US Army 8th Armored Division Thundering Herd Western Style Belt Buckle

Description

Post war belt buckle for the 8th Armored Division "The Thundering Herd".  Buckle is in very good condition and also made in the U.S.A. ! The 8th Armored was primarily a training unit at Ft. Knox from 1942 until January 1943. In March of '43 they moved to Ft. Polk, LA
where it took over vehicles and equipment of the departing 7th Armored Division. While in North Camp Polk, it began training for combat service.
In September 1944 it was placed in top priority for overseas movement. It departed for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey in late October 1944. Departure from New York began on 7 November with arrival in England on 18 November 1944. T
he 8th Armored landed in France on 5 Jan 1945 and assembled in the vicinity of Pont-a-Mousson, France. While in the ETO they saw action in the Rhineland;
Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe
.
T
he
8th
also
liberated Halberstadt-Zwieberge, a subcamp of the Buchenwald
concentration camp
, between April 12 and 17, 1945.