Some WWII Combat Engineers deserve the combat infantry badge. My father, for one, served with the 234 Combat Engineers battling from D+3, Normandy beaches, through Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. When casualties in the regular infantry regiments became high, as the war progressed though Europe, combat engineer battalions were used as infantry. My father went on many of these infantry patrols, attached to the 29th and 30th divisions and was wounded by enemy machine gun fire on the Siegfried line while on a night patrol. Combat engineer companies were moved around and attached to different divisions at different times where they were needed. In addition, when the engineers built many of the bailey bridges, it was under enemy fire. The Germans did not just sit back and watch them build a bridge and welcome them into Germany.
My father is very humble about his service and has just started talking about his experiences at 87 years old. He did not even have his medals until two years ago when he found out he was eligible to get them, he only had the ribbons and never saw the medals all these years. Two years ago, he was awarded the French, Legion of Honor by the French consulate for his participation in the liberation of France.
If the French government can recognize our service men after all these years, then it is time that our government recognize them as well. Many of these guys went through hell and saw things that no one should see or experience. If a soldier can prove he served the required amount of time on the front lines, then they should get the combat infantry badge and be eligible for a bronze star.