U.S. and Italian soldiers help inaugurate a memorial in Mignano Montelungo, Italy, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The monument is a tribute to 3rd Infantry Division forces who fought in Italy in World War II. (Michael Udejiofor/U.S. Army)
MIGNANO MONTELUNGO, Italy — A memorial honoring a U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division offensive in World War II to break through German lines in a series of battles in 1943 and 1944 was unveiled this week.
Division commander Maj. Gen. Chris Norrie was among the speakers at the ceremony, which was held in the wake of the 80th anniversary of a string of battles between U.S. and allied troops and dug-in German forces trying to stop an advance on Rome.
“They fought for their Italian, Canadian and British allies with them, for their families so far away from them, and most importantly, for the liberation of Italy from the enemies of freedom,” Norrie said in a division statement Wednesday.
Italian Maj. Gen. Diego Pauvet joins U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jonathan Reffeor and Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division commander, at the unveiling of a memorial in Mignano Montelungo, Italy, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (Michael Udejiofor/U.S. Army)
Three division soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle, according to the statement.
The new memorial is on the grounds of an Italian military monument and is one of many such sites in the mountainous area between Naples and Rome.
Nearby is one marking a cave that provided refuge to Audie Murphy, a former 3rd Infantry soldier who became one of the most celebrated American heroes of World War II and later a Hollywood icon.
Based at Fort Stewart, Ga., the division saw extensive action in the war, taking part in battles in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany.
U.S. Army Spc. Ryan Halson, of the 3rd Infantry Division band, performs Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at the unveiling of a monument in Mignano Montelungo, Italy. The memorial honors soldiers from the division who waged an Italian offensive against the Nazis in World War II. (Michael Udejiofor/U.S. Army)
The division’s soldiers have helped defend Europe in the present as well, including a recent nine-month rotation in Poland to shore up the eastern flank of NATO.
Both the division and the Society of the Third Infantry Division have maintained ties to former sites around the Continent where key battles took place decades ago.
The 1943 and 1944 skirmishes, which included the Battle of Mignano Pass, also notably marked the first time that Italian troops saw action against their former German allies.
Italy changed sides after longtime fascist leader Benito Mussolini was removed from power. Several high-ranking Italian officers based at commands in Rome or Naples attended the unveiling of the memorial.
Italian soldiers render honors to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers during the inauguration ceremony for a monument dedicated to the division in Mignano Montelungo, Italy, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (Michael Udejiofor/U.S. Army)
