032 43rd Infantry Division

Nicknames: Winged Victory Division. Division received its nickname on Luzon, formed from the name of its commanding general, Maj. Gen. Leonard F. Wing, and the ultimate goal of the division. . Shoulder Patch: The patch is a black grapeleaf imposed on a red quatrefoil background. The patch. is khaki-bordered. The grapeleaf represents the fact that the four (states whose National Guard troops originally made up the division Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island were called Vin-land. . History: Organized Mar. 21, 1925, in 1st Corps Area. History of its units: 103rd Infantry Regiment, 1861 (Civil War), the companies going back as far as 1800; 169th Infantry Regiment, 1739 (Colony of Connecticut); 172nd Infantry Regiment 1765 (Vt.-Green Mt. Boys). . Training: Inducted Feb. 24, 1941, and assigned to Camp Blanding, Florida. Louisiana maneuvers, July, 1941; Carolinas maneuvers, Nov., 1941. Moved to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, Feb. 8, 1942, coming under AGF, Mar. 9, 1942. Moved to Fort Ord, California, Aug., 1942, for amphibious training. Overseas: Oct., 1942 (SWP). . Commanding Generals: Maj. Gen. Morris B. Payne, Feb., 1941, to Aug., 1941; Maj. Gen. John ft. Hester, August 1941, to July, 1943; Maj. Gen. Leonard P. Wing,, Aug., 1943, to inactivation Oct., 1945. Component Units: (As of Oct., 1942) 103rd, 169th and 172nd Infantry Regiment: 103rd, 152nd, 169th (L) and 192nd (M) FA Battalions. Higher command: Sixth Army Awards: Distinguished Unit Citation to 1st Battalion, 169th Infantry Regiment for action at Pozorrubio, Luzon, Jan. 15-17, 1945; DUC to 2nd Battalion, 169th Infantry Regiment, for action at Seison, Luzon, Jan. 20, 1945; DUC to 3rd Battalion, 169th Infantry Regiment for action on Mt. Alava (Seison, Luzon) Jan. 20, 1945; DUC to 2nd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment for action at Ipo Dam, Luzon, May 7, 1945. Combat Highlights The Winged Victory Division participated in four campaigns, Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons, New Guinea and Luzon, during which it established its place among the great fighting divisions of the U. S. Landing in New Zealand, late in 1942 as a reserve against a possible Jap invasion, the 43rd moved on to New Caledonia and later (Jan., 1943) into Guadalcanal, near the end of the campaign here. Combat actions which followed were assault on New Georgia at Rendova Island (the 43rd killed 4000 Japs in 81 days of fighting); Munda Airfield; Aitape, New Guinea; the battle of the Drinimuor river, where Japs from Wewak were stopped; landing at Lingayen (Luzon). In the Luzon campaign which followed, the 43rd was in action at Baguio, Port Stotzenberg area; the Zambales Mts.; crushing of the Shimbu Line; capture of Ipo Dam and blasting of the Shinshu forts near Ipo Dam.