[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 129 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E814-E816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF OPERATION DRAGOON AND THE SOUTHERN 
   FRANCE CAMPAIGN--THE SECOND D-DAY IN FRANCE AND THE LIBERATION OF 
                            SOUTHERN FRANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK E. GREEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 9, 2024

  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the upcoming 80th

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Anniversary of Operation Dragoon and the Southern France Campaign--The 
Second D-Day in France and the liberation of Southern France.
  Operation Dragoon began on 15 August 1944 and the subsequent Southern 
France Campaign lasted until 14 September 1944. The 7th U.S. Army under 
Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch, commanded the VIth U.S. Corps 
under Major General Lucian K. Truscott, II, comprised of three of the 
Army's most combat-experienced divisions--the 3rd Infantry Division 
commanded by Major General John Wilson ``Iron Mike'' O'Daniel, the 36th 
Infantry Division commanded by Major General John E. Dahlquist, and the 
45th Infantry Division commanded by Major General William W. Eagles, 
and Corps troops; the 1st Airborne Task Force commanded by Brigadier 
General Robert T. Frederick, the Canadian-American 1st Special Service 
Force commanded by Colonel Edwin A. Walker, and French Army B, later to 
be renamed the 1st French Army, commanded by General Jean de Lattre de 
Tassigny. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) teams were inserted in the 
months to link up with French Forces of the Interior (FFI, of the 
Resistance) prior to prepare for the invasion. The landing forces were 
ably supported by the Mediterranean Allied Air Force under Lieutenant 
General Ira C. Eaker and the Western Naval Task Force under Vice 
Admiral Henry K. Hewitt, conducted the second largest amphibious 
landing in Europe on 15 August 1944.
  The primary objective of Operation Dragoon was to threaten the 
southern flank of Nazi forces fighting in northern France. Further 
objectives were the seizing of the ports of Toulon and Marseille to 
provide critical logistical support for Allied forces fighting in the 
whole of France, the introduction of French forces into France, and the 
stationing of Allied Air Forces in Southern France, to better support 
combat operations.
  Allied military personnel from France, the United Kingdom, the 
Netherlands, Canada, Greece, and Poland participated in Operation 
Dragoon and provided critical air and naval support to open the second 
front in Southern France. 885 ships and landing craft, carrying nearly 
1,375 smaller landing craft, with their crews, carried 151,000 troops, 
21,400 trucks, tanks, tank destroyers, prime-movers, bulldozers, 
tractors and other vehicles to the beaches. Included were 40,850 French 
personnel and 2,610 vehicles of the 1st French Army. 444 aircraft 
sorties and 408 glider sorties delivered 6,488 paratroopers, 2,611 
glider troops, 213 pieces of artillery, and 221 vehicles to the target 
area.
  The 1st Airborne Task Force successfully landed near Le Muy, La 
Motte, and Les Arcs causing serious disarray in German command channels 
which prevented a rapid coordinated response to the main force 
landings. Draguignan fell on 16 August. The 1st Special Service Force 
cleared the offshore islands of Port Cros and Levant to secure the 
southern flank of the assault. Landing on the morning of 15 August all 
units successfully overwhelmed German defense and expanded the 
beachhead. The 3rd Infantry Division cleared the St. Tropez Peninsula, 
liberating the villages of St. Tropez and Cogolin after landing at 
Ramatuelle, La Croix-Valmer, and Cavalaire-sur-Mer. The 45th Infantry 
Division liberated Sainte Maxine and the 36th Infantry Division 
liberated St. Raphael. Fighting through the Maures and Esterel hill 
masses all units reached the Blue Line, the point where the beachhead 
could no longer be threatened by enemy counterattack. On 17 August the 
Truscott's VIth Corps launched its aggressive pursuit of German forces 
and through the speed of its advance prevented the establishment of 
defensive positions east of the Rhone Valley. The Corps' Task Force 
Butler, following the historic Route Napoleon through the Maritime 
Alps, the 36th Infantry Division, and 45th Infantry Division rapidly 
moved north in an effort to flank and trap the German 19th Army 
withdrawing up the Rhone Valley with the 45th Infantry Division 
liberating Barjols and clearing the Valensole Plateau, TF Butler and 
the 36th Infantry Division liberating Sisteron, Gap, and Grenoble. The 
3rd Infantry Division, attacked west along the Argens valley along the 
Route Nationale (RN) 7, guarding the northern flank of French forces 
reducing Toulon and Marseille and blocking a possible German counter-
attack, in the process liberating Le Luc (in cooperation with the 45th 
Infantry Division and French Armored Command Sudre)--a vital road 
junction on RN 7, Brignoles, and numerous communities along the 
approach to Aix-en-Provence including Vauvenargues and Saint-Marc-
Jaumegarde abutting Mont St. Victoire. While Task Force Butler, then 
the 36th Infantry Division with attached units from the 45th Infantry 
Division, fought in the Montelimar Battle Square north of the city of 
Montelimar from 21 to 29 August, the 3rd Infantry Division continued to 
press against 19th Army rearguard forces, liberating numerous 
communities including Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Lancon-Provence, Salon-
de-Provence, Orange, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bollene, Saint-Paul-Trois-
Chateaux, Valreas, Pierrelatte, La Garde-Adhemar and culminated at the 
important city of Montelimar on 28 August. French Army B liberated 
Toulon and Marseille on 28 August, taking 1,825 casualties but taking 
11,000 Nazi prisoners.
  On 29 August the 3rd Infantry Division established contact with the 
36th Infantry Division near the villages of Sauzet and La Laupie 
northeast of the city. The 1st Airborne Task Force and 1st Special 
Service Force continued to guard the 7th Army's right flank from any 
German attack from Italy and reduced German forces in the Maritime Alps 
along the Italian Border--liberating the French Riviera cities of 
Cannes, Nice and Grasse.
  The 19th Army continued its withdrawal towards Lyon, seeking to 
establish a coherent defensive line to oppose 7th Army's rapid advance, 
which drove first towards Lyon and then shifted its axis to Dijon. The 
7th Army liberated Lyon on 3 September and continued to press northeast 
to reach the Belfort Gap, the traditional approach to the Rhine River 
Valley. The 3rd Infantry Division liberated Besancon on 7 September 
after a tough 3-day fight. The speed of the 7th Army advance prevented 
the 19th Army's anchoring its defense on Dijon, it therefore withdrew 
towards the base of the Vosges Mountains. Approaching the Vosges, the 
Vlth Corps' three divisions faced stiffening German resistance. The 3rd 
Infantry Division liberated Vesoul on 12 September and by 14 September 
the Corps' three divisions were positioned near the towns of 
Fougerolles, Luxeuil, Lure, and Villersexel. French forces made contact 
with elements of the 3rd Army near Dijon on 11 September. With this 
juncture of 3rd and 7th Army forces the Southern France Campaign came 
to an end. The 6th Army Group was activated on 15 September and 
transferred from the Mediterranean Theater to GEN Eisenhower's European 
Theater of Operations. French forces under 7th Army control were re-
designated the 1st French Army and became a separate command under 6th 
Army Group control.
  Under the aggressive leadership of LTG Patch, MG Truscott, and 
General Delattre de Tassigny U.S. and Allied forces of the 6th Army 
Group and its supporting air and naval support severely damaged the 
German 19th Army and during the 30-day Southern France Campaign moved 
over 400 miles from the landing beaches in Provence to link up with 
General Eisenhower's forces fighting their way from Normandy on 11 
September 1944. Over \2/3\ of France were liberated in the space of one 
month. French Forces of the Interior (the Resistance) contributed 
tremendously to Dragoon's success providing critical intelligence in 
the preparation for the landings and with countless small unit actions 
which harassed Nazi forces throughout the campaign. In the 30-day 
campaign to liberate Southern France the U.S. forces suffered 4,500 
battle casualties and 5,300 non-battle casualties Nazi forces are 
assessed as having 7,000 killed in action, 21,000 wounded in action, 
and 131,250 prisoners of war.
  Medals of Honor were awarded to the following 3rd Infantry Division 
soldiers during the Southern France Campaign: SSG James P. Connor, 15 
August in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, SSG Stanley Bender, 17 August in La Londe-
les-Maures; T/5 Robert D. Maxwell 7 September in Besancon; 2LT Raymond 
Zussman on 12 September in Noroy-le-Bourg, and 1LI John J. Tominac on 
12 September in Vesoul. Among the Distinguished Service Cross 
recipients was a young SSG in the 15th Infantry Regiment, Audie Murphy, 
whose action came near Ramatuelle on 15 August and who would go on to 
become the most-decorated soldier and best-known soldier of WWII. Other 
Medal of Honor recipients were 2LT Stephen R. Gregg from the 36th 
Infantry Division on 27 August near Montelimar and 2LT Almond E. Fisher 
of the 45th Infantry Division on 12-13 September near Grammont.
  Unit awards included Presidential Unit Citations to the following 3rd 
Infantry Division units: 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment for its 
performance in Montelimar on 27 August embroidered Montelimar and the 
1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment for Besancon 6-7 September 
embroidered Besancon; and to the 36th Infantry Division the 1st 
Battalion, 141st Infantry 15-16 August embroidered Southern France and 
the 3rd Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment 26-29 August for fighting 
embroidered Montelimar; and Cannon Company, 442nd Infantry Regiment for 
the full campaign embroidered Southern France.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the entire House of Representatives join me 
in congratulating and thanking the surviving veterans of Operation 
Dragoon and the Southern France Campaign on the occasion of the 
upcoming 80th anniversary of this highly successful operation which 
liberated Southern France and played a critical role in the Allied 
victory in Europe in WWII.

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