Mass Militaria & Antiques

Lucien J. Forcier was born in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, on August 15, 1915. Little else is known about his early years, but he would go on to enlist in the U.S. Army on June 23, 1943.

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Training
After enlisting, Lucien was sent to the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Croft on November 10, 1943, where he underwent intensive training preparing him for deployment to the European Theater. This training focused on weapons, field tactics, and unit coordination, ensuring he would be ready for frontline combat upon arrival overseas.

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Deployment to Europe
Lucien’s overseas journey began on December 4, 1943, when he was listed on an outgoing transport from Camp Shanks, New York, staged as GN830A INF CO A 4TH PLAT, bound for the European Theater. By December 22, 1943, he appeared on morning reports as a member of Company A, 37th Replacement Battalion, and by December 27, he was officially assigned as a replacement to Company M, 112th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.

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Combat in the United Kingdom
On March 8, 1944, Lucien was recorded on the morning report in Burkett, Carmarthenshire, Wales. By the end of April, 1944, he remained in the general Carmarthenshire area but was reassigned to Company M, 38th Infantry Regiment. During this period, the regiment engaged in extensive training exercises and preparation for the upcoming invasion of France, adjusting to the coordination and movements necessary for large-scale operations.

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Combat in France
On July 4, 1944, Lucien and Company M, 38th Infantry Regiment had made their way to La Vieille, France, entering into active combat. During the late summer of 1944, the regiment played a crucial role in the assault and capture of Hill 154 in the vicinity of Brest, France, from August 22–23, 1944. Lucien and his fellow soldiers faced heavily fortified German positions and intense enemy fire, overcoming entrenched defenses to secure the objective. The coordinated effort, bravery, and persistence displayed during this assault earned the unit the Presidential Unit Citation.

Presidential Unit Citation
Members of the 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry, and attached personnel were awarded the Distinguished Unit Badge by General Order 4148, Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Division, dated December 24, 1944, for their assault and capture of Hill 154. Soldiers were entitled to wear the Distinguished Unit Citation Badge permanently in recognition of their extraordinary heroism.

For the remainder of the war, Lucien continued to serve with the 38th Infantry, participating in the advance through northern France and into Germany, contributing to the division’s operations and securing key positions until the end of hostilities.

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Post-War Life
Lucien returned home after the war and lived a full life in New Hampshire. He passed away on December 2, 1989, at the age of 74 in Nashua, leaving behind his wife, Ruth, and two daughters. Lucien’s actions during World War II, particularly his participation in the assault on Hill 154, remain a notable part of his legacy.