The
23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the
Americal Division of the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
was formed in May 1942 on the island of
New CaledoniaNew Caledonia , is a "sui generis collectivity" of France located in the region of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. It comprises a main island , the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands...
. In the immediate emergency following
Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 , later resulting in the United...
, the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had hurriedly sent three individual
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
s to defend New Caledonia against a feared
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack. This division was formed as one of only two un-numbered divisions to serve in the Army during World War II. After World War II the Americal Division was officially re-designated as the 23rd Infantry Division. However, it was rarely referred to as such, even on official orders.
At the suggestion of a subordinate, the division's commander,
Major GeneralMajor 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...
Alexander PatchGeneral Alexander McCarrell "Sandy" Patch was an officer in the United States Army, best known for his service in World War II. He commanded Army and Marine forces during the invasion of Guadalcanal, and the U.S...
, requested that the new unit be known as the
Americal Division—the name being a contraction of
"American, New Caledonian Division". This was unusual, as most U.S. divisions are known by a number.
Combat Chronicle
The 164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division went into action on Guadalcanal on October 13, 1942 as the first United States Army unit to conduct an offensive operation against the enemy in either the
PacificThe Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
or
European Theater of OperationsThe European Theater of Operations , is the term used in the United States to refer to US operations north of Italy and the Mediterranean coast, in the European Theatre of World War II.-Definitions:...
. (Seven other divisions began offensive combat operations in late 1942, alongside the 1st Marine Division. The others were the 32nd and the 41st in the Pacific on
New GuineaThe New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II. The island of New Guinea was split between the Australian League of Nations Mandate Territory of New Guinea , the Territory of Papua , and...
,
and 9th
North AfricanOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started 8 November 1942....
the 3rd Infantry and the 2nd Armored Divisions.)
Elements of the Division defended
Henderson FieldHenderson Field is the name of several airports:* Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands, renamed to Honiara International Airport in 2003....
against heavy enemy attacks on 23-25 October 1942, and the following month took part in the offensive across the
Matanikau RiverThe Matanikau River of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, is located in the northwest part of the island. During the World War II Guadalcanal campaign, several significant engagements occurred between United States and Japanese forces near the river....
. In January 1943, the
132nd Infantry RegimentThe 132nd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry is an infantry regiment that first served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was among scores of regiments that were raised in the summer of 1864 as Hundred Days Men, an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end...
of the Division took Hill 27 and 31 of the
Mount AustenThe Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from December 15, 1942 to January 23, 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau...
complex. The Division later participated in offensives to sweep Guadalcanal of remaining Japanese resistance. After the last Japanese defenders were killed, captured, or evacuated from the island, the Division was relieved on 9 February 1943.
The Division next moved to the
FijiFiji , officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands , is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country comprises an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited, and 522 islets...
Islands, beginning 1943-03-05, to assume the defense of the main island of
Viti LevuViti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
and to engage in extensive training. During the period 1943-12-25 to 1944-01-12 the Americal Division landed on
Bougainville*Hyacinthe de Bougainville , French naval officer and son of Louis Antoine de Bougainville*Louis Antoine de Bougainville , French navigator and military commander...
, relieving the 3d Marine Division and was given the task of holding and extending the right half of a previously established perimeter. The Division went on the offensive in March 1944, driving the Japanese east of Mavavia River, 7-9 April, and seizing numerous strategic hill bases during the remainder of the month. Training and long-range patrol activity continued until 1944-11-30 when the Division was relieved.
On 1945-01-08, the Division began movement to
LeyteLeyte 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 island of Leyte. Leyte is located west of Samar, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
and
SamarSamar, formerly Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar island as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland. Catbalogan City and Calbayog City,...
, to take part in cleaning out remaining Japanese forces on those islands, and to invade
Biri-Places:*Biri - a village in Norway*Biri - a village in Hungary*Biri - a municipality in the Philippines-People:*Kings of the Sayfawa dynasty of the Kanem-Bornu Empire:**Biri I **Kachim Biri **Biri II...
, Capul, Ticao, and Burias. Relieved, 1945-03-13, on Leyte, the Division landed on
CebuCebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, 26 March, and seized the city and airfield by 28 March. Divisional combat teams made landings on
BoholBohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
,
NegrosNegros is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas, at . It is the third-largest island in the country, with a land area of 13,328 km²...
, and
MindanaoMindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also one of the three island groups in the country, along with Luzon and Visayas...
, where they cleared out pockets of resisting Japanese until 17 June when ordered to return to Cebu, arriving on 25 June.
Training continued on Cebu for the proposed invasion of Japan, but The Japanese surrendered on 1945-08-14. On 1945-09-10, the Americal landed in Japan and took part in the occupation of the
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshū. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area....
-
Kawasakiis a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
-Yokosuka area.
Guadalcanal
As the "
squareA square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
"
divisionsA division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps...
of the
Army National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States...
were being transitioned to the
triangular divisionA triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...
TO&EA table of organization and equipment is a document published by the U.S. Department of Defense which prescribes the organization, staffing, and equippage of units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'....
in 1942, they each "shed" an
infantryInfantrymen 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 the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
, leaving several trained and operational "orphan" regiments available for independent service.
For morale purposes, the
ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
decided to form three of these units into a new
infantryInfantrymen 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 the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
divisionA division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps...
. The "line" regiments selected were the
132nd Infantry RegimentThe 132nd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry is an infantry regiment that first served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was among scores of regiments that were raised in the summer of 1864 as Hundred Days Men, an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end...
, formerly part of the 33rd Infantry Division of the
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States...
, the 164th Infantry Regiment from
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America; on the Canadian border halfway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the U.S.; it is the 3
rd least populous, with just over 641,481 residents as...
, and the
182nd Infantry RegimentThe 182nd Infantry Regiment, now known as the 182nd Cavalry Regiment , is the oldest combat regiment in the United States Army. The regiment traces its history more than 370 years, when it was a colonial regiment of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts...
from
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
.
Under the command of General Patch, the Americal Division was the first US Army unit to be sent to
GuadalcanalGuadalcanal is a 2,510-square mile island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. The World War II Guadalcanal Campaign took place on and around the island...
, where it eventually relieved the exhausted US 1st Marine Division.
Largely because of transport constraints, the Americal arrived piecemeal, and was fed into combat alongside the battle-hardened
MarinesThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. In contrast to several other US Army divisions in the
Pacific WarThe Pacific War was the part of World War II—and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia. The war began as a conflict with the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China on July 7, 1937, but by December 1941, became part of the greater World War II,...
, was able to learn the practical art of war against the Japanese without suffering as many casualties as might otherwise have occurred. Despite its ad-hoc formation, the Americal Division fought well at Guadalcanal. The 164th Regiment took part in repulsing a major Japanese offensive in October 1942, while the 132nd Regiment assaulted the highly fortified Japanese Gifu defensive complex at
Mount AustenThe Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from December 15, 1942 to January 23, 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau...
in January 1943. Historians describe the Americal Division as the most effective of all the US Army divisions in that conflict. Following the withdrawal of the
U.S. 1st Marine DivisionThe 1st Marine Division is a marine infantry division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California...
, the Division continued operations on Guadalcanal as part of the
U.S. XIV CorpsConstituted October 1, 1933 in the Organized Reserves. The history of XIV Army Corps in World War II dates from December, 1942. Under Lieutenant General Alexander M...
until all of the Japanese resistance had ended.
Bougainville
Later in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Americal Division (alongside the 37th Infantry Division, a Marine defense battalion, and supporting units) took up positions on the newly invaded island of
BougainvilleThe Autonomous Region of Bougainville, also known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Solomon Islands group. The largest island is Bougainville Island, and the province also includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, and warned by intelligence of the storm to come, utterly defeated a massive and sustained Japanese counter-attack, which began on 7 March 1944. Despite ample warning and thorough defensive preparations, the battle soon degenerated into a bitter, close-quarters infantry affair, with artillery restricted by the need to avoid friendly troops and tanks unable to reach the scene. The 37th and Americal Divisions stood firm, and by March 25, the Japanese were forced to retreat. It was the last Japanese ground offensive in the South Pacific.
Postwar
The Division Returned to U. S. on 1945-11-21, and was inactivated on 1945-12-12. It was reactivated on 1954-12-01 as the
23rd Infantry Division, retaining the name "Americal" as part of its official designation, and served in the
Panama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a 553 square mile territory inside of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have fallen in part within the limits of the Canal Zone...
until 1956-04-10, when it was again inactivated.
Vietnam
The Division was reactivated in 1967 in
VietnamVietnam , 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 to the east...
. A division-sized task force known as TASK FORCE OREGON was created in
Quang NgaiQuang Ngai is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam, on the coast of South China Sea. It is located 883 km south of Hà Nội and 838 km north of Hồ Chí Minh City.-History:...
and
Quang TinQuang Tin was a province of South Vietnam. It was created from the part of Quang Nam Province on the south side of the Que Son Valley on July 31, 1962. The capital was Tam Kỳ...
provinces with brigades from the 25th Infantry Division and
101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division — the "Screaming Eagles"— is a U.S. Army modular infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for action during the Normandy Landings and in the Battle of the Bulge...
, as well as the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, an independent brigade that deployed to Vietnam in 1966, to operate in close cooperation with the 1st Marine Division. As new U.S. brigades arrived in Vietnam, they were assigned to Task Force Oregon, which was re-designated the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal). The Division was composed of the 11th, 196th, and 198th Light Infantry Brigades and divisional support units.
In spite of a large number of successful operations, the Division's history is marred by such incidents as the massacre at My Lai and the overrun of FSB Mary Ann, as well as the fact that two of its brigades, the 11th and 198th, arrived as the division was formed in 1967 without prior combat experience and inadequate unit training.
My Lai Massacre
One of the companies of the 11th LIB (C Company, 1st Battalion
20th InfantryThe 20th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.It was organized on 6 June 1862 at Fort Independence , as the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Infantry, one of the nine "three-battalion" regiments of regulars, each battalion containing eight companies of infantry, in contrast to the...
), with 2nd Lieutenant
William CalleyWilliam Laws Calley is a convicted American war criminal. He was the U.S. Army officer found guilty of ordering the My Lai Massacre on March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War.-Early life:...
as a platoon leader, was responsible for the
My Lai MassacreThe My Lai Massacre was the mass murder conducted by a unit of the U.S. Army on March 16, 1968 of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens in South Vietnam, all of whom were civilians and a majority of whom were women, children, and elderly people....
, a serious war crime. Another company, part of the 196th LIB, suffered severe casualties when overrun by Vietnamese
sapperA sapper or combat engineer is an individual soldier who performs a variety of combat engineering duties. Such tasks typically include bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, and building, road and airfield construction and repair...
units at the
Battle of FSB Mary AnnThe Battle of FSB Mary Ann was fought when North Vietnamese Army sappers attacked the U.S. firebase located in Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam....
in March 1971, further embarrassing the division. The aftermath of the attack resulted in the relief of the brigade and division commanders.
The 198th and 11th Brigades were withdrawn from Vietnam in November, 1971, and the Division was inactivated. The 196th Brigade was reconstituted as a separate brigade and remained in Vietnam until June 29, 1972, the last major combat unit to be withdrawn. Its 3rd Battalion 21st infantry was the last battalion to leave Vietnam, on August 23, 1972.
Insignia
The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the Americal Division on December 20, 1943. It was redesignated for the 23d Infantry Division on November 4, 1954. On December 14, 1967 the Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved.
The shoulder sleeve insignia's four white stars on a blue field are symbolic of the Southern Cross under which the organization has served. The blue color stands for infantry.
On the Distinctive Unit Insignia, the saltire (cross of St. Andrew) alludes to New Caledonia in the Southwest Pacific where the Division was created and first activated on May 27, 1942. Each of the four stars stands for four World War II campaigns (
GuadalcanalGuadalcanal is a 2,510-square mile island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. The World War II Guadalcanal Campaign took place on and around the island...
,
Northern SolomonsThe Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
,
LeyteLeyte 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 island of Leyte. Leyte is located west of Samar, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
and Southern Philippines) in which the Division participated. The anchor refers to the
Presidential Unit CitationThe Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
(Navy) awarded the Division for Guadalcanal and the red arrowhead and Philippine sun for the assault landing, Southern Philippines, and the award of the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (October 7, 1944 to July 4, 1945). The unsheathed sword with point to top refers to Vietnam where the Division was active. In view of the Division's origin and outstanding service in World War II and inasmuch as it was one of the few U.S. Army Divisions to bear a name instead of a number, the Division's former name "Americal" has been taken as a motto, the association with that name being both inspirational and of historical military significance.
Notable soldiers
Both Generals H. Norman Schwarzkopf and
Colin PowellColin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State , serving under President George W. Bush. He was the first African American appointed to that position...
served in the Americal Division in Vietnam, in 1969-70 and 1968-70 respectively, as did the first Secretary of Homeland Security
Tom RidgeThomas Joseph Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
(Bravo Company, 1st of the 20th, 1969-70). American authors
Tracy KidderJohn Tracy Kidder is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer of the 1981 nonfiction narrative, The Soul of a New Machine, about the creation of a new computer at Data General Corporation....
(1968-1969) and
Tim O'BrienTim O'Brien is an American novelist who mainly writes about his experiences in the Vietnam War and the impact the war had on the American soldiers who fought there...
(1969-1970) also served in the Americal in Vietnam.
Further reading
- Eric Bergerud, Touched with Fire: the Land War in the South Pacific, Penguin, 1996. ISBN 0-14-024696-7
External links