soldiers in action

March 22, 1945. Saarbrucken, Germany: The capital of Saar fell without a battle to the American 7th Army. Fewer than 1000 Germans were left in Saarbrucken which before the war had 135,000 inhabitants.

The first men in were the "L" Company, the 275th Infantry of the 70th division, led by Lieutenant Alfred E. Schultz of Staten Island, New York, who is seen here in front of the mopping-up squad searching for snipers.

The 70th Infantry Division ("Trailblazers") was a unit of the United States Army in World War II, spearheading the Seventh United States Army's drive into Germany, south of Saarbrücken.
Activated at Camp Adair, Oregon, in 1943, the 70th Division served throughout World War II in the European Theater of Operations, the division was deactivated in October 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey following its return to the United States.
The name "Trailblazers" originated from the pioneers moving west into Oregon and "blazing" trails through the thick evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest. The 70th Infantry Division adopted the "Trailblazer" title when they were activated in 1943. They became known as the Trailblazer Division.