40th Inf Division

Genuine WWII shoulder badge of the 40th Infantry Division.

The 40th Infantry Division was activated for World War II on March 3, 1941. It was then a division of the Army National Guard. In February 1942, the 40th Infantry Division was reorganized from a two brigades and four regiments format to a three regiments format with no brigades. As a result, the 79th and 80th brigades were deactivated1.

It left American soil on August 20, 1942. The division's first destination was the Hawaiian archipelago, which it must protect against a possible invasion. She also continues her training there. In July 1943, it was concentrated on Oahu and relieved the 24th Infantry Division for the defense of the northern sector. It was in turn relieved in October 1943 to begin a period of intense training for amphibious assaults and combat in the jungle. On December 20, the first units embarked for Guadalcanal and, by mid-January 1944, the division was ready for combat. On April 24, 1944, she left Guadalcanal for New Britain. She then took up positions at Talasea on the northern shore of the island, at Arawe to the south and near the western tip. It eliminates pockets of opposing resistance through patrol actions without a major battle. On the other hand, precipitation and mud are constant problems1.

The division was relieved on November 27, 1944 by the 5th Australian Division. She then prepared to disembark in Luçon where she was sent on December 9, 1944 to Lingayen. It captured the city's airport and occupied the Bolinao Peninsula before advancing towards Manila, fighting hard in the area of ​​Fort Stotsenburg and the Bambam Hills1. The unit left Luzon on March 15, 1945 and landed on the island of Panay on the 18th where it eliminated Japanese resistance in ten days, taking the airfields of Santa Barbara and Mandurriao. On March 29, it landed at Pulupandan, in the province of Negros Occidental, seizing Bacolod and advancing towards Talisay, which it took on April 2. After eliminating enemy resistance on the island of Negros, it returned to Panay in June and July 1945 before leaving for Korea to carry out occupation missions, after the Japanese surrender on September 22.

She returned to American soil on April 7, 1946.