Milton J. Long

The Seventh Army (motto: Pyramid of Power) traces its roots to the I Armored Corps, activated in July 1940 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with the mission of supporting Allied efforts in Europe and North Africa. Under the leadership of General George S. Patton, the corps took part in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa in 1942, helping trap Axis forces in Tunisia by May 1943 after driving east to link with British forces.

Following the success in North Africa, Patton became commander of the newly designated Seventh Army, formed in July 1943. The Seventh Army spearheaded the Allied invasion of Sicily, capturing Palermo and Messina while working alongside the British Eighth Army. After a period of preparation in Italy, the Seventh Army was assigned to the invasion of southern France, known as Operation Dragoon, landing on the beaches in August 1944. Within a month, the army advanced 400 miles north, liberating key cities including Marseille, Lyon, and Toulon, and linking up with forces advancing from Normandy.

Continuing into Germany, the Seventh Army fought through the Vosges Mountains and the Alsatian Plain, eliminated the Colmar Pocket, crossed the Rhine, and captured Nuremberg and Munich. It eventually pushed into northern Italy, connecting with the U.S. Fifth Army at Vipiteno. In less than nine months of continuous fighting, the Seventh Army advanced over 1,000 miles, commanding up to 24 U.S. and Allied divisions, and played a pivotal role in liberating large parts of France and Germany during World War II.