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"Christmas of 1944 found the 90th in the area between the Moselle and the Saar rivers in light contact with the enemy. The Division's mission was mainly to prevent the German forces in that zone from reinforcing von Rundstedt's offensive in the north. New replacements had arrived, filling in the badly depleted ranks, and it was vitally important that the newly-arrived troops receive additional training and combat orientation.

"On the night of January 5th orders were at last received. 'Be prepared for movement.' Bitter cold had descended on the area, and freezing winds drifted the snow aimlessly and treacherously, obscuring the roads and rendering them into icy sheets. No one yet knew the Division's destination, its mission, the obstacles which lay before it. The orders were brief and pointed. 'Be prepared for movement.' The 90th Division prepared.

"The following day the 90th, now assigned to III Corps, began its highly secret trek toward its assembly area in Luxembourg. Identification on vehicles was obscured, relieving troops assumed the T-O (Tough Ombres) patch in order to keep the enemy in complete ignorance, and the 50 mile march began.

"Southeast of famed Bastogne the enemy had thrust a salient contained for the past several weeks by the 26th and 35th Infantry and 6th Armored Division. These units had successfully prevented further penetration, but the strength of the enemy, the terrain and wintery weather combined to make their operations difficult in the extreme. Corps plans called for an assault along the perimeter of the enemy salient with the 90th making the main effort with the object of reducing the salient and destroying the enemy contained therein.

"On January 9th all was in readiness for the attack. The 90th examined the terrain which stood in its way and saw endless reaches of towering hills coated with snow and ice. From this day until the end of combat the 90th was destined to conduct its activities in the hills of Europe.

"The weather was also a formideable foe. For now the January winds swept paralyzingly through the exposed valleys, the temperature hovered around the aero mark, armor and other vehicles ground helplessly on the ice for traction, and the spectre of trench foot and frost-bite hung night-marishly over the American troops.

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"The speed and power of the assault was a decided surprize to the Germans. On the third day of battle more than 1,200 prisoners were captured. So devastating was the attack that enemy communications were almost completely shattered. Captured documents revealed the great respect accorded the 90th by the enemy...

"'It is imperative (said one directive) that steps be taken to ascertain whether or not the American 90th Infantry has been committed. Special attention must be given to the numbers 357, 358, 359, 343, 344, 345, 915, and 315. Prisoners identified with these numbers will immediately be taken to the Regimental G-3.'

"The 358th Regiment was committed on the fourth day, sweeping rapidly northward as far as Bras itself. The 90th had fought through Luxembourg and was now in the soil of Belgium. On that day, also, contact was established between the 90th and the 35th Infantry Divisions as well as with the 6th Armored. The enemy salient had been liquidated, the objectives attained."

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"Succeeding days found the 90th wading eastward through the snow, warming itself where it could as freezing winds numbed hands and feet. Security forbade the building of fires with which to warm the brickhard cylinders of K-ration cheese, yet survival demanded fire and warmth. The Division buttoned its coat against the weather and pushed eastward over the 'Sky Line Drive' grimly defended by the Germans.

"On the 26th the 90th Division move to VIII Corps control once more, the same Corps with which it had fought through the disheartening days of Normandy. Corps orders immediately called for another river crossing, familiar work to the 90th. The Our River lay only a few kilometers to the east. The 90th was to effect a crossing and protect the right flank of Corps. The 87th Division was to cross on the left, while the 4th Infantry Division was to knife through the center. The crossing was scheduled for the morning of January 29th.

"The intervening days were devoted to cleaning out the area west of Our and to make all necessary preparations. Deep snow which blanketed the roads and preciptous hills on either side of the river proved the major natural obstacles. Again the Engineers performed prodigiously to clear the way for the assault.

"Now once again the 90th stood on the threshold of German soil. General von Rundstedt's costly gamble ha succedded only momentarily in stemming the advance juggernaut of Allied armies. Once more Germany itself was the target, and this time the advance was not to be denied. The 'sacred' soil of germany was soon to know the feel of American combat boots truding through the snows and through the 'sacred' German mud. The points at which the 90th was to make its drive was the juncture of Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, the very gap through which the enemy had poured only six weeks before. But this time the traffic had changed directions, and to the conclusion of the war there was no turning back.

"On the morning of the 29th the 90th Division crossed the Our River and stood on German soil. Moving rapidly against determined resistance they fought the Germans and the winter to a standstill. January had come to an end, and Spring was not far off, an encouraging thought to men for whom warmth was a remote luxury.

"Not so encouraging, however, was the realization that beyond the present lines lay the bulwark of the enemy defense...the Siegfried Line."