3d Battalion
24th Infantry
________________
Carl White

 

    
                               
       

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.

25 February 1921

Activated in Hawaii as the Hawaiian Division.

26 August 1941. Redesignated the 24th Infantry Division

 

Battle Honor: New Guinea;

 

Decoration: Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for PAPUA

 

Battle Honor: Leyte;

 

 Battle Honor: Luzon (with arrowhead)

 

 Decoration: Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for CORREGIDOR

 

Decoration: Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for 17 October 1944 to  4 July 1945

 1 December 1945

Inactivated 1 December 1945 in Japan

1 March 1963

redesignated  as the 18th Surgical Hospital

26 March 1963

Activated  at Fort Gordon, Georgia
 

Battle Honors:  Vietnam: Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII; Consolidation I

 

Decoration: Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1966-1967

 

Decoration: Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1970-1971

31 August 1971

Inactivated  at Fort Lewis, Washington

18 November 1991

Activated  at Fort Lewis, Washington
Source: The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office

 

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Copyright ©, The Corregidor Historic Society, 1999-2003 - All Rights Reserved
Last Updated: 09-09-11

This Lineage was first published in The Static Line,  February 1996 ©  John D. Reynolds 2000 All Rights Reserved - Updates and Corrections are invited.