Gen. George Patton gave the Thunderbirds high praise, saying "the 45th Infantry Division is one of the best, if not the best.

The German pillboxes had pinned down Treadwell’s Fox Company of the 180th Infantry, 54th Infantry Division, with intermittent artillery barrages and continuous machine gun and sniper fire for hours.

The brigade is made up of frontline infantry, and support units ... deployment of troops abroad since the end of WWII. At present, there are 150 German troops stationed in the country.