U.S. 24th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry
division
of the United States Army
. Before its most recent inactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Riley
, Kansas.
Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division
, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, first fighting in New Guinea
before landing on the Philippine islands of Leyte
and Luzon
, driving Japanese forces from them. Following the end of the war, the division participated in patrol operations in Japan, and was the first division to respond at the outbreak of the Korean War
. For the first 18 months of the war, the division was heavily engaged on the front lines with North Korean and Chinese forces, suffering over 10,000 casualties. It was withdrawn from the front lines to the reserve force for the remainder of the war, but returned to Korea for patrol duty at the end of major combat operations.
After its deployment in Korea, the division was active in Europe and the United States during the Cold War
, but saw relatively little combat until the Persian Gulf War
, when it faced the Iraq
i military. A few years after that conflict, it was inactivated as part of a post Cold War US military drawdown. The division was reactivated in 1999 as a formation for training and deploying Army National Guard
units before inactivating again in 2006.
. The division insignia is based on the taro
leaf, emblematic of Hawaii. The division was assigned the 21st Infantry Brigade and the 22nd Infantry Brigade, both of which had been assigned to the US 11th Infantry Division prior to 1921.
The entire Hawaiian Division was concentrated at a single location during the next few years, allowing it to conduct more effective combined arms
training. It was also manned at higher personnel levels than other divisions, and its field artillery
was the first to be motorized.
Between August and September 1941, the Hawaiian Division's assets were reorganized to form two divisions under the new Triangular Division TO&E. Its brigade headquarters were disbanded and the 27th and 35th Infantry regiments were assigned to the new 25th Infantry Division. Hawaiian Division headquarters was redesignated as Headquarters, 24th Infantry Division on 1 October 1941. The 24th Infantry Division also received the Hawaiian Division's Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, which was approved in 1921.
The division was centered around three infantry regiments: the 19th Infantry Regiment
and the 21st Infantry Regiment
from the Active duty force, and the 299th Infantry Regiment
from the Hawaii National Guard
. Also attached to the division were the 13th Field Artillery Battalion
, the 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, the 63rd Field Artillery Battalion, the 11th Field Artillery Battalion, the 24th Signal Company, the 724th Ordnance Company, the 24th Quartermaster Company, the 24th Reconnaissance Troop, the 3rd Engineer Battalion, the 24th Medical Battalion, and the 24th Counter Intelligence Detachment.
, with its headquarters at Schofield Barracks, when the Japanese
launched their Attack on Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941 and the unit suffered minor casualties during the attack. The division was then charged with the defense of northern Oahu, where it built an elaborate system of coastal defenses throughout 1942. In July 1942, the 299th Infantry Regiment was replaced by the 298th Infantry Regiment. One year later, this regiment was replaced by the 34th Infantry Regiment
from the Hawaiian Department Reserve. The 34th Infantry remained with the 24th Infantry Division until the end of the war. As an active component unit, the 34th was easier to deploy than the reserve component units, which were less trained.
, on the eastern coast of Australia by 19 September 1943. Once deployed, it began intensive combat training. After training, the division moved to Goodenough Island
on 31 January 1944, to prepare for Operation Reckless
, the amphibious capture of Hollandia
, Netherlands New Guinea
(now Jayapura
, Papua
province, Indonesia
).
The 24th landed at Tanahmerah Bay
on 22 April 1944 and seized the important Hollandia Airdrome despite torrential rain and marshy terrain. Shortly after the Hollandia landing, the division's 34th Infantry Regiment moved to Biak
to reinforce the 41st Infantry Division. The regiment captured Sorido and Borokoe airdromes before returning to the division on Hollandia in July. The 41st and 24th divisions isolated 40,000 Japanese forces south of the landings. Despite resistance from the isolated Japanese forces in the area, the 24th Infantry Division advanced rapidly through the region. In two months, the 24th Division crossed the entirety of New Guinea.
After occupation duty in the Hollandia area, the 24th Division was assigned to X Corps of the Sixth United States Army in preparation for the invasion of the Philippines
. On 20 October 1944, the division was paired with the 1st Cavalry Division within X Corps, and the two divisions made an assault landing at Leyte
, initially encountering only light resistance. Following a defeat at sea
on 26 October, the Japanese launched a large, uncoordinated counteroffensive
against the Sixth Army. The 24th Division drove up the Leyte Valley, advanced to Jaro
and captured Breakneck Ridge
on 12 November 1944, in heavy fighting.
While final clearing operations continued on Leyte, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry Regiment moved to Mindoro Island as part of the Western Visayan Task Force and landed in the San Jose
area on 15 December 1944. There, it secured airfields and a patrol base for operations on Luzon
. Elements of the 24th Infantry Division effected a landing on Marinduque Island
. Other elements supported the 11th Airborne Division
drive from Nasugbu to Manila
.
from the Japanese 14th Area Army, which fought delaying actions on the island. The division's 34th Infantry Regiment landed at San Antonio, Zambales
on 29 January 1945 and ran into a furious battle on Zig Zag Pass, where it suffered heavy casualties. On 16 February 1945 the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry took part in the amphibious landing on Corregidor
and fought the Japanese on the well-defended island. The rest of the division landed at Sablayan, Mindoro
on 19 February, cleared the remainder of the island and engaged in numerous mopping up actions during the following month. These operations were complete by 18 March, and the division moved south to attack through Basilan
. the division landed at Mindanao
on 17 April 1945 and cut across the island to Digos
until 27 April, stormed into Davao
on 3 May, and cleared Libby airdrome on 13 May. Although the campaign officially closed on 30 June, the division continued to clear up Japanese resistance during July and August 1945. The 24th Infantry Division patrolled the region until the official surrender of Japan ended the war. On 15 October 1945 the division left Mindanao for occupation duty on mainland Japan.
During World War II, members of the 24th Infantry Division won three Medals of Honor, 15 Distinguished Service Cross
es, two Distinguished Service Medal
s, 625 Silver Star Medals, 38 Soldier's Medal
s, 2,197 Bronze Star Medal
s, and 50 Air Medal
s. The division itself was awarded eight Distinguished Unit Citations for participation in the campaign.
from 1945 until 1950. During this time, the US Army shrank. At the end of World War II it contained 89 divisions, but by 1950, the 24th Infantry Division was one of only 10 active divisions in the force. It was one of four understrength divisions on occupation duty in Japan. The others were the 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and 25th Infantry Division, all under control of the Eighth United States Army. The 24th Division retained the 19th, 21st, and 34th regiments, but the formations were undermanned and ill-equipped due to the post-war drawdown and reduction in military spending.
and advanced south, preparing to conquer the entire nation. The UN ordered an intervention to prevent the conquest of South Korea. U.S. President Harry S. Truman
ordered ground forces into South Korea. The 24th Infantry Division was closest to Korea, and it was the first US division to respond. The 24th Division's first mission was to "take the initial shock" of the North Korean assault, then try to slow its advance until more US divisions could arrive.
and prepared to block advancing North Korean forces. The next day, they spotted an incoming column of troops from the North Korean 105th Armored Division
. The ensuing battle was a rout, as the Task Force's obsolescent weapons were no match for the North Koreans' T-34 Tanks and full-strength formations. Within a few hours, the first battle between US and North Korean forces was lost. Task Force Smith suffered 20 killed and 130 wounded in action. Dozens of US soldiers were captured, and when US forces retook the area, some of the prisoners were discovered to have been executed. Approximately 30 percent of task Force Smith became casualties in the Battle of Osan
. The task force was successful in delaying the North Korean forces' advance for seven hours.
The 24th Infantry Division led the advance into South Korea, through the port of Pusan, and it followed by elements of the 1st Cavalry Division and 25th Infantry Division from the Eighth Army. As more soldiers arrived, the 24th Infantry Division was placed under the command of I Corps, Eighth Army. For the first month after the defeat of Task Force Smith, 24th Infantry Division soldiers were repeatedly defeated and pushed south by the North Korean force's superior numbers and equipment. 24th Infantry Division soldiers were pushed south at and around Chochiwon
, Chonan
, Pyongtaek
, Hadong
, and Yechon. The division's 19th and 34th regiments engaged the North Korean 3rd Infantry Division
and the North Korean 4th Infantry Division
at the Kum River between 13 and 16 July and suffered 650 casualties of the 3,401 men committed there. The next day, the North Korean divisions attacked the 24th Infantry Division's headquarters in Taejon and overran it in the Battle of Taejon
. In the ensuing battle, 922 men of the 24th Infantry Division were killed and 228 were wounded of 3,933 committed there. Many soldiers were missing in action, including the division commander, Major General
William F. Dean
, who was captured and later won the Medal of Honor
. On 1 August, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry Regiment engaged North Korean forces, losing 90 killed. North Korean officers at the battle claimed that some US soldiers were "too frightened to fight." However, the 24th Infantry Division managed to delay the advancing North Koreans for two days, long enough for significant numbers of UN forces to arrive in Pusan and begin establishing defenses further south. By the time the 24th Infantry Division retreated and reformed, the 1st Cavalry Division was in place behind it. The division suffered over 3,600 casualties in the 17 days it fought alone against the 3rd and 4th North Korean divisions.
By 4 August, a perimeter was established around Pusan on the hills to the north of the city and the Naktong River to the west. The Eighth Army, including the 24th Infantry Division, was cornered by the surrounding North Korean army. With UN forces concentrated and North Korean supply lines stretched out, the 24th Infantry Division halted the advance of the North Koreans. The 24th Division was at Naktong, with the 25th Infantry Division to the south, and the 1st Cavalry Division and South Korean forces to the north. The 24th Division was also reinforced by the 2nd Infantry Division, newly arrived in the theater. The 24th was quickly sent to block the North Korean 6th Infantry Division
, which attempted to attack the UN forces from the southwest. On 8 August, the North Korean 4th Infantry Division crossed the river and attempted to penetrate the perimeter. After 10 days of fighting
, the 24th Infantry Division counterattacked and forced the North Koreans back across the river. By late August 1950, only 184 of the 34th Regiment's original 1,898 men remained. The regiment was dissolved and was replaced within the 24th by the 5th Regimental Combat Team
. The 34th Regiment's survivors were added to the ranks of the 19th and 21st regiments in an effort to bring them up to strength, and the 5th Infantry remained with the 24th Division until the division withdrew from Korea. Elements of the 24th Infantry Division were moved into reserve on 23 August and replaced by the 2nd Infantry Division. A second, larger North Korean attack occurred between 31 August and 19 September, but the 2nd, 24th, and 25th infantry divisions and the 1st Cavalry Division beat the North Koreans back across the river again.
At the same time, X Corps, with the 7th Infantry Division and 1st Marine Division, attacked Incheon
, striking the North Korean army from the rear. The attack routed the surprised North Koreans, and by 19 September, the Eighth Army pushed out of the Pusan Perimeter and advanced north. The 24th Infantry Division advanced to Songju, then to Seoul
. The Army advanced north along the west coast of Korea through October. By mid-October, the North Korean Army had been almost completely destroyed, and US President Harry S. Truman
ordered General MacArthur to advance all units into North Korea as quickly as possible to end the war. The 24th Infantry Division, with the South Korean 1st Infantry Division
, moved to the left flank of the advancing Eighth Army, and moved north along Korea's west coast. The 24th Division then moved north to Chongju. On 1 November, the division's 21st Infantry captured Chonggodo, 18 miles from the Yalu River
and Korea's border with China. Units of the Eighth Army and X Corps spread out as they attempted to reach the Yalu and complete the conquest of North Korea as quickly as possible.
force, which totaled 260,000 troops, flooded into North Korea and caught the Eighth Army by surprise. Chinese forces crushed the UN and South Korean forces with overwhelming numbers, surrounding and destroying elements of the US 2nd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and South Korean forces. The 24th Infantry Division, on the west coast of the Korean peninsula, was hit by soldiers from the 50th and 66th Chinese field armies. Amid heavy casualties, the Eighth Army retreated to the Imjin River
, south of the 38th parallel, having been devastated by the overwhelming Chinese force.
On 1 January 1951, 500,000 Chinese troops attacked the Eighth Army's line at the Imjin River, forcing it back 50 miles and allowing the Chinese to capture Seoul. The 24th Infantry Division was then reassigned to IX Corps to replace the 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions, which had been placed in reserve due to heavy losses. The Chinese eventually advanced too far for their supply lines to adequately support them, and their attack stalled.
) quickly thereafter. The 24th Division, as part of IX Corps, advanced along the center of the peninsula to take Chipyong-ni. The corps ran into heavy resistance and fought for the region until February. Between February and March 1951, the 24th Infantry Division participated in Operation Killer
, pushing Chinese forces north of the Han River
. This operation was followed by Operation Ripper
, which recaptured Seoul in March. After this, operations Rugged and Dauntless in April saw the division advance north of the 38th parallel
and reestablish itself along previously established of defense, code named Kansas and Utah, respectively.
In late April, the Chinese launched a major counterattack. Though the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions were able to hold their ground against the Chinese 9th CPV Army Corps, the South Korean 6th Infantry Division
, to the east, was destroyed by the 13th CPV Army Corps, which penetrated the line and threatened to encircle the 24th and 25th divisions. The 1st Marine Division and 27th British Commonwealth Brigade were able to drive the 13th Army Corps back while the 24th and 25th divisions withdrew on 25 April. The UN forces' line was moved back to Seoul but managed to hold. In September, the UN forces launched another counteroffensive with the 24th Infantry Division at the center of the line, west of the Hwachon Reservoir. Flanked by the South Korean 2nd and 6th Divisions, the 24th advanced past Kumwha, engaging the 20th and 27th CPV Armies. In November, the Chinese attempted to counter this attack but were unsuccessful. It was at this point, after several successive counteroffensives that saw both sides fighting intensely over the same ground, that the two sides started serious peace negotiations.
In January 1952, the 24th Infantry Division, which suffered over 10,000 casualties in 18 months of fighting, was redesignated as the Far East Theater reserve and pulled out of Korea. It returned to Japan to rebuild. The 34th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted, and the division returned to full strength during the next year, having been replaced in Korea by the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National Guard
. In July 1953, the division returned to Korea to restore order in prisoner of war
camps. It arrived two weeks before the end of the war.
The 24th Infantry Division suffered 3,735 killed and 7,395 wounded during the Korean War. It remained on front-line duty after the armistice until October 1957, patrolling the 38th parallel in the event that combat would resume. The division then returned to Japan and remained there for a short time.
, Germany, replacing the 11th Airborne Division in a reflagging ceremony. The 24th was organized under the Pentomic Division
TO&E, in which its combat forces were organized into five oversized battalions (called "battle groups") with no intermediate brigade or regimental headquarters. Although considered an infantry division, the 24th included two airborne battle groups for several months. The 1st Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry left the division for reassignment to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg on 7 January 1959 and the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry departed on 8 February 1959, also for the 82nd.
On 13 July, less than 2 weeks after the reorganization, King Faisal II of Iraq
was assassinated in a coup orchestrated by pro-Egypt
ian officers. The Christian president of Lebanon
, pressured by Muslims to join Egypt
and Syria
in the Gamal Abdel Nasser
-led United Arab Republic
, requested help from the Eisenhower administration during the 1958 Lebanon crisis.
On the night of 15 July, Marines of the Sixth Fleet landed at Beirut
and secured the Beirut airport. The following day, the 24th Division's 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry deployed to Turkey and flew to Beirut on the 19th. They were joined by a medium tank battalion and support units, which assisted the Marines in forming a security cordon around the city. The force stayed until late October, providing security, making shows of force, including parachute jumps, and training the Lebanese army. When factions of the Lebanese government worked out a political settlement, they left. The 24th Division's 1/187th lost one soldier killed by a sniper.
The 24th came into international press focus in 1961 when its commanding general, Major General Edwin Walker
, was removed from command for making "derogatory remarks of a serious nature about certain prominent Americans ... which linked the persons and institutions with Communism and Communist influence". The inquiry was sparked by Walker's "Pro Blue" program and accusations Walker and his Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Roberts
, distributed John Birch Society
literature as troop information in the 24th.
After the construction of the Berlin Wall
in August 1961, the Seventh Army began sending infantry units from the divisions in West Germany on a rotating basis to reinforce the Berlin Brigade
. The 24th Division's units participated in this action.
In January 1963, the 24th was reorganized as a mechanized infantry division under the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) TO&E, which replaced the pentomic battle groups with conventional-sized battalions organized in three combined arms brigades. The 169th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 85th Infantry Division was redesignated the 1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
. The 85th Division's 170th Infantry Brigade
was redesignated the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
. The 190th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 95th Infantry Division, became the 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
. In 1965, the 24th Infantry Division received its distinctive unit insignia
.
The 24th remained in Germany, specifically Augsburg
, Munich until September 1968, when it redeployed its 1st and 2nd Brigades to Fort Riley
, Kansas
, as part of Exercise REFORGER
while the division's 3rd Brigade was maintained in Germany. As the US Army withdrew from Vietnam
and reduced its forces, the 24th Infantry Division and its three brigades were inactivated on 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley.
In September 1975, the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Stewart
, Georgia
, as part of the program to build a 16-division US Army force. Because the Regular Army could not field a full division at Fort Stewart, the 24th had the 48th Infantry Brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard
assigned to it as a round-out unit in place of its 3rd Brigade. Targeted for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) role, the 24th Division was reorganized as a mechanized division in 1979. It was one of several divisions equipped with new M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles that formed the core of the US Army's heavily armored mechanized force for the 15 years that followed.
When the United Nations intervened in Kuwait
in 1990, the 24th Infantry Division, which was part of the Rapid Deployment Force, was one of the first units deployed to Southwest Asia. It arrived in 10 large cargo ships of the US Navy Sealift Command. Advance elements of the 24th Division began arriving in Saudi Arabia
on 17 August. Some controversy erupted when the division's round-out unit, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), of the Georgia National Guard, was not called up for service. Army leaders decided that the use of National Guard forces was unnecessary, as they felt the active-duty force had sufficient troops. The 48th Brigade was replaced once the 24th Division was in Saudi Arabia
with the regular Army's 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized). The 24th Division was then assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps as the corps' heavy-armored division. In the months that followed, the 24th Division played an important part of Operation Desert Shield by providing heavy firepower with its large number of armored vehicles, including 216 M1A1 Abrams tank
s. Elements of the division were still arriving in September, and in the logistical chaos that followed the rapid arrival of US forces in the region, the soldiers of the 24th Division were housed in warehouses, airport hangars, and on the desert sand. The 24th remained in relatively stationary positions in defense of Saudi Arabia until additional American forces arrived for Operation Desert Storm.
Armored fighting vehicles, and over 7,800 other vehicles. The 24th Infantry Division performed exceptionally well in the theater; it had been training in desert warfare for several years before the conflict. On 26 February, the 24th Division advanced through the valley and captured Iraqi airfields at Jabbah and Tallil. At the airfields, it encountered entrenched resistance from the Iraqi 37th and 49th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 6th "Nebuchadnezzar" Mechanized Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard. Despite some of the most fierce resistance of the war, the 24th Infantry Division destroyed the Iraqi formations and captured the two airfields the next day. The 24th then moved east with VII Corps and engaged several Iraqi Republican Guard divisions.
After the Iraqi forces were defeated, the UN mandated the US withdraw from Iraq, ending the Gulf War
. By the time of the cease-fire on 28 February, the 24th Infantry Division advanced 260 miles and destroyed 360 tanks and other armored personnel carriers, 300 artillery pieces, 1,200 trucks, 25 aircraft, 19 missiles, and over 500 pieces of engineer equipment. The division took over 5,000 Iraqi prisoners of war while suffering only eight killed, 36 wounded, and five non-combat casualties.
After returning to the United States in spring 1991, the 24th was reorganized with two brigades at Fort Stewart and the 3rd Brigade reactivated at Fort Benning
, Georgia, replacing the 197th Infantry Brigade. In fall 1994, Iraq
again threatened the Kuwaiti border, and two brigades from the division returned to southwest Asia. As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996 and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division. Its three brigades were reflagged as 3rd Infantry Division brigades.
On 5 June 1999 the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated, this time at Fort Riley
, Kansas
. From 1999 to 2006, the 24th Infantry Division consisted of a headquarters and three separate National Guard brigades; the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Clinton
, North Carolina, the 218th Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Columbia
, South Carolina, and the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Macon
, Georgia. The division headquarters was responsible for the Guard brigades should they be called to active duty in wartime. This never occurred, as each brigade deployed individually. The division's final operations included preparing Fort Riley for the return of the 1st Infantry Division
, which was stationed in Germany.
To expand upon the concept of Reserve component and National Guard components, the First Army activated Division East and Division West, two commands responsible for reserve units' readiness and mobilization exercises. Division East activated at Fort Riley. This transformation was part of an overall restructuring of the US Army to streamline the organizations overseeing training. Division East took control of reserve units in states east of the Mississippi River
, eliminating the need for the 24th Infantry Division headquarters. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was subsequently deactivated for the last time on 1 August 2006 at Fort Riley.
Though it was deactivated, the division was identified as the third highest priority inactive division in the United States Army Center of Military History's lineage scheme due to its numerous accolades and long history. All of the division's flags and heraldic items were moved to the National Infantry Museum
at Fort Benning, Georgia following its deactivation. Should the U.S. Army decide to activate more divisions in the future, the center will most likely suggest the first new division be the 7th Infantry Division, the second be the 9th Infantry Division, and the third be the 24th Infantry Division.
s and one unit decoration
in World War II, eight campaign streamers and three unit decorations in the Korean War
, two campaign streamers for the Gulf War
, and one unit award in peacetime, for a total of fifteen campaign streamers and five unit decorations in its operational history.
, astronaut Charles D. Gemar
, the first Sergeant Major of the Army
, William O. Wooldridge
, the sixth Sergeant Major of the Army William A. Connelly
, the eleventh Sergeant Major of the Army Robert E. Hall
, first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
William Gainey
, science fiction author Tom Kratman
, and Antulio Segarra
, the first Puerto Rican to command an Army combat regiment.
Many high-ranking generals served in the 24th Infantry Division before moving on to higher commands, including Generals Norman Schwartzkopf, John Hendrix, Barry McCaffrey
, Burwell B. Bell III
, David Petraeus
, Bernard W. Rogers
, Richard A. Cody
, Wayne A. Downing
, Bantz J. Craddock
, Paul J. Kern
, William R. Richardson
, Volney F. Warner
, Barksdale Hamlett
Sam S. Walker
, and Stanley A. McChrystal
. Also serving in the 24th Infantry Division were Lieutenant General
s Paul E. Blackwell, Thomas R. Turner II
, Daniel P. Bolger
, Calvin Waller
, William G. Boykin
, Harry E. Soyster
, Carl A. Strock
, William J. Lennox, Jr.
, Ronald L. Burgess, Jr.
, John M. Brown III
, James B. Vaught
, and Michael Spiglemire
, William G. Webster, and Major General
s Eugene L. Daniel, Raymond Barrett, Antonio Taguba
, Guy C. Swan III
, Walter Wojdakowski
, and Jeffery Hammond
.
Fourteen soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor
during their service with the 24th Infantry Division. Four soldiers received the Medal posthumously during World War II. They were James H. Diamond
, Charles E. Mower
, Harold H. Moon, Jr.
, and Francis B. Wai
. Wai originally received the Distinguished Service Cross, but it was upgraded during a 1998 review of war records of Asian-American and Pacific Islander soldiers. Another ten soldiers earned the medal in the Korean War
. They were William F. Dean
, George D. Libby
, Melvin O. Handrich
, Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr.
, Carl H. Dodd
, Nelson V. Brittin
, Ray E. Duke
, Stanley T. Adams
, Mack A. Jordan
, and Woodrow W. Keeble
. Keeble's medal was awarded on 3 March 2008, 26 years after his death.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Before its most recent inactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas.
Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division
Hawaiian Division (United States)
The Hawaiian Division was a division of the United States Army.This division was named rather than numbered, as were the Philippine, Panama Canal Division and Americal Divisions. It was first activated under the peacetime Square Division Table of Organization and Equipment on 25 February 1921 as...
, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, first fighting in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
before landing on the Philippine islands of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
and Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, driving Japanese forces from them. Following the end of the war, the division participated in patrol operations in Japan, and was the first division to respond at the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. For the first 18 months of the war, the division was heavily engaged on the front lines with North Korean and Chinese forces, suffering over 10,000 casualties. It was withdrawn from the front lines to the reserve force for the remainder of the war, but returned to Korea for patrol duty at the end of major combat operations.
After its deployment in Korea, the division was active in Europe and the United States during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, but saw relatively little combat until the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, when it faced the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i military. A few years after that conflict, it was inactivated as part of a post Cold War US military drawdown. The division was reactivated in 1999 as a formation for training and deploying Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
units before inactivating again in 2006.
Hawaiian Division
The 24th Infantry Division traces its lineage to Army units activated in Hawaii. It was activated under the Square Division Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) on 25 February 1921 as the Hawaiian Division at Schofield Barracks, OahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. The division insignia is based on the taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
leaf, emblematic of Hawaii. The division was assigned the 21st Infantry Brigade and the 22nd Infantry Brigade, both of which had been assigned to the US 11th Infantry Division prior to 1921.
The entire Hawaiian Division was concentrated at a single location during the next few years, allowing it to conduct more effective combined arms
Combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
training. It was also manned at higher personnel levels than other divisions, and its field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
was the first to be motorized.
Between August and September 1941, the Hawaiian Division's assets were reorganized to form two divisions under the new Triangular Division TO&E. Its brigade headquarters were disbanded and the 27th and 35th Infantry regiments were assigned to the new 25th Infantry Division. Hawaiian Division headquarters was redesignated as Headquarters, 24th Infantry Division on 1 October 1941. The 24th Infantry Division also received the Hawaiian Division's Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, which was approved in 1921.
The division was centered around three infantry regiments: the 19th Infantry Regiment
19th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 19th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment which is assigned to the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, with the assignment of conducting Basic and Advanced Infantry Training.-Civil War:...
and the 21st Infantry Regiment
21st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 21st Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-Lineage:*Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry*Organized 20 May 1862 at Fort Hamilton, New York...
from the Active duty force, and the 299th Infantry Regiment
299th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 299th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the The Koa Regiment, is a unit of the Hawaii Army National Guard established in 1923 from the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry Regiment, that served during World War II as part of the 24th Infantry Division...
from the Hawaii National Guard
Hawaii National Guard
The Hawaii National Guard consists of the Hawaii Army National Guard and the Hawaii Air National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered...
. Also attached to the division were the 13th Field Artillery Battalion
13th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
The 13th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916-History:The 13th Field Artillery was Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army at Camp Stewart, Texas-Lineage:...
, the 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, the 63rd Field Artillery Battalion, the 11th Field Artillery Battalion, the 24th Signal Company, the 724th Ordnance Company, the 24th Quartermaster Company, the 24th Reconnaissance Troop, the 3rd Engineer Battalion, the 24th Medical Battalion, and the 24th Counter Intelligence Detachment.
World War II
The 24th Infantry Division was among the first US Army divisions to see combat in World War II and among the last to stop fighting. The division was on OahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, with its headquarters at Schofield Barracks, when the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
launched their Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on 7 December 1941 and the unit suffered minor casualties during the attack. The division was then charged with the defense of northern Oahu, where it built an elaborate system of coastal defenses throughout 1942. In July 1942, the 299th Infantry Regiment was replaced by the 298th Infantry Regiment. One year later, this regiment was replaced by the 34th Infantry Regiment
34th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 34th Infantry Regiment is a Regular Army infantry regiment of the United States Army. It saw combat in World War I, in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II, and was the first full American regiment deployed in combat in the Korean War...
from the Hawaiian Department Reserve. The 34th Infantry remained with the 24th Infantry Division until the end of the war. As an active component unit, the 34th was easier to deploy than the reserve component units, which were less trained.
Indonesia
In May 1943, the 24th Infantry Division was alerted for movement to Australia, and it completed the move to Camp Caves, near RockhamptonRockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
, on the eastern coast of Australia by 19 September 1943. Once deployed, it began intensive combat training. After training, the division moved to Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands.It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island...
on 31 January 1944, to prepare for Operation Reckless
Operations Reckless and Persecution
Operation Reckless, known as the Landing at Hollandia and Operation Persecution known as the Aitape landing, were Allied amphibious landings which commenced the Western New Guinea campaign. Both operations commenced on 22 April 1944....
, the amphibious capture of Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
(now Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, Papua
Papua (Indonesian province)
Papua comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands. Its capital is Jayapura. It's the largest and easternmost province of Indonesia. The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea...
province, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
).
The 24th landed at Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay, or Tanah Merah Bay, is a bay on the north coast of New Guinea, in the Indonesian province of Papua, about 50 km northwest of the provincial capital of Jayapura ....
on 22 April 1944 and seized the important Hollandia Airdrome despite torrential rain and marshy terrain. Shortly after the Hollandia landing, the division's 34th Infantry Regiment moved to Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
to reinforce the 41st Infantry Division. The regiment captured Sorido and Borokoe airdromes before returning to the division on Hollandia in July. The 41st and 24th divisions isolated 40,000 Japanese forces south of the landings. Despite resistance from the isolated Japanese forces in the area, the 24th Infantry Division advanced rapidly through the region. In two months, the 24th Division crossed the entirety of New Guinea.
Leyte
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. On 20 October 1944, the division was paired with the 1st Cavalry Division within X Corps, and the two divisions made an assault landing at Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, initially encountering only light resistance. Following a defeat at sea
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
on 26 October, the Japanese launched a large, uncoordinated counteroffensive
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
against the Sixth Army. The 24th Division drove up the Leyte Valley, advanced to Jaro
Jaro, Leyte
Jaro is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 38,797 people in 7,554 households. It is located just 20 kilometers west of tacloban or a 45min ride on a jeepney. Tacloban Is a large city and is famous for General...
and captured Breakneck Ridge
Breakneck Ridge
Breakneck Ridge is a mountain along the Hudson River between Beacon and Cold Spring, New York, straddling the boundary between Dutchess and Putnam counties...
on 12 November 1944, in heavy fighting.
While final clearing operations continued on Leyte, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry Regiment moved to Mindoro Island as part of the Western Visayan Task Force and landed in the San Jose
San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
San Jose is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 111,009 people in 22,464 households. According to the 2007 census, the population increased to 118,807 people....
area on 15 December 1944. There, it secured airfields and a patrol base for operations on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Elements of the 24th Infantry Division effected a landing on Marinduque Island
Marinduque
In 1945, combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops attacked from the Japanese Troops liberated to the Battle of Marinduque in the Second World War.-Archaeology:...
. Other elements supported the 11th Airborne Division
U.S. 11th Airborne Division
-Knollwood Maneuver:The 11th Airborne, as the attacking force, was assigned the objective of capturing Knollwood Army Auxiliary Airfield near Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The force defending the airfield and its environs was a combat team composed of elements of the 17th Airborne Division and a...
drive from Nasugbu to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
Luzon
The 24th Division was among the 200,000 men of the Sixth Army moved to recapture LuzonBattle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
from the Japanese 14th Area Army, which fought delaying actions on the island. The division's 34th Infantry Regiment landed at San Antonio, Zambales
San Antonio, Zambales
San Antonio is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Zambales in the Philippines. According to the latest Philippine census, it has a population of 32,494 people in 6,483 households in an area of 18,812 hectares...
on 29 January 1945 and ran into a furious battle on Zig Zag Pass, where it suffered heavy casualties. On 16 February 1945 the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry took part in the amphibious landing on Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
and fought the Japanese on the well-defended island. The rest of the division landed at Sablayan, Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
on 19 February, cleared the remainder of the island and engaged in numerous mopping up actions during the following month. These operations were complete by 18 March, and the division moved south to attack through Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
. the division landed at Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
on 17 April 1945 and cut across the island to Digos
DIGOS
The General Investigations and Special Operations Division , mainly known with its acronym DIGOS, is an Italian law enforcement agency, charged with investigating sensitive cases relating to terrorism, organized crime and serious offences such as kidnapping and extortion.It is a special operative...
until 27 April, stormed into Davao
Davao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
on 3 May, and cleared Libby airdrome on 13 May. Although the campaign officially closed on 30 June, the division continued to clear up Japanese resistance during July and August 1945. The 24th Infantry Division patrolled the region until the official surrender of Japan ended the war. On 15 October 1945 the division left Mindanao for occupation duty on mainland Japan.
During World War II, members of the 24th Infantry Division won three Medals of Honor, 15 Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
es, two Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
s, 625 Silver Star Medals, 38 Soldier's Medal
Soldier's Medal
The Soldier's Medal is a military award of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926...
s, 2,197 Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
s, and 50 Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s. The division itself was awarded eight Distinguished Unit Citations for participation in the campaign.
Occupation of Japan
After the end of the war, the division remained on mainland Japan. It occupied KyūshūKyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
from 1945 until 1950. During this time, the US Army shrank. At the end of World War II it contained 89 divisions, but by 1950, the 24th Infantry Division was one of only 10 active divisions in the force. It was one of four understrength divisions on occupation duty in Japan. The others were the 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and 25th Infantry Division, all under control of the Eighth United States Army. The 24th Division retained the 19th, 21st, and 34th regiments, but the formations were undermanned and ill-equipped due to the post-war drawdown and reduction in military spending.
Korean War
On 25 June 1950, 10 divisions of the North Korean People's Army launched an attack into the Republic of Korea in the south. The North Koreans overwhelmed the South Korean ArmyRepublic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
and advanced south, preparing to conquer the entire nation. The UN ordered an intervention to prevent the conquest of South Korea. U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
ordered ground forces into South Korea. The 24th Infantry Division was closest to Korea, and it was the first US division to respond. The 24th Division's first mission was to "take the initial shock" of the North Korean assault, then try to slow its advance until more US divisions could arrive.
Task Force Smith
Five days later, on 30 June, a 406-man infantry force from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, supported by a 134-man artillery battery (also from the 24th Infantry Division) was sent into South Korea. The force, nicknamed Task Force Smith for its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Smith, was lightly armed and ordered to delay the advance of North Korean forces while the rest of the 24th Infantry Division moved into South Korea. On 4 July, the task force set up in the hills north of OsanOsan
Osan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately 35 km south of Seoul. The population of the city is around 120,000. The local economy is supported by a mix of agricultural and industrial enterprises....
and prepared to block advancing North Korean forces. The next day, they spotted an incoming column of troops from the North Korean 105th Armored Division
105th Armored Division (North Korea)
The 105th Armored Division is a military formation of the Korean People's Army. It was North Korea's first armored unit and took part in the Korean War.-Formation and structure:...
. The ensuing battle was a rout, as the Task Force's obsolescent weapons were no match for the North Koreans' T-34 Tanks and full-strength formations. Within a few hours, the first battle between US and North Korean forces was lost. Task Force Smith suffered 20 killed and 130 wounded in action. Dozens of US soldiers were captured, and when US forces retook the area, some of the prisoners were discovered to have been executed. Approximately 30 percent of task Force Smith became casualties in the Battle of Osan
Battle of Osan
The Battle of Osan was the first engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, on July 5, 1950. A U.S. task force of 400 infantry supported by an artillery battery was moved to Osan, south of the South Korean capital Seoul, and ordered to fight as a rearguard to...
. The task force was successful in delaying the North Korean forces' advance for seven hours.
Pusan Perimeter
Battle of Chochiwon
The Battle of Chochiwon was an early engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, taking place in the villages of Chonui and Chochiwon in western South Korea on July 10–12, 1950...
, Chonan
Battle of Chonan
The Battle of Chonan was the third engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War. It occurred on the night of July 7/8, 1950 in the village of Chonan in western South Korea...
, Pyongtaek
Battle of Pyongtaek
The Battle of Pyongtaek was the second engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, occurring on July 6, 1950 in the village of Pyongtaek in western South Korea...
, Hadong
Hadong Ambush
The Hadong Ambush was an engagement between United States and North Korean forces, occurring on July 27, 1950 in the village of Hadong in southern South Korea, early in the Korean War...
, and Yechon. The division's 19th and 34th regiments engaged the North Korean 3rd Infantry Division
3rd Division (North Korea)
The 3rd Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.-Formation and composition:The exact date of formation is in dispute, but it occurred sometime between May 1947 and October 1948, at Pyongyang. In its organization, the 35d Division seemed to...
and the North Korean 4th Infantry Division
4th Division (North Korea)
-History:The 4th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.Activated in late 1948, the 4th Infantry Division in the summer of 1950 consisted of the 5th, 16th, and 18th Infantry regiments, plus an artillery regiment and antitank, self-propelled...
at the Kum River between 13 and 16 July and suffered 650 casualties of the 3,401 men committed there. The next day, the North Korean divisions attacked the 24th Infantry Division's headquarters in Taejon and overran it in the Battle of Taejon
Battle of Taejon
The Battle of Taejon was an early battle between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War. Forces of the United States Army, attempting to defend the headquarters of the 24th Infantry Division were overwhelmed by numerically superior forces of the Korean People's Army at the...
. In the ensuing battle, 922 men of the 24th Infantry Division were killed and 228 were wounded of 3,933 committed there. Many soldiers were missing in action, including the division commander, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
William F. Dean
William F. Dean
William Frishe Dean, Sr. was a major general in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 20 and 21, 1950, during the Battle of Taejon in South Korea...
, who was captured and later won the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. On 1 August, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry Regiment engaged North Korean forces, losing 90 killed. North Korean officers at the battle claimed that some US soldiers were "too frightened to fight." However, the 24th Infantry Division managed to delay the advancing North Koreans for two days, long enough for significant numbers of UN forces to arrive in Pusan and begin establishing defenses further south. By the time the 24th Infantry Division retreated and reformed, the 1st Cavalry Division was in place behind it. The division suffered over 3,600 casualties in the 17 days it fought alone against the 3rd and 4th North Korean divisions.
6th Division (North Korea)
The 6th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century. The date that the 6th Infantry Division was formed in somewhat unclear as the Army during the Korean War believed that the 6th ID was established either in July 1949 or March 1950 at Sinuiju from...
, which attempted to attack the UN forces from the southwest. On 8 August, the North Korean 4th Infantry Division crossed the river and attempted to penetrate the perimeter. After 10 days of fighting
Battle of Naktong Bulge
The First Battle of Naktong Bulge was an engagement between United States and North Korean forces early in the Korean War from August 5–19, 1950 in the vicinity of Yongsan and the Naktong River in South Korea. It was a part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, and was one of several large engagements...
, the 24th Infantry Division counterattacked and forced the North Koreans back across the river. By late August 1950, only 184 of the 34th Regiment's original 1,898 men remained. The regiment was dissolved and was replaced within the 24th by the 5th Regimental Combat Team
5th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
. The 34th Regiment's survivors were added to the ranks of the 19th and 21st regiments in an effort to bring them up to strength, and the 5th Infantry remained with the 24th Division until the division withdrew from Korea. Elements of the 24th Infantry Division were moved into reserve on 23 August and replaced by the 2nd Infantry Division. A second, larger North Korean attack occurred between 31 August and 19 September, but the 2nd, 24th, and 25th infantry divisions and the 1st Cavalry Division beat the North Koreans back across the river again.
At the same time, X Corps, with the 7th Infantry Division and 1st Marine Division, attacked Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, striking the North Korean army from the rear. The attack routed the surprised North Koreans, and by 19 September, the Eighth Army pushed out of the Pusan Perimeter and advanced north. The 24th Infantry Division advanced to Songju, then to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. The Army advanced north along the west coast of Korea through October. By mid-October, the North Korean Army had been almost completely destroyed, and US President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
ordered General MacArthur to advance all units into North Korea as quickly as possible to end the war. The 24th Infantry Division, with the South Korean 1st Infantry Division
1st Infantry Division (South Korea)
The 1st Infantry Division is a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army's I Corps. The division was established on 12 May 1945 under the command of Colonel Suk-won Kim. It is based around three infantry regiments:The division was the first units of the ROK Army to be attacked by the North...
, moved to the left flank of the advancing Eighth Army, and moved north along Korea's west coast. The 24th Division then moved north to Chongju. On 1 November, the division's 21st Infantry captured Chonggodo, 18 miles from the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
and Korea's border with China. Units of the Eighth Army and X Corps spread out as they attempted to reach the Yalu and complete the conquest of North Korea as quickly as possible.
Chinese Intervention
On 25 November, the Chinese entered the war in defense of North Korea. The People's Liberation ArmyPeople's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
force, which totaled 260,000 troops, flooded into North Korea and caught the Eighth Army by surprise. Chinese forces crushed the UN and South Korean forces with overwhelming numbers, surrounding and destroying elements of the US 2nd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and South Korean forces. The 24th Infantry Division, on the west coast of the Korean peninsula, was hit by soldiers from the 50th and 66th Chinese field armies. Amid heavy casualties, the Eighth Army retreated to the Imjin River
Imjin River
The Imjin River is a river of North and South Korea. It flows from North to South, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, very near the Yellow Sea.- History :...
, south of the 38th parallel, having been devastated by the overwhelming Chinese force.
On 1 January 1951, 500,000 Chinese troops attacked the Eighth Army's line at the Imjin River, forcing it back 50 miles and allowing the Chinese to capture Seoul. The 24th Infantry Division was then reassigned to IX Corps to replace the 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions, which had been placed in reserve due to heavy losses. The Chinese eventually advanced too far for their supply lines to adequately support them, and their attack stalled.
Stalemate
General Matthew B. Ridgway ordered I, IX, and X Corps to conduct a general counteroffensive on the Chinese (Operation ThunderboltOperation Thunderbolt (1951)
Operation Thunderbolt, also known as the Defensive Battle of the Han River Southern Bank , was a US offensive during the Korean War. It represented the first offensive under the new commanding officer of the 8th US Army, General Matthew Ridgway...
) quickly thereafter. The 24th Division, as part of IX Corps, advanced along the center of the peninsula to take Chipyong-ni. The corps ran into heavy resistance and fought for the region until February. Between February and March 1951, the 24th Infantry Division participated in Operation Killer
Operation Killer
Operation Killer was the start of the second major counter offensive launched by United Nations forces against the People's Volunteer Army and the North Korean Army during the Korean War between 20 February and 6 March 1951...
, pushing Chinese forces north of the Han River
Han River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...
. This operation was followed by Operation Ripper
Operation Ripper
Operation Ripper was a United Nations military operation conceived by the commander US Eighth Army, General Matthew B. Ridgway, during the Korean War. The operation was intended to destroy as much as possible of the Chinese communist People's Volunteer Army and North Korean military around Seoul...
, which recaptured Seoul in March. After this, operations Rugged and Dauntless in April saw the division advance north of the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
and reestablish itself along previously established of defense, code named Kansas and Utah, respectively.
In late April, the Chinese launched a major counterattack. Though the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions were able to hold their ground against the Chinese 9th CPV Army Corps, the South Korean 6th Infantry Division
6th Infantry Division (South Korea)
-History:The 6th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army during the 20th Century. The Division consisted of the 2nd, 7th, and 19th Regiments....
, to the east, was destroyed by the 13th CPV Army Corps, which penetrated the line and threatened to encircle the 24th and 25th divisions. The 1st Marine Division and 27th British Commonwealth Brigade were able to drive the 13th Army Corps back while the 24th and 25th divisions withdrew on 25 April. The UN forces' line was moved back to Seoul but managed to hold. In September, the UN forces launched another counteroffensive with the 24th Infantry Division at the center of the line, west of the Hwachon Reservoir. Flanked by the South Korean 2nd and 6th Divisions, the 24th advanced past Kumwha, engaging the 20th and 27th CPV Armies. In November, the Chinese attempted to counter this attack but were unsuccessful. It was at this point, after several successive counteroffensives that saw both sides fighting intensely over the same ground, that the two sides started serious peace negotiations.
In January 1952, the 24th Infantry Division, which suffered over 10,000 casualties in 18 months of fighting, was redesignated as the Far East Theater reserve and pulled out of Korea. It returned to Japan to rebuild. The 34th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted, and the division returned to full strength during the next year, having been replaced in Korea by the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...
. In July 1953, the division returned to Korea to restore order in prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camps. It arrived two weeks before the end of the war.
The 24th Infantry Division suffered 3,735 killed and 7,395 wounded during the Korean War. It remained on front-line duty after the armistice until October 1957, patrolling the 38th parallel in the event that combat would resume. The division then returned to Japan and remained there for a short time.
Cold War
On 1 July 1958 the division was relocated to AugsburgAugsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Germany, replacing the 11th Airborne Division in a reflagging ceremony. The 24th was organized under the Pentomic Division
Pentomic
Pentomic refers to a structure for infantry divisions adopted by the U.S. Army in 1957 in response to the perceived threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons use on the battlefield....
TO&E, in which its combat forces were organized into five oversized battalions (called "battle groups") with no intermediate brigade or regimental headquarters. Although considered an infantry division, the 24th included two airborne battle groups for several months. The 1st Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry left the division for reassignment to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg on 7 January 1959 and the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry departed on 8 February 1959, also for the 82nd.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
was assassinated in a coup orchestrated by pro-Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian officers. The Christian president of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, pressured by Muslims to join Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in the Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
-led United Arab Republic
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
, requested help from the Eisenhower administration during the 1958 Lebanon crisis.
On the night of 15 July, Marines of the Sixth Fleet landed at Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and secured the Beirut airport. The following day, the 24th Division's 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry deployed to Turkey and flew to Beirut on the 19th. They were joined by a medium tank battalion and support units, which assisted the Marines in forming a security cordon around the city. The force stayed until late October, providing security, making shows of force, including parachute jumps, and training the Lebanese army. When factions of the Lebanese government worked out a political settlement, they left. The 24th Division's 1/187th lost one soldier killed by a sniper.
The 24th came into international press focus in 1961 when its commanding general, Major General Edwin Walker
Edwin Walker
Major General Edwin Anderson Walker was a United States Army officer known for his conservative political views and for being an attempted assassination target of Lee Harvey Oswald.-Early life and military career:...
, was removed from command for making "derogatory remarks of a serious nature about certain prominent Americans ... which linked the persons and institutions with Communism and Communist influence". The inquiry was sparked by Walker's "Pro Blue" program and accusations Walker and his Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Roberts
Archibald Roberts
Lieutenant Colonel Archibald E. Roberts was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army on 19 December 1942 and served as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division. In 1959 he served as the information officer for Major General Edwin Walker who was the commander of the 24th Infantry Division...
, distributed John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
literature as troop information in the 24th.
After the construction of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in August 1961, the Seventh Army began sending infantry units from the divisions in West Germany on a rotating basis to reinforce the Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
. The 24th Division's units participated in this action.
1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (United States)
The 1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division was an infantry brigade of the United States Army. Before its most recent deactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Stewart, Georgia...
. The 85th Division's 170th Infantry Brigade
170th Infantry Brigade (United States)
The of the United States Army was reestablished 15 July 2009 at US Army Garrison Baumholder in Germany as part of the Grow the Army plan. The 170th Infantry Brigade was formed by reflagging the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The soldiers and equipment will remain in place but the 2d Brigade...
was redesignated the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (United States)
The 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division was an infantry brigade of the United States Army. Before its most recent deactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It was a divisional brigade of the 24th Infantry Division.- History :...
. The 190th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 95th Infantry Division, became the 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (United States)
The 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division was an infantry brigade of the United States Army. Before its most recent deactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Benning, Georgia...
. In 1965, the 24th Infantry Division received its distinctive unit insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
A Distinctive Unit Insignia is a metal heraldic device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit...
.
The 24th remained in Germany, specifically Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Munich until September 1968, when it redeployed its 1st and 2nd Brigades to Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, as part of Exercise REFORGER
Exercise REFORGER
Exercise Reforger was an annual exercise conducted, during the Cold War, by NATO. The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact.The Reforger exercise itself was first conceived in 1967...
while the division's 3rd Brigade was maintained in Germany. As the US Army withdrew from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and reduced its forces, the 24th Infantry Division and its three brigades were inactivated on 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley.
In September 1975, the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, as part of the program to build a 16-division US Army force. Because the Regular Army could not field a full division at Fort Stewart, the 24th had the 48th Infantry Brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard
Georgia Army National Guard
The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard, administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense. It consists of more than 11,100 Citizen-Soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state...
assigned to it as a round-out unit in place of its 3rd Brigade. Targeted for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) role, the 24th Division was reorganized as a mechanized division in 1979. It was one of several divisions equipped with new M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles that formed the core of the US Army's heavily armored mechanized force for the 15 years that followed.
Desert Shield
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in 1990, the 24th Infantry Division, which was part of the Rapid Deployment Force, was one of the first units deployed to Southwest Asia. It arrived in 10 large cargo ships of the US Navy Sealift Command. Advance elements of the 24th Division began arriving in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
on 17 August. Some controversy erupted when the division's round-out unit, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), of the Georgia National Guard, was not called up for service. Army leaders decided that the use of National Guard forces was unnecessary, as they felt the active-duty force had sufficient troops. The 48th Brigade was replaced once the 24th Division was in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
with the regular Army's 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized). The 24th Division was then assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps as the corps' heavy-armored division. In the months that followed, the 24th Division played an important part of Operation Desert Shield by providing heavy firepower with its large number of armored vehicles, including 216 M1A1 Abrams tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s. Elements of the division were still arriving in September, and in the logistical chaos that followed the rapid arrival of US forces in the region, the soldiers of the 24th Division were housed in warehouses, airport hangars, and on the desert sand. The 24th remained in relatively stationary positions in defense of Saudi Arabia until additional American forces arrived for Operation Desert Storm.
Desert Storm
Once the attack commenced on 24 February, the 24th Infantry Division formed the east flank of the corps with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. It blocked the Euphrates River valley to cut off Iraqi forces in Kuwait and little resistance. At this time, the 24th Division's ranks swelled to over 25,000 troops in 34 battalions, commanding 94 helicopters, 241 M1 Abrams tanks, 221 M2 BradleyM2 Bradley
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an American fighting vehicle platform manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, formerly United Defense.As with other infantry fighting vehicles, the Bradley is designed to transport infantry with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy...
Armored fighting vehicles, and over 7,800 other vehicles. The 24th Infantry Division performed exceptionally well in the theater; it had been training in desert warfare for several years before the conflict. On 26 February, the 24th Division advanced through the valley and captured Iraqi airfields at Jabbah and Tallil. At the airfields, it encountered entrenched resistance from the Iraqi 37th and 49th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 6th "Nebuchadnezzar" Mechanized Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard. Despite some of the most fierce resistance of the war, the 24th Infantry Division destroyed the Iraqi formations and captured the two airfields the next day. The 24th then moved east with VII Corps and engaged several Iraqi Republican Guard divisions.
After the Iraqi forces were defeated, the UN mandated the US withdraw from Iraq, ending the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. By the time of the cease-fire on 28 February, the 24th Infantry Division advanced 260 miles and destroyed 360 tanks and other armored personnel carriers, 300 artillery pieces, 1,200 trucks, 25 aircraft, 19 missiles, and over 500 pieces of engineer equipment. The division took over 5,000 Iraqi prisoners of war while suffering only eight killed, 36 wounded, and five non-combat casualties.
After returning to the United States in spring 1991, the 24th was reorganized with two brigades at Fort Stewart and the 3rd Brigade reactivated at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia, replacing the 197th Infantry Brigade. In fall 1994, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
again threatened the Kuwaiti border, and two brigades from the division returned to southwest Asia. As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996 and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division. Its three brigades were reflagged as 3rd Infantry Division brigades.
Training command
In the wake of the Cold War, the US Army considered new options for the integration and organization of Active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard units in training and deployment. Two active duty division headquarters were activated for training National Guard units; those of the 7th Infantry Division and the 24th Infantry Division. The subordinate brigades of the divisions did not activate, so they could not be deployed as combat divisions. Instead, the headquarters units focused on full-time training.On 5 June 1999 the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated, this time at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. From 1999 to 2006, the 24th Infantry Division consisted of a headquarters and three separate National Guard brigades; the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Clinton
Clinton, North Carolina
Clinton is the county seat of Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population of Clinton is 8,639 according to the 2010 US Census. Clinton is named for American Revolution General Richard Clinton.-History:...
, North Carolina, the 218th Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, South Carolina, and the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, Georgia. The division headquarters was responsible for the Guard brigades should they be called to active duty in wartime. This never occurred, as each brigade deployed individually. The division's final operations included preparing Fort Riley for the return of the 1st Infantry Division
U.S. 1st Infantry Division
The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army is the oldest division in the United States Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917...
, which was stationed in Germany.
To expand upon the concept of Reserve component and National Guard components, the First Army activated Division East and Division West, two commands responsible for reserve units' readiness and mobilization exercises. Division East activated at Fort Riley. This transformation was part of an overall restructuring of the US Army to streamline the organizations overseeing training. Division East took control of reserve units in states east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, eliminating the need for the 24th Infantry Division headquarters. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was subsequently deactivated for the last time on 1 August 2006 at Fort Riley.
Though it was deactivated, the division was identified as the third highest priority inactive division in the United States Army Center of Military History's lineage scheme due to its numerous accolades and long history. All of the division's flags and heraldic items were moved to the National Infantry Museum
National Infantry Museum
The National Infantry Museum is a museum located in South Columbus, Georgia, just outside Fort Benning, the home of the Infantry. The museum honors the history of infantry forces in the United States Army.The museum is in size and cost $107 million to build...
at Fort Benning, Georgia following its deactivation. Should the U.S. Army decide to activate more divisions in the future, the center will most likely suggest the first new division be the 7th Infantry Division, the second be the 9th Infantry Division, and the third be the 24th Infantry Division.
Honors
The 24th Infantry Division was awarded five campaign streamerCampaign streamer
Campaign streamers are decorations attached to military flags to recognize particular achievements or events of a military unit or service. Attached to the headpiece of the assigned flag, the streamer often is an inscribed ribbon with the name and date denoting participation in a particular battle,...
s and one unit decoration
Awards and decorations of the United States military
Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...
in World War II, eight campaign streamers and three unit decorations in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, two campaign streamers for the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and one unit award in peacetime, for a total of fifteen campaign streamers and five unit decorations in its operational history.
Unit decorations
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.svg.png) |
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation | 1944–1945 | for service in the Philippines during World War II |
 |
Presidential Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation (US) The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941... (Army) |
1950 | for fighting in the Pusan Perimeter |
.svg.png) |
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation | 1950 | for service in Pyongtaek |
|
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation | 1952–1953 | for service in Korea |
 |
Superior Unit Award Superior Unit Award The Superior Unit Award is a decoration of the United States Army which is awarded in peacetime to any unit of the Army which displays outstanding meritorious performance of a difficult and challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circumstances.... |
1994 |
Campaign streamers
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | Central Pacific | 1943 |
| World War II | New Guinea (with Arrowhead) | 1944 |
| World War II | Leyte Leyte Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran... (with Arrowhead) |
1945 |
| World War II | Luzon Luzon Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon... |
1945 |
| World War II | Southern Philippines (with Arrowhead) | 1945 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
UN Defensive | 1950 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
UN Offensive | 1950 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
CCF Intervention | 1950 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
First UN Counteroffensive | 1950 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
CCF Spring Offensive | 1951 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
UN Summer-Fall Offensive | 1951 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
Second Korean Winter | 1951–1952 |
| Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
Korea, Summer 1953 | 1953 |
| Gulf War Gulf War The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf... |
Defense of Saudi Arabia | 1991 |
| Gulf War Gulf War The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf... |
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 1991 |
Legacy
People who served in the 24th Infantry Division and later went on to achieve notability in the military or other fields include actor James GarnerJames Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
, astronaut Charles D. Gemar
Charles D. Gemar
Charles Donald "Sam" Gemar is a former American astronaut with NASA and a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army. He served as a pilot in the armed forces. As a member of the armed forces Gemar received numerous awards and honors including a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National...
, the first Sergeant Major of the Army
Sergeant Major of the Army
The Sergeant Major of the Army is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Army. The holder of this rank is the most senior enlisted member of the Army, unless an Army NCO is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, when in that case that NCO will be the most senior...
, William O. Wooldridge
William O. Wooldridge
William O. Wooldridge , a much decorated career enlisted man in the United States Army, was the first Sergeant Major of the Army....
, the sixth Sergeant Major of the Army William A. Connelly
William A. Connelly
William A. Connelly was the sixth Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in on July 2, 1979, and served until June, 1983. He was born in Monticello, Georgia, on June 2, 1931...
, the eleventh Sergeant Major of the Army Robert E. Hall
Robert E. Hall
Robert E. Hall was sworn in as the eleventh Sergeant Major of the Army on October 21, 1997 and served until June 23, 2000.-Biography:Hall was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, on May 31, 1947. He entered the Army in February 1968 and attended Basic Training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and...
, first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman is a military position within the United States Department of Defense and is the most senior noncommissioned or petty officer overall in the United States Armed Forces...
William Gainey
William Gainey
William J. Gainey was the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He retired April 25, 2008 with the rank of Command Sergeant Major....
, science fiction author Tom Kratman
Tom Kratman
Tom Kratman is a United States science fiction author specializing in the subgenre of military science fiction.His works are published by Baen.-Biography:...
, and Antulio Segarra
Antulio Segarra
Colonel Antulio Segarra , was a United States Army officer who in 1943 became the first Puerto Rican in history to command a Regular Army Regiment. Segarra served as Military Aide to the Military Governor of Puerto Rico Theodore Roosevelt, Jr...
, the first Puerto Rican to command an Army combat regiment.
Many high-ranking generals served in the 24th Infantry Division before moving on to higher commands, including Generals Norman Schwartzkopf, John Hendrix, Barry McCaffrey
Barry McCaffrey
Barry Richard McCaffrey is a retired United States Army general, former U.S. Drug Czar, news commentator, and business consultant....
, Burwell B. Bell III
Burwell B. Bell III
Burwell Baxter Bell III is a retired U.S. Army four star general.-Early life and education:Bell was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the son of B. B. Bell, Jr. and Mary R. Bell. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1965 and played high school football for the "Wildcats"...
, David Petraeus
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His last assignments in the Army were as commander...
, Bernard W. Rogers
Bernard W. Rogers
Bernard William Rogers was an American general who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and later as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander in Chief, United States European Command....
, Richard A. Cody
Richard A. Cody
Richard A. Cody is a retired United States Army general who served as the 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 24, 2004 to July 31, 2008. He retired from the Army on August 1, 2008.-Early life and career:...
, Wayne A. Downing
Wayne A. Downing
Wayne Allan Downing was a retired four-star United States Army general born in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962 and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Tulane University.-Military career:*Sep 62 - Feb...
, Bantz J. Craddock
Bantz J. Craddock
Bantz John Craddock is a retired United States Army four-star general. His last military assignment was as Commander, U.S. European Command and the NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe as well as the commanding officer of Allied Command Operations from December 2006 to June 30, 2009. He also...
, Paul J. Kern
Paul J. Kern
General Paul John Kern became President and Chief Operating Officer of AM General LLC on August 1, 2008. His unique career blends technical expertise, combat operations, program management, policy development, and advisory roles to senior political leaders.Kern held numerous leadership positions...
, William R. Richardson
William R. Richardson
General William Rowland Richardson was a U.S. Army four star general and former Commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command...
, Volney F. Warner
Volney F. Warner
Volney Frank Warner is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as Commander-in-Chief, United States Readiness Command from 1979 to 1981.-Early career:Warner was born in Woonsocket, South Dakota...
, Barksdale Hamlett
Barksdale Hamlett
Barksdale Hamlett, Jr. was a United States Army four-star general who served as commandant of the American sector of Berlin during the 1958 Berlin crisis and as vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1964...
Sam S. Walker
Sam S. Walker
Sam Sims Walker , United States Army, is a retired General who served as the Commanding General of Allied Land Forces, South East Europe from 1977 to 1978.-Military career:...
, and Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired four-star general in the United States Army. His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan...
. Also serving in the 24th Infantry Division were Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
s Paul E. Blackwell, Thomas R. Turner II
Thomas R. Turner II
Lieutenant General Thomas R. Turner II is the commanding general of the United States Army North, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Military career:...
, Daniel P. Bolger
Daniel P. Bolger
Daniel P. Bolger of Aurora, Illinois is a Lieutenant General of the United States Army.Formerly the Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas and U.S...
, Calvin Waller
Calvin Waller
Lieutenant General Calvin Agustine Hoffman Waller was a high-ranking officer in the United States military.-Career:...
, William G. Boykin
William G. Boykin
Lieutenant General William G. Boykin was the United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. He has played a role in almost every recent major American military operation, serving in Grenada, Somalia, and Iraq. He is currently an author and teaches at Hampden-Sydney College,...
, Harry E. Soyster
Harry E. Soyster
Harry Edward Soyster is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General.-Overview:He served as the Commanding General of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command . Upon promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, Soyster served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at...
, Carl A. Strock
Carl A. Strock
Carl Ames Strock was a United States Army officer, and was Chief of Engineers and the Commanding General of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was born in Georgia and grew up in an Army family. He enlisted in the Army and received his commission as an infantry second lieutenant...
, William J. Lennox, Jr.
William J. Lennox, Jr.
Lieutenant General William James Lennox, Jr. of Houston, Texas, was the 56th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York from 2001 to 2006...
, Ronald L. Burgess, Jr.
Ronald L. Burgess, Jr.
Lieutenant General Ronald Lee Burgess, Jr., USA is the 17th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and Command of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance...
, John M. Brown III
John M. Brown III
John M. Brown III is Commander of United States Army Pacific Command, headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. He assumed his present position August 25, 2004...
, James B. Vaught
James B. Vaught
James B. Vaught, USA is a retired United States Army General who is a combat veteran of three wars: World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War...
, and Michael Spiglemire
Michael Spiglemire
Michael Spigelmire is a retired American Lieutenant General.The youngest child of the late Charles Edgar Spigelmire and Josephine Spigelmire, née Kaminski, he was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and educated at Loyola High School and Loyola College in Maryland, both Jesuit institutions...
, William G. Webster, and Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
s Eugene L. Daniel, Raymond Barrett, Antonio Taguba
Antonio Taguba
Antonio Mario Taguba , is a retired major general in the United States Army. He was the second American citizen of Philippine birth to be promoted to general officer rank in the Army....
, Guy C. Swan III
Guy C. Swan III
Lieutenant General Guy Carleton Swan III of the United States Army is the Commanding General United States Army North , based out of Fort Sam Houston, Texas....
, Walter Wojdakowski
Walter Wojdakowski
Walter Wojdakowski is a Major General in the United States Army. He has held a number of high positions within the military, including his last post as Commanding General of Fort Benning...
, and Jeffery Hammond
Jeffery Hammond
Major General Jeffery W. Hammond is a United States Army officer service. He is currently the Chief of Staff service Forces Command...
.
Fourteen soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
during their service with the 24th Infantry Division. Four soldiers received the Medal posthumously during World War II. They were James H. Diamond
James H. Diamond
James H. Diamond was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, Charles E. Mower
Charles E. Mower
Charles E. Mower was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II....
, Harold H. Moon, Jr.
Harold H. Moon, Jr.
Harold H. Moon, Jr. was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions during the Battle of Leyte in World War II.-Biography:...
, and Francis B. Wai
Francis B. Wai
Francis Brown Wai was a captain in the United States Army and received the Medal of Honor for actions during the recapture of the Philippines from Japan in 1944....
. Wai originally received the Distinguished Service Cross, but it was upgraded during a 1998 review of war records of Asian-American and Pacific Islander soldiers. Another ten soldiers earned the medal in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. They were William F. Dean
William F. Dean
William Frishe Dean, Sr. was a major general in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 20 and 21, 1950, during the Battle of Taejon in South Korea...
, George D. Libby
George D. Libby
George Dalton Libby was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 20, 1950.He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery....
, Melvin O. Handrich
Melvin O. Handrich
Melvin O. Handrich was a soldier in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 25 and 26, 1950, during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter...
, Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr.
Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr.
Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War...
, Carl H. Dodd
Carl H. Dodd
Carl H. Dodd was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on January 30, and January 31, 1951.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, Nelson V. Brittin
Nelson V. Brittin
Nelson V. Brittin was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor dated February 1, 1952, for his actions on March 7, 1951....
, Ray E. Duke
Ray E. Duke
Ray E. Duke was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 26, 1951.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, Stanley T. Adams
Stanley T. Adams
-External links:* from Life , featuring Adams...
, Mack A. Jordan
Mack A. Jordan
Mack Alvin Jordan was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on November 15, 1951.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, and Woodrow W. Keeble
Woodrow W. Keeble
Master Sergeant Woodrow Wilson Keeble was a U.S. Army National Guard veteran of both World War II and the Korean War...
. Keeble's medal was awarded on 3 March 2008, 26 years after his death.