40th Infantry Division

Nickname: Sunburst Division. . Shoulder Patch: The insignia is to the shape of a dark-blue diamond, and on it in yellow, is the sun, with twelve rays. The sun is circled in red. The patch is symbolic of the Golden West sunshine, and a perfect sky. Source: National Guard of California, Nevada and Utah. . History: Division was organized July 18, 1917, and training started at Camp Kearney, Calif. Overseas movement completed Aug. 21, 1918. Designated as 6th Depot Division, unit was stationed at La Guerche-sur-L’Aubois, France, to receive, train, equip and forward replacements. .. Training: After induction, Mar. 3, 1941, Division reported to Camp San Luis Obispo, Calif., for training. On Dec. 8, 1941, with other troops under Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell, undertook defense of Southern California Sector. Sent to Fort Lewis for advanced training Apr., 1942. Overseas training, Hawaii, departing U. S. Aug., 1942. . Commanding Generals: Maj. Gen. Walter P. Short, Mar., 1941, to Sept., 1941; Brig. Gen. Ernest J. Dawley (later Maj. Gen.), Sept., 1941, to Apr., 1942; Maj. Gen. Rapp Brush, Apr., 1942, to present. . Component Units: (As of Aug., 1942): 108th, 160th and 185th Infantry Regiment; 143rd, 164th, 213th (L) and 222nd (M) FA Battalions. Higher Command: Eighth Army. . Awards: The reinforced 3rd Platoon of Co. P, 185th Inf. was awarded Distinguished Unit Citation for action Mar. 29, 1945, for landing at Patik, Negros. P I. . Combat Highlights: The 40th first tasted combat in Jungle fighting Dec., 1943, on New Britain after staging on Guadalcanal. The 185th Regiment. jumped off at Talasea to take Cape Hoskins’. Airdrome, 25 miles east, is closing a, trap on Japs in the Rabaul area. After practice landings at Lae, New Guinea in the fall of 1944, the 40th sailed to Lingayen Gulf,, arriving Jan. 9, 1945. The 160th. Regiment. made blitz speed, marching.; day and night toward Clark Field and Manila, entering Tarlac, strategic railroad and highway Junction 11 days later. The division infantrymen were the first troops to reach Clark Field. The Division captured Fort Stotsenberg and Camp O’Donnell and pushed the Japs 10 miles into the Cambusilan mountains, sealing thousands of Japs in caves. In 53 days of continuous fighting, the 40th killed or captured 6145 Japs. Subsequent action included pacification of Panay Island in the Visayas; invasion and capture of Negros including the capital, Bacoled. These campaigns accounted; for 4732 Japs killed and captured by the 40th. In Panay, the Division captured and converted airfields at Santa Barbara and Mundurriao, enabling American planes to land there in record time.

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