US Army 89th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve patch with a black W monogram on a green field

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the United States Army 89th Infantry Division, known as the Rolling W or the Middle West Division. The circular black and green badge has a W monogram that inverts to become an M, representing the Midwest origin of the troops who formed the Division when it was established in August 1917. During World War II, the 89th landed at Le Havre, France, on January 21, 1945 and crossed the Rhine River on March 26th. The 89th and the 4th Armored Divisions liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp, a subcamp of Buchenwald, on April 4, 1945, the first concentration camp liberated by US troops. The Units forced local residents to view the camp. In late April, the 89th was assigned duties as an army of occupation near Gotha and Armstadt until Germany surrendered on May 7. The Division was relocated to Normandy on May 17 to process the shipment of American troops to the US and Pacific. The 89th Infantry returned to the US on December 16th and was inactivated on December 27, 1945.