The Blue and Gray Brothers: How a National Guard Division Became D-Day Heroes

When people think of D-Day and Omaha Beach, the stories usually center on regular Army units and the Rangers. But hidden in that historic wave was a National Guard division with remarkable origins—one made up of men whose ancestors had once fought on opposite sides of the Civil War.

A Division Born from Reconciliation

The 29th Infantry Division was activated in 1917, not long after the United States entered World War I. What made it unique was its composition: it drew soldiers from Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia. These were states that had fielded armies for both the Union and the Confederacy. The division's blue and gray insignia was a deliberate symbol—that old enemies now stood shoulder to shoulder.

First on the Beach

By June 1944, the 29th's 116th Infantry Regiment was assigned to Operation Overlord. Their mission: support the western flank of Omaha Beach while the 1st Infantry Division's 16th Regiment handled the eastern side.

Nothing went according to plan. Rough seas knocked landing craft off course. Most armor launched too far offshore and sank before reaching the beach. Yet despite the chaos, the 116th Infantry became the first wave to make landfall on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

They walked into a kill zone. German fortifications along the bluffs unleashed devastating fire. Company A of the 116th Regiment was destroyed almost immediately after hitting the sand, landing alongside the 2nd Ranger Battalion just to their west. The losses were so severe that additional landings were halted two hours in because there was no room on the beach.

The Cost of the Day

By the end of D-Day, the 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions combined had suffered roughly 2,400 casualties out of 6,500 total American losses that day. The destruction of Company A hit one town so hard that Bedford, Virginia, was later chosen as the site of the National D-Day Memorial.

Beyond the Beach

The 29th didn't stop at the shoreline. They fought through the hedgerows of Normandy and liberated Saint-Lo, one of the most contested towns in France. They pushed into Germany, saw action around Vire, and ultimately occupied Bremen after the war ended. The division was demobilized in 1946.

Across World War II, the 29th Infantry Division endured more than 20,000 casualties, including over 3,000 killed. Their soldiers earned two Medals of Honor, 854 Silver Stars, and more than 6,000 Bronze Stars.

The National Guard doesn't often boast about its legacy. But the 29th Infantry Division's story at Omaha Beach proves that citizen soldiers have stood in the front line of history when it mattered most.