31st Inf Division Patche

Genuine WWII shoulder badge of the 31st Infantry Division.

It was established in October 1917 as a division of the Army National Guard at Camp Gordon, Georgia. It arrived in France in September 1918 but did not take part in the fighting since it served as a reserve force, its members being dispersed among various units to make up for losses. She was mobilized again on 25 November 1940 and was sent to Oro Bay, New Guinea, on 24 April 1944. She conducted amphibious assault training before her 124th Infantry Regiment landed at Aitape between the 3rd and July 6. From July 13, he was engaged in the Battle of Aitape. The remainder of the division relieved the 6th Infantry Division on Wakde and Sarmi Islands on 18 July. It was engaged in various medium-scale combat actions which inflicted losses amounting to 1,000 men on the Japanese in mid-August. On September 15, she landed at Morotai, encountering only weak opposition. Mapia was conquered between November 15 and 17 then the Asia Islands on November 19-20, evacuated by the Japanese. Subsequently, she was sent to Sansapor (in) where she occupied the military base. On April 22, 1945, she landed in Mindanao as part of the Philippine campaign and participated in the reconquest of the island with the help of Filipino forces and various resistance groups. Under difficult conditions, it forced the enemy to retreat inland, blocking part of the Japanese troops in the Davao region. In August 1945, she received the surrender of the Japanese still present on the island. In total, the unit lost 340 men in combat