The "Old Hickory" Division Monument in Nauroy France.

The monument, designed by Jeff Allen Associates of Winston-Salem, NC, features an obelisk on a large base with an informational panel and was carved from North Carolina white granite. The sculpture is topped with a Doughboy helmet mounted at a resting angle. On the plinth is the division insignia above a bronze plaque while on the other side of the plinth is a map made from metal.  I contributed the designs of the plaques, pre-visualization and the recommendation to place the helmet on top.

On that historic day, the 30th Infantry Division broke the Hindenburg Line, an important segment of the German defensive network on the Western Front during World War I. This decisive action was part of a series of Allied assaults known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which led to the signing of the armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

The 30th Division was organized from National Guard regiments from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, along with other soldiers from around the United States. It was called the “Old Hickory Division” in honor of President Andrew Jackson, who had ties to all three states. The Division was assigned to the Second Corps of the American Expeditionary Force, which in turn was detached and operated under the control of the British.

During the attack on the Hindenburg Line, the 30th Division’s 119th and 120th infantry regiments, originally N.C. National Guard units, led the assault. The Germans opened fire and caused heavy casualties to the Guardsmen. The attack of the 119th made little progress, but the 120th captured the village of Bellicourt after heavy fighting, which broke the Hindenburg Line at the St. Quentin Canal in northern France, and, at least briefly, entered the village of Nauroy.