Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 32nd Infantry Division.

The 32nd Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. In both wars it was made up of National Guard units from Wisconsin and Michigan. The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during WWII, more than any other US Army division. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nikolay II Aleksey Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert H. Asquith D. Lloyd George Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States National Guard is a component of the United States Army (the Army National Guard) and the United States Air Force (the Air National Guard). ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ...

In 1967, the 32nd Infantry Division (now made up completely of units from Wisconsin) was deactivated and reformed as the U.S. 32nd Infantry Brigade, the largest unit of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. The 32nd Infantry Brigade (Separate)(Light) is the largest unit in the Wisconsin National Guard. ...

World War I

• Activated: July 1917 (National Guard Division, troops from Michigan and Wisconsin).
• Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Battle of Aisne-Battle of Marne, Battle of Oise-Battle of Aisne.
• Casualties: Total-13,261 (KIA-2,250; WIA-11,011).
• Commanders: Maj. Gen. James Parker (August 26, 1917), Brig. Gen. William G. Haan (September 19, 1917), Maj. Gen. James Parker (December 7, 1917), Brig. Gen. W. G. Haan (December 8, 1917), (Maj. Gen. from February 7, 1918), Maj. Gen. William Lassiter (November 20, 1918).
• Inactivated: April 5, 1919.

Combatants United States German Empire Commanders John J. Pershing Georg von der Marwitz Strength American Expeditionary Force German Fifth Army Casualties 26,277 killed 95,786 wounded 122,066 total 28,000 killed 92,250 wounded 120,250 total The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the final offensive of World War... The Battle of the Aisne is the name of three battles fought along the Aisne River in northern France during the First World War. ... Combatants  France  United Kingdom  United States  German Empire Casualties 168,000 The Second Battle of the Marne, or Battle of Reims, was a major World War I battle fought from July 15 to August 5, 1918, near the Marne River. ... The Sambre-Oise Canal is located in France and saw one of the last Allied victories of World War I. The forcing of the Sambre-Oise Canal took place on November 4, 1918. ... The Battle of the Aisne is the name of three battles fought along the Aisne River in northern France during the First World War. ... James Parker (February 20, 1854 – June 2, 1934) was a Major General in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his role in the Philippine-American War during 1899. ...

Operational history

World War II

• Activated: October 15, 1940 (National Guard Division from Michigan and Wisconsin).
• Campaigns: New Guinea campaign, southern Philippines, Battle of Luzon.
• Distinguished Unit Citations: 14.
• Awards: MH-11 ; DSC-37 ; DSM-1 ; SS-657 ; LM-28; SM-77 ; BSM-2,403 ; A11-95.
• Commanders: Maj. Gen. Irving A. Fish (October 1940-March 1942), Maj. Gen. Edwin F. Harding (March 1942-January 1943) Maj. Gen. William H. Gill (February 1943 to inactivation).
• Inactivated: February 28, 1946 in Japan.

The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II. Fighting in the Australian mandated Territory of New Guinea (the north-eastern part of the island of New Guinea and surrounding islands) and Dutch New Guinea, between Allied and Japanese forces, commenced with the Japanese... Combatants United States, Australia and Philippines Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Walter Krueger Franklin C. Sibert John R. Hodge Ruperto C. Kangleon Tomoyuki Yamashita Sosaku Suzuki Shiro Makino Strength 200,000 U.S. troops 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese troops Casualties 3,500 killed 12,000 wounded 49,000... Luzon, home to the Filipino capital Manila, saw the showdown between Japanese commander Tomoyuki Yamashita and General Douglas MacArthur on December 15, 1944. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ...

Operational history

The 32nd Infantry Division arrived in Australia on May 14, 1942. With Australian Army units in the Kokoda Track campaign under increasing pressure from Japanese forces, the first elements of the 32nd left for Port Moresby, New Guinea by air on September 16, en route to the combat zone. They were joined by other elements, by sea, on September 28 and by air on October 2. Units of the 32nd were deployed defensively along the Goldie River on the left flank of the Australian garrison force for the Port Moresby area. The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... Combatants Australia Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Thomas Blamey Sydney Rowell Edmund Herring Arthur Tubby Allen George Vasey Selwyn Porter Arnold Potts Hisaichi Terauchi Yosuke Yokoyama Tomitaro Horii Strength 2,000 plus reinforcements 10,000 plus reinforcements Casualties 725 killed 1,055 wounded Hundreds sick with disease 6,500 killed including... Anthem: Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... Port Moresby town Port Moresby, (), population 255,000 (2000), is the capital of Papua New Guinea. ...

The remainder of the division was flown to the Buna area, to join Australian units in an assault on the main Japanese beachheads in eastern New Guinea. The division began its attack on Novenber 19 immediately meeting strong resistance from well entrenched and camoflaged Japanese positions manned by fresh soldiers. With the only artilery support provided by a single 25 pounder gun with limited amunition, the division was unable to make further progress against these positions. A stalemate ensued. Buna is a settlement in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. ...

Believing that Buna was held by only 1000 sick and malnourished soldiers, General Douglas MacArthur dismissed the division's commander, Maj. Gen. Edwin F. Harding. MacArthur placed General R. Eichelberger, a member of his staff, in command. MacArthur famously said to Eichelberger, "Bob, I want you to go out ther and take Buna, or don't come back alive". Upon arival at Buna, Eichelberger sacked the regimental commanders and most batallion comanders. He then placed the members of his own staff in the vacated positions, running his HQ with a batman and radio operator. Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 - April 5, 1964), was an American general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II. He was poised to command the invasion of Japan in November 1945 but was instead instructed to accept their surrender on September 2, 1945. ...

The 32nd division, reinforced by the 18th Brigade and assisited by tanks took Buna on January 2, 1943. Two members of the division were awarded the Medal of Honor for their gallantry during the battle. The 32nd then returned to Australia for rest and training. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ...

On January 2, 1944, elements landed at Saidor on the north coast of New Guinea, and helped to end enemy resistance there on April 14, 1944. On April 23, elements took part in the landing at Aitape, the division arriving on May 3. After meeting slight initial resistance, the 32nd had to withstand savage counterattacks in the Driniumor River area. By August 31, Aitape was secured and the division rested. Elements landed on Morotai on September 15. The 32nd CP opened at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea on October 1, to stage for the Philippines. It landed on Leyte, November 14, and went into action along the Pinamopoan-Ormoc highway, taking Limon and smashing the Yamashita line in bitter hand-to-hand combat. The division linked up with elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division in the vicinity of Lonoy, on December 22, marking the collapse of Japanese resistance in the upper Ormoc Valley. The name Battle of Aitape or Aitape campaign may refer to any one of three military actions in the Western New Guinea campaign of 1944-45: Operations Reckless and Persecution, which included landings at Aitape on April 22, 1944. ... The Battle of Driniumor River (sometimes called The Battle of Aitape) took place in July-August 1944 in New Guinea, approximately 20 miles east of Aitape. ... Morotai Island (695 sq mi/1,800 km²) is an island located in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesias Maluku Islands (Moluccas). ... Jayapura is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. ... Dutch New Guinea was a common name of western New Guinea while it was a colonial possession of the Netherlands. ... Leyte can refer to several things: Leyte, an island in the Phillipines, site of a major World War II battle Leyte Gulf, also in the Phillipines, and site of a WW II battle Leyte province, a province of the Phillipines, including most of Leyte island Southern Leyte, a province of... Ormoc City is a city in the province of Leyte in the Philippines. ... Limon may refer to: Limón province Rafael Limon Limon, Colorado Limon, a commune in the Nièvre département, in France This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The 1st Cavalry Division (1st Cav Div) is a heavy armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Hood, Texas. ...

From Leyte the Division moved to Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, on January 27, 1945. It pushed up the Villa Verde Trail, on January 30, and after more than 100 days of fighting took Imugan and met the 25th Infantry Division near Santa Fe on May 28, securing Balete, Aklan Pass, the gateway to the Cagayan Valley. While elements of the division continued mopping-up activities near Imugan, other units moved to rest and rehabilitation centers. Active elements secured the Baguio area, wiped out Japanese forces in the Agno River Valley area, and opened Highway 11 as a supply route. Operations ceased on August 15, 1945 and the division moved to Japan for occupation duty on October 20. The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines. ... Villa Verde is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Oristano in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 70 km northwest of Cagliari and about 25 km southeast of Oristano. ... In American military history, the 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed Tropic Lightening) is a large military unit associated with operations in the Asia-Pacific region. ... Balete is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines. ... Philippines Luzon Cagayan Province Cagayan Valley an administrative region Cagayan Valley (valley) Cagayan River Mindanao Cagayan de Oro (city) cloth? Cagayan de cillo Palawan Cagayan Island Category: ... Click here for the entry on Baguio City ... The Agno River is a river in the Philippine island of Luzon. ... Capital Tokyo Language(s) Japanese Political structure Military occupation Military Governor of Japan  - 1945-1951 Douglas MacArthur  - 1951-1952 Matthew Ridgway Emperor  - 1926-1989 Hirohito Historical era Post-WWII  - Surrender of Japan August 10, 1945  - San Francisco Peace Treaty September 8, 1951 At the end of the Second World War...

General

• Nickname: Red Arrow Division; called "Les Terribles" during World War I.
• Shoulder patch: A line shot through with a red arrow; entire insignia in red.
• Inscription on memorial in Arcadia, WI: "The 32nd Red Arrow Division was first formed in July 1917 at Camp McArthur, Waco, Texas of National Guard units from both Wisconsin and Michigan. Its 27,000 men arrived in Europe in January and February 1918. It was the first division to pierce the famed German Hindenburg line of defense. From a French general, then all French troops, it was given the fearsome name "Les Terribles." This is the division whose shoulder patch is the Red Arrow, shot through a line denoting that it pierced every battle line it ever faced. The 32nd division was deactivated and retired in 1968."

Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nikolay II Aleksey Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert H. Asquith D. Lloyd George Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna...

Other

• Photo of Monumentat Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin

References

• The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950 reproduced at CMH.