40th Infantry Division — “Sunburst Division”

Shoulder Patch: Dark blue diamond with a yellow sun and twelve rays circled in red — symbolic of the golden sunshine and clear skies of the Western states.

Source: National Guard of California, Nevada and Utah

Overview
Organized July 18, 1917 and trained at Camp Kearney, California. Inducted March 3, 1941 at Camp San Luis Obispo, California. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the division joined General Stilwell in defending the Southern California Sector before moving to Fort Lewis for advanced training and deploying to Hawaii in August 1942.

Component Units (as of August 1942)
108th, 160th and 185th Infantry Regiments — 143rd, 164th, 213th (L) and 222nd (M) FA Battalions
Higher Command: Eighth Army

Combat History
The Sunburst Division first tasted combat in the jungles of New Britain in December 1943, staging through Guadalcanal. The 185th Regiment seized Cape Hoskins Airdrome at Talasea, helping close the trap on Japanese forces in the Rabaul area.

After practice landings at Lae, New Guinea, the division sailed to Lingayen Gulf arriving January 9, 1945. The 160th Regiment drove day and night toward Clark Field, entering Tarlac eleven days later — the first American troops to reach Clark Field. The division captured Fort Stotsenberg and Camp O’Donnell, pushing Japanese forces into the Cambusilan Mountains and sealing thousands in caves. In 53 days of continuous fighting the 40th killed or captured 6,145 Japanese troops.

Subsequent operations included the pacification of Panay Island and the invasion and capture of Negros, accounting for an additional 4,732 Japanese killed or captured. The division also captured and converted airfields at Santa Barbara and Mundurriao, enabling American aircraft to land in record time.

Awards
Distinguished Unit Citation to the reinforced 3rd Platoon, Company F, 185th Infantry for action at Patik, Negros, Philippine Islands, March 29, 1945.

Commanding Generals
Maj. Gen. Walter P. Short through Brig. Gen. Ernest J. Dawley and Maj. Gen. Rapp Brush through the end of the war