Nickname:
Victory Division.
Shoulder patch: A green taro leaf bordered in yellow,
superimposed on a red circle which is bordered in black. |
After being relieved from their attachment to the 8th
Infantry Division, 1st Battalion 34th Infantry was assigned to the 24th
Infantry Division on 12 June 1943. The 24th Infantry Division had been
among the first to see combat in World War II and would be among the last
to stop fighting. The Division was on Oahu, with Headquarters at Schofield
Barracks, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, and
suffered minor casualties. Charged with the defense of northern Oahu, it
built an elaborate system of coastal defenses.
In May 1943 it was alerted for movement to Australia and by September
19, 1943 had completed the move to Camp Caves, near Rockhampton, on the
eastern coast of Australia. After a period of intensive training, the
Division moved to Goodenough Island, 31 January 1944, to stage for the
Hollandia-Tanahmerah campaign. The 24th landed on Dutch New Guinea, 22
April 1944, and smashed its way to and seized the important Hollandia
Airdrome despite torrential rains and marshy terrain.
Shortly after the Hollandia landing, the 34th Infantry Regiment moved
to Biak, 18 June, to reinforce the 41st Infantry Division, and captured
Sorido and Borokoe airdromes before returning to the Division on Hollandia
in July.
After occupation duty in the Hollandia area, the 24th Division landed
on Red Beach on Leyte, 20 October 1944, as part of the X Corps, Sixth
Army, and driving up Leyte Valley advanced to Jaro and took Breakneck
Ridge, 12 November 1944, in heavy fighting.
While mopping up continued on Leyte, the 19th RCT moved to Mindoro
Island as part of the Western Visayan Task Force, landing in the San Jose
area, 15 December 1944. Airfields and a PT base were secured for
operations on Luzon. Divisional elements effected a landing on Marinduque
Island. Other elements supported the 11th Airborne Division drive from
Nasugbu to Manila. The 34th RCT, landing at San Antonio, Luzon, 29 January
1945, ran into a furious battle on Zig Zag Pass and suffered heavy
casualties.
On 16 February 1945 the 3d Bn. of the 24th Infantry took part in the
amphibious landing on Corregidor and fought Japanese under a hot sun on
the well-defended Rock.
After numerous mopping up actions in March, the Division landed on
Mindanao, 17 April 1945, cut across the island to Digos, 27 April, stormed
into Davao, 3 May, and cleared Libby airdrome, 13 May. Although the
campaign closed officially on 30 June, the Division continued to mop up
Japanese resistance during July and August 1945. Patrolling continued
after the official surrender of Japan. On 15 October 1945, the Division
left Mindanao for Japan. |