When the 30th arrived in France in 1918 it was assigned to the British II Corps and found itself entering combat to stop the German offensive in Flanders. Next it fought in the Ypres‑Lys sector, where it punched through the German defensive works called the "Hindenberg Line". The 30th then saw action during the Somme Offensive, part of the Meuse‑Argonne campaign, ending the war. Its members earned more than half of all the medals awarded for valor by the British to American personnel. And in its ranks were 12 of the 94 Army Medal of Honor recipients, more than in any other division, Regular or Guard. The 30th sailed home and inactivated in May 1919.
The 30th Division was reorganized on 24 August 1926 of Guard units from the same four states as in 1917. It was headquartered first in Atlanta, and later Macon, Georgia.
As part of America's preparedness for World War II, the National Guard was called to active duty for full‑time training. The 30th Division entered Federal service on 16 September 1940. In February 1942 it was reorganized and redesignated as the 30th Infantry Division. It sailed to England in February 1944, and entered combat in Normandy, France, on 16 June 1944.
During the Battle of Mortain the 30th single‑handily stopped an attack by five German panzer divisions from splitting the American Army. The French awarded the division the Croix de Guerre with Palm embroidered FRANCE to recall its steadfast defense. After repulsing the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge, the 30th drove deep into Germany. It crossed the Roer and Rhine Rivers and secured the industrial area known as the "Ruhr". The division had six men earn the Medal of Honor. The 30th returned home and was inactivated in November 1945.
When the 30th Infantry Division reorganized on 11 September 1947 it was composed of Guard units from North Carolina and Tennessee. In 1954 it was reorganized as a North‑South Carolina division with the Tennessee portion reorganized and redesignated as the 30th Armored Division. The 30th Armored Division was inactivated on 1 December 1973, with its lineage carried today by the 30th Armored Brigade and the 30th Support Group, Tennessee Army National Guard.
Original Organization Date: 28 August 1917 at Camp Sevier, South Carolina
Official Nickname: The motto of Tennessee is the "Volunteer" state so this name was adopted by the 30th Armored Division when it was organized in 1954.
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION STREAMERS
World War I
Flanders 1918
Ypres‑Lys
Somme Offensive
World War II
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes‑Alsace
Decorations
French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War 11, Streamer embroidered
FRANCE
