417th HQ-Co 1st Sergeant Uniform Grouping. BSM and Distinguished Unit Citation Recipient!

1st SGT E. Chamberlain was born in 1920 in Greeneville, Tennessee and lived there his entire life. He enlisted in the United States Army on August 8th 1942. Upon completing his basic training, he quickly rose through the ranks obtaining the TOP enlisted spot in HQ-Co, 417th Regiment, of the 76th Infantry Division. SGT Chamberlain was awarded three battle stars for Campaigns in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe, a Bronze Star for meritorious service, and also (along with the rest of the 1st Battalion, 417th Infantry), the Distinguished Unit Citation. After the 76th Division was deactivated, he was assigned to the 90th Division and stayed in the ETO for Occupation Duties. He was discharged in January of 1946. He later went on to open up a sheet metal shop in Greeneville. He passed away in 1999.

 


Please read the words of the Citation below to get the true feeling of what these 417th Regiment personnel went through in the 76th Division's "Baptism of Fire" Echternach, Luxembourg...

"Members of this combat team led an assault across the swollen Sauer River into one of the deepest portions of the Siegfried Line. The river was at flood stage, the current so swift that attempts by engineers to erect a footbridge proved futile, and the crossing had to be made in assault boats. The alerted enemy covered the area with heavy artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire. Many of the boats were overturned before reaching the far shore and heavy casualties were suffered. Despite all difficulties, the major portion of the 1st Battalion, 417th Infantry Regiment, succeeded in making the crossing on the first night. Under heavy fire, members of this battalion scaled the muddy, steep, pillbox infested cliffs, whose every approach was heavily sown with mine fields, and succeeded in capturing the high wooded ground near the river bank. Two strong infantry counterattacks, supported by armor, were launched by the enemy, but both were repulsed after bitter encounters. Although this was the combat team’s first engagement in combat, the 1st Battalion was the only unit in this vicinity to reach its objective on its initial assault and hold the ground gained. By similar aggressive action, the remainder of the 417th Infantry Regiment made the river crossing on the second and third nights and established contact with the initial force. The swiftly flowing river prevented supplies being crossed by boat and it became necessary to supply isolated groups by air. Despite violent enemy attempts to dislodge it, the combat team held tenaciously to the bridgehead it had wrested within the Siegfried Line and secured a strong foothold, which facilitated the movement of other forces across the river and insured the success of an operation of major importance. In its initial appearance in combat and in the face of conditions which at times appeared prohibitive, the 417th Regimental Combat Team displayed outstanding heroism. determination, and an indomitable fighting spirit which reflect great credit on all participants and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces of the United States."

This man and the rest of the 417th will go down in history as one of the 76th Division's fiercest fighting units and I am honored to have this uniform in my collection!