They would stay in combat for 239 days. The division was in campaigns in Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland, and Central Europe. It followed the Blue Ridge Path, seen to the left. In January 1946, the Blue Ridge Division returned home to the United States.
The 80th Infantry Division faced heavy casualties in its time in combat. 2,614 men were killed, 10,795 men were wounded, 654 are missing, 397 were captured, and total casualties were 25,472. |
The Blue Ride Division has its own song - the lyrics are shown below.
“The Blue Ridge is marching again
On the road to victory; With the same fighting spirit that it had in ‘17 We’re the toughest bunch of solider men The world has ever seen Though the road is hard and long, We’ll always move forward and we’re fifteen thousand strong. We’re the Blue Ridge 80th Division On the roaring road to victory. The Blue Ridge is marching again, Shouting, ‘Hey, we’re on our way!’ They will hear our rolling thunder ‘Cross the channel to Calais; Or they’ll feel our steel in Burma, On the road to Mandalay. Though the foe is hard and tough, We’ll keep moving forward Till we make him yell ‘Enough.’ We’re the Blue Ridge 80th Division, And we’re shouting, ‘Hey, we’re on our way!’” |