The 274th Infantry Regiment was activated with the 70th Infantry Division 15 July 1943 at Camp Adair, Oregon. It trained there for its combat mission for the next 12 months. During that period, the division was tasked to provide replacements for U.S. Army losses in Europe and the Far East. This required new replacements and retraining of the regiment's  small units. In late July 1944 the division entrained for a transfer to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and resumed training there. The last of the replacements arrived in early October 1944, and the next month the  regiment went with the division to Camp Myles Standish, MA to stage for shipment to Europe. On 10 December it landed at Marseilles, France and was trucked to a staging area to make final preparations for combat.

On 20 December the regiment boarded 40 and 8 box cars and traveled north toward the front line. Christmas Eve and 500 cold and snowy miles later it arrived at. Brumath, France,  and walked carrying full field gear and weapons to Bischweiler ready for commitment. The areas in which the 274th Infantry Regiment fought are described in this home page and include:

Phillipsbourg, France
Nestled deep in the Hardt Mountains near the German border, this village was important to   both adversaries because it was located at an important  intersection on highway  N62 and also on a key rail line. The Germans wanted control of this village so badly that they would sacrifice almost anything. They almost succeeded, but the 274th Infantry was as determined and in the end, prevailed.

Wingen, France
2d Battalion, 274th Infantry won the Presidential Unit Citation for the capture and liberation of Wingen. This battle was the initial mission of this battalion. They became veterans overnight by decisively defeating the best in the German Army, in what later proved to be a major battle of the winter campaign. In this victory, the battalion destroyed two German battalions, liberated over 250 Americans from another division being held there as prisoners of the German forces, and recaptured a significant number of American weapons and vehicles.

Rothbach, France
The first week of January, 1945 was a critical one for the American Seventh Army fighting in France. The Battle of the Ardennes was still in a decisive stage. The Germans held the initiative. From Belgium to Strasburg,and from Bitche to Hagenau. This is the German operation North Wind. 274th's 3d Bn helps plug the gaps which finally stops the German's final offensive of their winter campaigns.

The Siegfried Line
Germany's defenses in this section of the Saar Basin rested in the hands of some 125,000 soldiers of the German First Army manning the Siegfied Line here, and the 274th Infantry Regiment must crack it in its drive to capture Saarbrücken.