French leader to present Legion of Honor to World War II hero (one of 7 heroes)

French President Nicholas Sarkozy will present the Legion of Honor to an American previously citied for his efforts to rescue wounded men during the D-Day invasion.

Madam Speaker,
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The state of our friendship and our alliance is strong.
Friendship, first and foremost, means being true to one’s friends. Since the United States first appeared on the world scene, the loyalty between the French and American people has never failed. And far from being weakened by the vicissitudes of History, it has never ceased growing stronger.

Friends may have differences; they may have disagreements; they may have disputes.

But in times of difficulty, in times of hardship, friends stand together, side by side; they support each other; and help one another.

In times of difficulty, in times of hardship, America and France have always stood side by side, supported one another, helped one another, fought for each other’s freedom.

The United States and France remain true to the memory of their common history, true to the blood spilled by their children in common battles. But they are not true merely to the memory of what they accomplished together in the past. They remain true, first and foremost, to the same ideal, the same principles, the same values that have always united them.

The deliberations of your Congress are conducted under the double gaze of Washington and Lafayette. Lafayette, whose 250th birthday we are celebrating this year and who was the first foreign dignitary, in 1824, to address a joint session of Congress. What was it that brought these two men—so far apart in age and background—together, if not their faith in common values, the heritage of the Enlightenment, the same love for freedom and justice?

Upon first meeting Washington, Lafayette told him: “I have come here to learn, not to teach.” It was this new spirit and youth of the Old World seeking out the wisdom of the New World that opened a new era for all of humanity.
From the very beginning, the American dream meant putting into practice the dreams of the Old World.

From the very beginning, the American dream meant proving to all mankind that freedom, justice, human rights and democracy were no utopia but were rather the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the fate of each and every person.

America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who—with their hands, their intelligence and their heart—built the greatest nation in the world: “Come, and everything will be given to you.” She said: “Come, and the only limits to what you’ll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent.” America embodies this extraordinary ability to grant each and every person a second chance.

Here, both the humblest and most illustrious citizens alike know that nothing is owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That’s what constitutes the moral value of America. America did not teach men the idea of freedom; she taught them how to practice it. And she fought for this freedom whenever she felt it to be threatened somewhere in the world. It was by watching America grow that men and women understood that freedom was possible.

What made America great was her ability to transform her own dream into hope for all mankind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The men and women of my generation heard their grandparents talk about how in 1917, America saved France at a time when it had reached the final limits of its strength, which it had exhausted in the most absurd and bloodiest of wars.

Fathers took their sons to the beaches where the young men of America had so heroically landed. They read them the admirable letters of farewell that those 20-year-old soldiers had written to their families before the battle to tell them: “We don’t consider ourselves heroes. We want this war to be over. But however much dread we may feel, you can count on us.” Before they landed, Eisenhower told them: “The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

And as they listened to their fathers, watched movies, read history books and the letters of soldiers who died on the beaches of Normandy and Provence, as they visited the cemeteries where the star-spangled banner flies, the children of my generation understood that these young Americans, 20 years old, were true heroes to whom they owed the fact that they were free people and not slaves. France will never forget the sacrifice of your children.

To those 20-year-old heroes who gave us everything, to the families of those who never returned, to the children who mourned fathers they barely got a chance to know, I want to express France’s eternal gratitude.

On behalf of my generation, which did not experience war but knows how much it owes to their courage and their sacrifice; on behalf of our children, who must never forget; to all the veterans who are here today and, notably the seven I had the honor to decorate yesterday evening, one of whom, Senator Inouye, belongs to your Congress, I want to express the deep, sincere gratitude of the French people. I want to tell you that whenever an American soldier falls somewhere in the world, I think of what the American army did for France. I think of them and I am sad, as one is sad to lose a member of one’s family.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The men and women of my generation remember the Marshall Plan that allowed their fathers to rebuild a devastated Europe. They remember the Cold War, during which America again stood as the bulwark of the Free World against the threat of new tyranny.

I remember the Berlin crisis and Kennedy who unhesitatingly risked engaging the United States in the most destructive of wars so that Europe could preserve the freedom for which the American people had already sacrificed so much. No one has the right to forget. Forgetting, for a person of my generation, would be tantamount to self-denial.

But my generation did not love America only because she had defended freedom. We also loved her because for us, she embodied what was most audacious about the human adventure; for us, she embodied the spirit of conquest. We loved America because for us, America was a new frontier that was continuously pushed back—a constantly renewed challenge to the inventiveness of the human spirit.

My generation shared all the American dreams. Our imaginations were fueled by the winning of the West and Hollywood. By Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington, Hemingway. By John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth. And by Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, fulfilling mankind’s oldest dream.

What was so extraordinary for us was that through her literature, her cinema and her music, America always seemed to emerge from adversity even greater and stronger; that instead of causing America to doubt herself, such ordeals only strengthened her belief in her values.

What makes America strong is the strength of this ideal that is shared by all Americans and by all those who love her because they love freedom.

America’s strength is not only a material strength, it is first and foremost a spiritual and moral strength. No one expressed this better than a black pastor who asked just one thing of America: that she be true to the ideal in whose name he—the grandson of a slave—felt so deeply American. His name was Martin Luther King. He made America a universal role model.

The world still remembers his words—words of love, dignity and justice. America heard those words and America changed. And the men and women who had doubted America because they no longer recognized her began loving her again.

Fundamentally, what are those who love America asking of her, if not to remain forever true to her founding values?

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today as in the past, as we stand at the beginning of the 21st century, it is together that we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of freedom and democracy that men such as Washington and Lafayette invented together.

Together we must fight against terrorism. On September 11, 2001, all of France—petrified with horror—rallied to the side of the American people. The front-page headline of one of our major dailies read: “We are all American.” And on that day, when you were mourning for so many dead, never had America appeared to us as so great, so dignified, so strong. The terrorists had thought they would weaken you. They made you greater. The entire world felt admiration for the courage of the American people. And from day one, France decided to participate shoulder to shoulder with you in the war in Afghanistan. Let me tell you solemnly today: France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes, because what’s at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance. For me, failure is not an option. Terrorism will not win because democracies are not weak, because we are not afraid of this barbarism. America can count on France.

Together we must fight against proliferation. Success in Libya and progress under way in North Korea shows that nuclear proliferation is not inevitable. Let me say it here before all of you: The prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable. The Iranian people is a great people. It deserves better than the increased sanctions and growing isolation to which its leaders condemn it. Iran must be convinced to choose cooperation, dialogue and openness. No one must doubt our determination.

Together we must help the people of the Middle East find the path of peace and security. To the Israeli and Palestinian leaders I say this: Don’t hesitate! Risk peace! And do it now! The status quo hides even greater dangers: that of delivering Palestinian society as a whole to the extremists that contest Israel’s existence; that of playing into the hands of radical regimes that are exploiting the deadlock in the conflict to destabilize the region; that of fueling the propaganda of terrorists who want to set Islam against the West. France wants security for Israel and a State for the Palestinians.

Together we must help the Lebanese people affirm their independence, their sovereignty, their freedom, their democracy. What Lebanon needs today is a broad-based president elected according to the established schedule and in strict respect of the Constitution. France stands engaged alongside all the Lebanese. It will not accept attempts to subjugate the Lebanese people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
America feels it has the vocation to inspire the world. Because she is the most powerful country in the world. Because, for more than two centuries, she has striven to uphold the ideals of democracy and freedom. But this stated responsibility comes with duties, the first of which is setting an example.

Those who love this nation which, more than any other, has demonstrated the virtues of free enterprise expect America to be the first to denounce the abuses and excesses of a financial capitalism that sets too great a store on speculation. They expect her to commit fully to the establishment of the necessary rules and safeguards. The America I love is the one that encourages entrepreneurs, not speculators.

Those who admire the nation that has built the world’s greatest economy and has never ceased trying to persuade the world of the advantages of free trade expect her to be the first to promote fair exchange rates. The yuan is already everyone’s problem. The dollar cannot remain solely the problem of others. If we’re not careful, monetary disarray could morph into economic war. We would all be its victims.

Those who love the country of wide open spaces, national parks and nature reserves expect America to stand alongside Europe in leading the fight against global warming that threatens the destruction of our planet. I know that each day, in their cities and states, the American people are more aware of the stakes and determined to act. This essential fight for the future of humanity must be all of America’s fight.

Those who have not forgotten that it was the United States that, at the end of the Second World War, raised hopes for a new world order are asking America to take the lead in the necessary reforms of the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and the G8. Our globalized world must be organized for the 21st century, not for the last century. The emerging countries we need for global equilibrium must be given their rightful place.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to express one last conviction: Trust Europe.
In this unstable, dangerous world, the United States of America needs a strong, determined Europe. With the simplified treaty I proposed to our partners, the European Union is about to emerge from 10 years of discussions on its institutions and 10 years of paralysis. Soon it will have a stable president and a more powerful High Representative for foreign and security policy, and it must now reactivate the construction of its military capacities.

The ambition I am proposing to our partners is based on a simple observation: There are more crises than there are capacities to face them. NATO cannot be everywhere. The EU must be able to act, as it did in the Balkans and in the Congo, and as it will tomorrow on the border of Sudan and Chad. For that the Europeans must step up their efforts.
My approach is purely pragmatic. Having learned from history, I want the Europeans, in the years to come, to have the means to shoulder a growing share of their defense. Who could blame the United States for ensuring its own security? No one. Who could blame me for wanting Europe to ensure more of its own security? No one. All of our Allies, beginning with the United States, with whom we most often share the same interests and the same adversaries, have a strategic interest in a Europe that can assert itself as a strong, credible security partner.

At the same time, I want to affirm my attachment to NATO. I say it here before this Congress: The more successful we are in the establishment of a European Defense, the more France will be resolved to resume its full role in NATO.
I would like France, a founding member of our Alliance and already one of its largest contributors, to assume its full role in the effort to renew NATO’s instruments and means of action and, in this context, to allow its relations with the Alliance to evolve.

This is no time for theological quarrels but for pragmatic responses to make our security tools more effective and operational in the face of crises. The EU and NATO must march hand in hand.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I want to be your friend, your ally and your partner. But a friend who stands on his own two feet. An independent ally. A free partner.

France must be stronger. I am determined to carry through with the reforms that my country has put off for all too long. I will not turn back, because France has turned back for all too long. My country has enormous assets. While respecting its unique identity, I want to put it into a position to win all the battles of globalization. I passionately love France. I am lucid about the work that remains to be accomplished.

It is this ambitious France that I have come to present to you today. A France that comes out to meet America to renew the pact of friendship and the alliance that Washington and Lafayette sealed in Yorktown.

Together let us be worthy of their example, let us be equal to their ambition, let us be true to their memories!

Long live the United States of America!

Vive la France!

Long live French-American friendship!

THE LEGION OF HONOR

History

The Order of St. Louis, military and democratic, was the most popular in the kingdom. Louis XIV founded it in 1693. It comprised grand crosses, commanders and chevaliers or knights, all of whom were Catholic officers of the royal army. Louis XV instituted the Order of Military Merit for Protestant foreign officers serving in France.

During the Revolution, all orders were abolished, but it was soon realized that some form of officia compensation was needed to honor outstanding service and various collective and individual medals, crowns and arms especially, were instituted, particularly during the Directoire.

By an order enacted under Napoleon Bonaparte on 4 Nivôse, Year VIII, the"Arms of Honor"were instituted to recognize feats of valor by members of the army. These arms were engraved with the name of the bearer and frequently mentioned the exploit for which they had been awarded. Sabers signified first class. They entitled the bearer to double pay. To earn it, an individual had to have distinguished himself in an exceptional manner. Rifles, muskets and carbines along with drumsticks (for example those of the famous Arcole drum preserved in the Museum of the Legion of Honor), grenades, bugles and boarding-axes, signified second class and conferred the right to extra pay.

Yet the First Consul was already thinking about instituting a new award that would not be conferred exclusively for military valor. Seeing himself as the continuator of the Revolution, he conceived the formation of an honorary order that would reflect the principle of equality not only between military and civilian but also in services rendered to the country.

Napoleon's project was adopted and by the law of 29 Floréal, Year X, the new order, which he named the Legion of Honor, was instituted.

Never was a name better suited to an institution. It was indeed a Legion of Honor with the head of state as its grand master. From the beginning, it has been conferred on illustrious individuals in all walks of life--the military, magistrates, administrators and civil servants as well as men of distinguished achievement in the arts, fine arts, teaching, agriculture, trade and industry.

It was not enough, however, to recognize personal achievement and leave matters there. The founder of the Order wanted more, he wanted to spur the members of the Legion to even greater efforts in the service of their country.

He did so by instituting four ranks in the Legion: knight, officer, (commander until 1814), and grand-officer. In addition, Napoleon, as Emperor, added a fifth rank: grand croix or cross, called "grand-eagle" during his reign. The ranks of grand officer and grand cross are known as dignités.

From the outset, the emperor intended membership in the Legion of Honor to be a distinction of such illustriousness that it would fire people's imagination, spur soldiers to valor and be held in high esteem in other countries.

On July 15, 1804 the first crosses were awarded in the Church of the Invalides with all the splendor of imperial pomp. The emperor personally bestowed the awards on members of the great bodies of state--the assemblies, judges, clergy, the Institute, etc.-- and of course on the marshals and soldiers of the garrison in Paris (including the famous Coignet) after receiving their oath of loyalty as required by law.

Then on the following August 16, an unforgettable, solemn military ceremony was held at Boulogne-sur-Mer for the troops who were to embark for England, the conqueror's dream. There, within sight of the enemy's shores and to a gun salute from his fleet in the English Channel, Napoleon personally bestowed the new star on the officers and soldiers to whom it had been awarded, among them men who bore the Arms of Honor, automatically members of the Legion, to whom the first promotion of the Order (about 2,000) was dedicated.

During the Empire, the vast majority of appointees were soldiers, but civilians of merit did not go unrecognized. Some of the most illustrious names in France at the time appear on the lists, learned men like Monge, Chaptal, Bertholet, Jussieu and Montgolfier; artists David, Gérard and Houdon; the musician Gréry: writers Bernadin de Saint-Pierre and Fontanes, and among foreigners, Goethe. Some are less famous, for example, Oberkampf, whose "toiles de Jouy" replaced the English cotton fabrics that were cut off because of the blockade, who was personally decorated by the emperor. And even a simple workman, a miner from Liege, received the insignia of the Order in great pomp in 1812.

Napoleon, however, did not brave public opinion to the extent of awarding the Legion of Honor to an actor. The illustrious Talma, who was a favorite of his, did not receive it. (Louis Philippe was the first to award the decoration to a few actors, now little known, and to a male dancer but as a member of the Garde Nationale).

The Legion of Honor was retained during the Restoration and coexisted from 1814 to 1830 with the old royal orders that were revived. At that time, it went to many civilians. Victor Hugo and Lamartine were made knights in 1825.

Then starting with the reign of Louis Philippe, the Legion of Honor became the sole French national order, and the awards instituted by the kings disappeared for good.

Space does not permit even a few words about the great deeds, the illustrious achievements, devotion, bravery, sacrifices, inventions and progress in all branches of human activity that the Legion of Honor has stimulated, encouraged and honored as its founder had hoped.

Suffice it to say that the scarlet ribbon from which the cross with its motto "Honneur et Patrie" is suspended is coveted to this day by the most illustrious men and women of France and much esteemed abroad.

Over time, as a result of political vicissitudes and serious events that shook French society, the founding statutes were slightly amended in a few points of detail, specifically in 1816 by Louis XVIII and 1852 by Louis-Napoleon.

In 1962 General de Gaulle signed a new Code which, while taking into account the evolution of ideas and manners, restored the Legion of Honor to the character it had at its inception.

A second national order, the National Order of Merit, was instituted in 1963 as a compliment.

The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how in 1944, America returned to free Europe from the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave it. Fathers took their sons to see the vast cemeteries where, under thousands of white crosses so far from home, thousands of young American soldiers lay who had fallen not to defend their own freedom but the freedom of all others, not to defend their own families, their own homeland, but to defend humanity as a whole.
Fathers took their sons to the beaches where the young men of America had so heroically landed. They read them the admirable letters of farewell that those 20-year-old soldiers had written to their families before the battle to tell them: “We don’t consider ourselves heroes. We want this war to be over. But however much dread we may feel, you can count on us.” Before they landed, Eisenhower told them: “The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

Thunderbolt History
Unit History of the 2nd Battalion 70th Armor

The 70th Tank Battalion was activated 15 July 1940 at Fort Meade, Maryland as the first independent tank battalion in the US Army. The battalion was assigned to General Headquarters and, from the start, was specially trained to operate as decentralized infantry support during amphibious landings.

Though the US didn't declare war on the Axis powers until December of 1941, the 70th Tank conducted intensive training from November 1940 until June 1941 as Army leaders prepared for the worst. The battalion was originally equipped with M2A2 light tanks (the "Mae West"), which was armed only with .30 cal machine guns. Newer M3 light tanks with a 37mm main gun were in production and were finally fielded to the battalion in 1941.

Company A participated in maneuver training at Fort Devons and later joined the 1st Infantry Division at the New York harbor for sea maneuvers and amphibious training off the coast of North Carolina. Meanwhile, the rest of the battalion performed maneuver training at Camp Forest in Tennessee. By December 7, the 70th Tank was the only combat-ready tank battalion in the Army. On January 4, 1942, the 70th joined the Big Red One at Brooklyn Army Base where they boarded ships bound for the island of Martinique, controlled then by the pro-Nazi Vichy French government. Martinique capitulated as the convoy circled the island, and the invasion force made a practice landing at Norfolk, Virginia. After a brief return to Fort Meade, the battalion deployed to Fort Bragg on March 11, 1942 where they were attached to the 9th Infantry Division. The battalion was outfitted with the new M5 light tank with better engines and an improved stabilized turret. On September 4, 1942, the battalion listened as General Patton delivered his "Blood and Guts" speech. In late September and early October, the invasion force boarded ships in secrecy, bound for North Africa.

Company B of the 70th Tank Battalion carried the first American flag into French Morocco at the port of Safi on 8 November 1942. Although Companies B and C saw little more than token resistance, Company A, attached to the 16th French Regiment, fought through Tunisia along with French and British soldiers until they linked up with Montgomery's Eighth Army on 13 May, 1943. During the closing battles of the North African campaign, Company A had captured over 7,000 German soldiers and 1,500 Italians and had earned 25 Croix de Guerres. The battalion had earned its first Invasion Arrowhead but 8 tankers had died and 19 were wounded or missing.

After brief stint instructing the French on the use of the M5 light tank (the battalion was known to the French as Soixante-Dix, French for "70th"), the battalion was reunited with the Big Red One at Algiers and loaded ships for Sicily. Recon elements of the 70th landed in Sicily on 10 June 1943. The battalion main body arrived at Gela, Sicily on 14 June. On 16 June, the battalion capitalized on tactics learned in the North African Desert as they defeated an attack by 16 German Mark IVs, knocking out five and forcing the rest to retreat, opening the way for the advance to the Salso River. In 13 days of continuous combat the battalion crossed four fifths of the island and became known as the "light tank outfit that opens closed pockets." The battalion had earned a second Invasion Arrowhead. Again the price was steep- 15 tanks destroyed, 11 men killed, and 44 wounded or missing.

The battalion embarked for England to reconstitute, putting in at Liverpool on 28 November 1943. The battalion had demonstrated in North Africa and Sicily that the M5 light tank was badly outgunned by the German Mark IVs with 75mm guns; they were refitted in England with three companies of M4 Sherman medium tanks with 75mm main guns in December 1943.

It was during this time that the 70th adopted "Joe Peckerwood", the "Truculent Turtle," as their mascot. Joe was painted onto every sponson and every vehicle in the battalion.

At 0630 on 6 June 1944, after 18 months of training in secret, the 70th Tank Battalion rolled off of their landing crafts and onto Utah beach with the 4th Infantry Division. One of the first of the 70th Tank's soldiers to make it on the French shore was LT Franklin Anderson and his team of radiomen and engineers. Anderson was wounded by shrapnel after leaving the landing craft but made it to the seawall and directed the engineers as they blew holes in the wall for dozer tanks to enlarge.

Although A and B Companies were supposed to have been in the first wave, due to a mix up in the rendezvous area, the first tank on shore was commanded by PFC Owen Gavigan of C Company. C Company arrived with 12 of its 16 tanks and, under artillery and rocket fire, cleared obstacles with HE and bull dozer attachments and took key gun emplacements under fire, allowing follow-on ships filled with troops and supplies to make it to the beach. A Company was not so lucky. Before the tankers could disembark, one of the LCTs hit a mine and was blown in two. Nineteen tankers of the twenty on board died. As the rest of A Companies tanks hit the beach, they took up firing positions where they could support the infantry that were landing behind them. Two more tankers died during this operation, but the infantry landed safely.

70th Tank battalion engineers blew the seawall in front of B Company as their tanks hit the beach, but they met little resistance other than dismounted Germans exiting a bombed-out pillbox. All 16 of their tanks landed safely and moved through the breach made by the engineers and secured the causeway leading off the beach.

D Company, equipped with light tanks was assigned the mission of linking up with the 101st Airborne Division, which had landed behind the enemy defenses during the night. D Company found the infantry broken up into small groups under pressure from pockets of German resistance. By the end of the day, D Company had found large elements of the 101st and consolidated for the next morning's attack.

By nightfall, all the companies of the 70th Tank Battalion had reached their objectives and had consolidated the Utah beachhead.

The battalion fought its way north toward Cherbourg, at the head of the Cotentin Peninsula. C Company broke through to the 82nd Airborne at Ste. Mere Eglise on 8 June, and the battalion continued north, cleaning up pockets of resistance along the road north. The tankers fought continuously for days on end, doggedly clearing the last German resistance. The town of Azeville fell on 11 June. Montebourg followed on 19 June. Cherbourg itself was not taken until 26 June, three weeks of exhaustive combat after the D-Day invasion.

The 70th Tank's losses during D-Day were the largest for any single day in the war. During the "Longest Day", they had lost 16 tanks, with 22 men killed and 8 wounded. By the time the Eighth Infantry Regiment had cleared the Cotentin Peninsula, the number of lost tanks had grown to 32, with 29 men KIA, 31 MIA and 48 WIA. The 70th Armor Battalion earned another Invasion Arrowhead and a Presidential Unit Citation for its critical role in the invasion of Normandy.

From Cherbourg, the battalion fought south through the hedgerows to Periers and the St. Lo breakthrough. The battalion entered Paris on 25 August and rolled out again towards St. Quentin on 28 August 1944. By this time, the battalion had begun receiving upgraded Shermans with new 76mm guns. They also installed flamethrowers in their tanks as they waited to cross in to Belgium in late August.

The 4th ID crossed into Belgium in early September and reached the Siegfried Line marking the German border on 11 September 1944. After four days of bitter fighting, the division had advanced one mile and had only broken the first bolt of the German defenses. They were withdrawn to the vicinity of St. Vith to wait for lagging supply trains. On 9 November they road marched north to the vicinity of Aachen. For the 70th Tank Battalion, this began the battle of the Huertgen forest, the toughest, longest battle of the entire war. The 9th ID and 28th ID had each been sent into the forest and decimated by withering fire from German positions. On 4 December, the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th ID, with C and D Company attached captured the town of Grosshau and opened a path through their portion of the forest, for which they received a Meritorious Unit Citation. Most elements of the 70th were relieved and left the Huertgen forest on 8 December. The battalion withdrew into Luxembourg to refit and repair. Only 26 operational tanks remained in the battalion.

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The crippled 4th ID and 70th Armor Battalion held Luxembourg City during the Battle of the Bulge in late December and fought north to the Pruem and on to the Rhine. Detached briefly to the 63rd ID for the assault on Saarbrucken, the 70th and the 4th ID raced south and east across Germany. The 70th Tank Battalion ended the war at the Starnberger Sea in southern Bavaria.

From 8 May 1945 until 22 May 1946, the battalion performed occupation duty in Bamburg and Nurnberg, Germany. On 22 May 1946 the battalion was deactivated.

bIn 30 months of war, 12 officers and 149 enlisted soldiers were killed, while 75 officers and 405 enlisted soldiers were wounded. Ninety medium and 35 light tanks had been lost. The 70th had 3 D-Days on an island and two continents. It had received 9 Distinguished Service Crosses, 3 Legions of Merit, 123 Silver Stars, 2 Soldier's Medals, 287 Bronze Stars, 709 Purple Hearts, and 25 Croix de Guerres. It is the oldest and most decorated tank battalion in the United States Army.

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