On October 22 2003, MSNBC featured a story on the 299th C.E. and the work they are doing in Iraq. They feature the 299th on its day of demolition of SA2 surface-to-air missiles and a raid. The story link is below for all those who wish to read it.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/983030.asp

The 299th Combat Engineers

The299th Combat Engineer Battalion was one of several smaller units to train at Camp White.  The Battalion was activated on March 3, 1943.  Most of the members were from upstate New York.  After training at Camp White, Eastern Oregon and various other posts in the United States, the unit was sent to England and would eventually enter combat at H-hour plus two minutes on Utah and Omaha beach’s on June 6th, 1944.

“The 299th Engineer Combat Battalion, as part of a special engineer demolition task force was attached to the 1st U.S. Infantry Division fro the assault, with the mission of clearing the beach of obstacles within the tidal range of the beach from vicinity of Vierville-sur-Mer to Colleville.”

Each Demolition team was landed in an LCM, equipped with a ton of explosives and accessories, all of which were hand carried.  Due to the rising tide it was necessary to execute the demolition of the outer (seaward) obstacles within 30 minutes after landing.”

The battalion was equipped with tank dozers, 60 percent of which did not reach the beach in operating condition.  The demolition teams worked from 0633 hours to 1330 hours under extremely heavy enemy fire and continued to work under intermittent artillery and small arms fire until approximately 1600 hours, June 7, 1944.”

The operation was further complicated because of infantry and other troops were within danger radius of obstacle demolition.  The battalion worked with little food or rest until June 9, 1944, suffering approximately 33 percent casualties.  It was necessary, in at least four instances, for teams to interrupt their work and attack enemy sniper positions in the hills.

“ The mission of the battalion was completed under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions, which required extraordinary heroism and determination on the part of each individual.”

“The esprit de3 corps of the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion exhibited in the action is worthy of the highest praise.”

The unit would serve in five more campaigns receiving battle stars for their valorous accomplishments at Normandy, Northern France, The Rhineland, The Ardennes, and Central Europe in addition to the Distinguished Presidential Unit Citation with Bronze Arrowhead and the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Del Hussey
Camp White Historian