105 enemy 
        tanks, 70 armored personnel carriers, and 92 artillery pieces and 
        captured 836 prisoners;
Whereas, from 2000 to 2001, elements of the 3d Infantry Division deployed to 
        Bosnia and Kosovo in support of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina (commonly known as ``UNMIBH'');
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division began its participation in Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom on March 20, 2003, leading the coalition assault into Iraq;
Whereas, as of April 4, 2003, the 3d Infantry Division had entered the Saddam 
        International Airport and renamed it the Baghdad International Airport;
Whereas, from April 5 to 9, 2003, the 3d Infantry Division was the vanguard unit 
        in the march to Baghdad, leading what would become known as the 
        ``Thunder Run'' into the heart of the city and effectively crippling the 
        Iraqi regime;
Whereas, from January 2005 to January 2006, the 3d Infantry Division returned to 
        Iraq to provide security for independent elections and the peaceful 
        transfer of power to newly and democratically elected Iraqi officials;
Whereas the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 3d Infantry Division was the first 
        Army brigade to serve 3 tours in Iraq;
Whereas, in March 2007, as part of Task Force Marne, the 3d Infantry Division 
        was given a large area of responsibility in Iraq, including Multi-
        National Forces-Center and Multi-National Forces-West;
Whereas Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal of 
        Honor for his actions in Iraq in 2003;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division had units in every region of Iraq;
Whereas, in November 2009, the Combat Aviation Brigade of the 3d Infantry 
        Division deployed to Afghanistan as Task Force Falcon;
Whereas, in 2012, the 3d Infantry Division deployed to Afghanistan in support of 
        operations in Regional Command-South, assisting with the closure of more 
        than 60 forward operating bases and providing support to various units 
        in the theater of operation;
Whereas, in 2015, multiple units of the 3d Infantry Division deployed to Europe 
        in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, training with NATO allies to 
        remain prepared for contingency operations in Europe;
Whereas, as of 2017, a contingent of 3d Infantry Division soldiers serve in 
        Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, taking on the 
        train and assist mission as the United States Forces-Afghanistan's 
        National Support Element alongside Afghan National Security Forces;
Whereas, as of 2017, the 3d Infantry Division is still a premier fighting force 
        with units deployed in support of contingency operations across 4 
        distinct combatant command areas of responsibility in more than 20 
        countries and under 5 separate named operations, including Operation 
        Resolute Support in Iraq, Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan, 
        and Operation Atlantic Resolve in Eastern Europe;
Whereas the 3d Infantry Division has been honorably stationed in Fort Stewart, 
        Georgia, since fiscal year 1996; and
Whereas, since 1917, the 3d Infantry Division has--

    (1) been deployed around the world, assisting in combat and noncombat 
missions;

    (2) endured the loss of more than 10,000 soldiers in combat operations; 
and

    (3) had 55 soldiers receive the Medal of Honor, a greater number than 
from any other division: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 3d Infantry 
        Division on November 21, 2017, and reveres its century of 
        service to the military of the United States;
            (2) applauds the 3d Infantry Division for continuing to 
        serve with one of the most successful combat records of any 
        division of the Army;
            (3) commends the 3d Infantry Division for continuing to 
        exemplify its motto, ``Nous resterons la!'', which in English 
        means, ``We shall remain here!'';
            (4) honors--
                    (A) the memory of the more than 10,000 soldiers of 
                the 3d Infantry Division who have made the ultimate 
                sacrifice in service to the United States; and
                    (B) the 55 members of the 3d Infantry Division who 
                have received the Medal of Honor, a greater number than 
                from any other division of the Army;
            (5) expresses, on behalf of the people of the United 
        States, gratitude, support, and commitment to all 3d Infantry 
        Division soldiers, veterans, and families, both past and 
        present; and
            (6) recognizes the esteemed place of the 3d Infantry 
        Division in the annals of the history of the United States.
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