The insignia of the new 24^th Infantry Division consisted of a green taro leaf with a yellow border set on a red disk bordered in black. This new insignia would symbolize one of the most famous fighting units in U.S. military history, taking on any aggressor in the steaming jungles, up rock hard mountains, through the frigid snow, on blood soaked beaches, and on burning sands. On December 7, 1941, the new 24^th Infantry Division trained its guns on attacking Japanese aircraft and at this time its motto became ascribed…"First to Fight". The legacy left by this new division, "The Victory Division", will live long and proud in U.S. military archives, and in the mind and hearts of man.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, the Division was ordered to immediately set up an elaborate system of coastal defenses on the north side of Oahu Island. At this time the Division also engaged in amphibious training and underwent jungle warfare training. After stepped up conditioning and orientation the Taromen were put on transport ships and moved to Rockhampton on Australia’s east coast. Four months later they moved to Goodenough Island just east of New Guinea for additional training. While on Goodenough Island the division was alerted. They were formed into Task Force Reckless with the 41^st Infantry Division and ordered to move against Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea. The Taromen’s mission was to land at Tanahmerah Bay and secure the Hollandia Airdrome. The division was finally going to mount an offensive attack against the enemy. The assault plan called for the 24^th Division to go ashore at Red Beach 1 and Red Beach 2, the latter being the primary target. The Red Beach 2 assault would come from four battalions, two each from the 19^th and 21^st Infantry Regiments. One battalion of the 19^th and the 34^th Infantry Regiment were to remain in reserve. The remaining battalion of the 21^st was assigned to Red Beach 1.  U.S. and Australian Navy ships pounded the beaches prior to the invasion. The landing craft moved toward the beaches under a heavy surf. The beachheads were established quickly with primarily small arms resistance. The inland trek towards the airfield was tortuous as vehicles could not maneuver the narrow trails and often bogged down. Supplies were often cut off from the troops.  Airdrops were limited due to the poor visibility and heavy rains.  After 5 days of sporadic fighting enemy patrols and ambushes, as well as the adverse weather, terrain, and logistics, the Taro Leafers linked up with the 41^st Division and the airfields were secure. The first mission was successfully completed.

Biak 

The next operation was Biak, one of the Schouton Islands north of New Guinea. The objective was to capture 3 Japanese airfields located at Mokmer, Borokoe, and Sorido. The lead went to the 41^st Infantry Division with the 24^th Division’s 34^th Infantry Regiment attached to it. The 34^th Infantry was assigned to take and occupy the Borokoe and Sorido airfields. The two airfields were secured quickly with little opposition. The 34^th then linked up with the other 41^st Division units and mounted another attack on Mokmer to clean out the stiff enemy resistance there. The 34^th Infantry’s 2^nd and 3^rd battalions were to secure the areas west of the Borokoe airfield while the 1^st battalion and the 41^st Division’s 186^th Infantry cleared high ground north of Hill 320.  Based on C Company, 34^th Infantry reports it was concluded that the Japanese might be preparing for either a fierce defensive stand or a suicidal counterattack in a cliff area northwest of the battalion’s position. The 1^st and 2^nd battalions, 34^th Infantry were ordered to approach the cliffs from two directions. The Japanese mounted a strong counterattack while trying to break out of the trap set by the 34^th Infantry. Company A was caught between the two battalions and driven back to the battalion command post. Hard fighting ensued and the enemy resistance was finally wiped out. The three airfields were now secure. The 34^th Infantry's estimated dead and wounded were approximately 100 dead and 300 wounded.

The Division's Korean Service Medal bears a single Silver Campaign Star and three Bronze Campaign Stars denoting its participation in eight major campaigns.  The 24th Infantry Division's, "Task Force Smith", was the first fighting unit deployed to Korea.  It was first to engage the North Korean aggressor force in the war's first battle, at Osan.  The 24th Division was also the first U.S. Division to actively serve under the blue and white emblem of the United Nations.

Task Force Smith

The cease-fire brought a new mission to the Taro Leaf Division. The Division would assume responsibility for the prisoner repatriation which would bring our American captives home. The operation was named, "Big Switch". The Division’s 19^th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the camp where allies held anti-Communist Chinese POWs on Cheju-do Island. The 21^st Infantry Regiment was assigned to Koje-do Island, a camp which held the hard-core doctrinaire communists. Both islands were off of the southern coast of the country. The 34^th Infantry Regiment came off the line and was assigned to Pusan where it organized Task Force Olson. The Task Force escorted freed prisoners to Inchon and from there they sailed to Taiwan.

The Division took up semi-permanent encampments throughout the country and continued training. In October of 1953 the Division got a new commanding officer, Major General Carter Magruder. Training continued and the 34^th Infantry effected another prisoner transfer in January 1954 without incident. Brigadier General Carl Hutton assumed command of the Division. In Feburary the Division received orders to move to a line position held by the 45^th Infantry Division, a National Guard Division which was slated to return to the United States. On March 1, 1954 the Victory Division completed its move to the east central sector. Although in a reserve position, but close to the demarcation-line, its role was in preparation for manning the cease-fire line to watch for any breeches from the North. The U.S. 40^th Infantry Division was on the immediate right, and Chinese Communist divisions were directly in front across the line. The Division again changed command and Major General Paul Harkins, who commanded the departing 45^th Infantry Division, was now in charge.

In March 1955 the Division moved to the western line sector and relieved the 1^st Marine Division. It took the "Front-line" position that would last until the Division left Korea in 1957. The Victory Division was now the only U.S. Division with direct face-to-face contact with enemy forces. As part of I Corps, which was headquartered in Uijongbu, the Division had units located above and just below the Imjin River at the 38^th Parallel. Munsan-ni was the rail center, the area of Paju-ri was home for the reserve infantry regiment when not on position above the Imjin, and Pubwon-ni was a major crossroad both north and south, and east and west. Within the Division area were Libby Bridge (named for 24^th Division Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant George Libby) and Freedom Bridge (the crossing point for repatriated POWs returning home from long captivity). The 7^th Infantry Division was in reserve to the Division’s right. Main supply routes were established, civilian control lines were manned and traffic control points were set up. All foot and vehicle traffic was checked through these points whether movement was within the Division area or to and from it. Taromen maintained 24 hour surveillance over the DMZ from various outposts, including OP Cherry Herring, OP Maizie, and OP Nina and with combat patrols inside the fences. Adjacent area patrols were daily occurrences, including joint patrols with British, Greek, Turkish and Australian allied forces. Building and maintaining trenches and bunkers was ongoing. The Division remained on a high alert status often scrambling in full combat gear and assuming defensive positions as the wail of the alert sirens and squawk boxes sounded in the strategically scattered compounds. Infiltrators from the north were captured along the DMZ and turned over to R.O.K. authorities for interrogation. The sounds of gunfire, blaring horns, rumbling armor and other eerie sounds, as well as night flares, lights, and loud speaker propaganda were also common during the dark hours of night and early morning as a harassment. Units constantly trained to maintain their combat skills. Each man realized he was part of the Trip-wire defense system. The times were tense, but the will was strong and Taromen remained alert, ready and motivated. The Victory Division troops knew that if the North Korean and Chinese Communist forces broke the Armistice and crossed the DMZ, they again would be "First to Fight".

On 15 October 1957 at Tonggu, the Division ended its cease-fire service defensive role in Korea and was replaced by the 1^st Cavalry Division. The Division returned to Japan and was inactivated in December 1957.  No one could predict that U.S. Forces would remain in the defense of the R.O.K. until the turn of the Century and the beginning of a new Millennium.  The 24th Infantry Division and the 7th "Bayonet" Infantry Division were the first Army units to "Stand the Line" during the longest Armistice/Cease-fire containment operation in our military history.  The 2nd Infantry Division continues this duty today.

President Eisenhower ordered the first elements of the intervention force be landed in Lebanon by July 15, 1958. The closest unit was the 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Marines aboard LSTs just south of Cyprus. They landed on the night of the 15^th. There was no opposition. The 1^st Battle Group, 187^th Infantry, Force Alpha, was airborne early on July 16^th. Beirut airport was secured and vehicle and helicopter patrols were conducted by the combined forces.  There were a number of confrontations between U.S. forces and the Lebanese Army, police, and various political factions.  There were numerous incidents of harassing gun fire against the American troops and one Army sergeant was killed by a sniper on August 1, 1958.  U.S. forces conducted several shows of force before the situation began to settle down.  The intervention ended and all U.S. troops departed the region by October 15, 1958.

The U.S. learned much in the way of its airlift and support needs for global power projection, the need for pre-planned joint commands, and uncounted lessons in limited war and intervention operations.  The outcome of the crisis had the added benefit of convincing both the Arab states and the Soviets that the U.S. had the resolve and ability to project power into the region.

When The East Germans erected the infamous Berlin Wall in August of 1961, the volatility of this Berlin flash point increased. The Division’s 1^st Battalion of the 19^th Infantry Regiment was the leading element sent to Check Point Charley to bolster other allied forces there. A genuine crisis situation persisted at the check point as Soviet and American tanks faced off. Other Victory Division units quickly followed to this area. At this time the U.S. Military started calling up reserve units.

The peacekeeping efforts and the deterrent strength of the 24^th Division and other NATO units prevented the break out of another war just 16 short years after the end of World War II, and only 8 years after the fragile "cease-fire" agreement in Korea.

August 27, 1992, the U.S. military XVIII Airborne Corps deployed some 22,000 troops to aid in the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.  This was the largest military rescue operation in U.S. history.  The mission was to provide immediate emergency relief including food, water, shelter and medical aid. During subsequent phases, the Corps conducted debris removal operations, repaired schools, established relief supply distribution centers and assisted the local government in establishing sustained recovery operations.  24th Infantry Division (Mech) units involved were the 724 Main Support Battalion, 24th Signal Battalion, HHC DISCOM, D Co, 2/7th Infantry, 91st Chemical Company and HHC, 24th ID. 

Hurricane Andrew hit the Florida coast on August 24, 1992 moving across southern Florida and into south-central Louisiana leaving a path of destruction 25 miles wide and 60 miles long.  This hurricane was the most destructive United States hurricane of record and the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.  It caused $26.5 billion in damage in the United States, of which $1 billion occurred in Louisiana and the rest in south Florida.  In Dade County alone, the forces of Andrew resulted in at least 15 deaths and up to one-quarter million people left temporarily homeless.
(Courtesy of: MAJ John M. Weaver)

In 1994 over 60,000 Iraqi Republican Guard troops, with their tanks and armored vehicles, were massing near Nasiriyah, Iraq, less than 100 miles from the Kuwaiti border.  As the Iraqis moved east, displaying the same aggressiveness that preceded the invasion of Kuwait four years earlier, the 24th Infantry Division was sent in response to Saddam Hussein's "saber rattling" and posturing of a significant Iraqi military force along the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border.  Operation Vigilant Warrior was launched. 

The President’s order of an immediate response was met within days.  The new USCENTAF Commander, Lt Gen John Jumper and most of his key staff had deployed to Riyadh, where he took command of JTF-SWA.  This Operation also involved the "plus up" of USCENTAF air assets to more than 170 aircraft and 6,500 personnel. Iraq soon recalled its troops and the crisis passed, but the US decided to retain some 120 aircraft and 5,000 personnel in-theatre in case Hussein repeated his bluff. As an additional measure, USCENTAF also agreed to bed down A-10 aircraft in Kuwait itself for the first time.

The 24th ID(M) was a valuable deterrent during VIGILANT WARRIOR from October to December 1994 when it arrived and began to train vigorously and visibly to demonstrate US presence and resolve to Iraq. 

U.S. and Coalition forces employed in support of Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR are: 

(U.S. Forces) 2 brigades of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Marine and Army maritime prepositioned forces, Over 200 additional combat aircraft, USCINCCENT, USCENTCOM HQ element, Component Ccs and Staffs deployed in theater Patriot Air Defense personnel and over 20 naval combatants that included coalition forces. 

(Coalition Forces) 4 Kuwait Brigades, 1 United Arab Emirates Mechanized Infantry Battalion and 1 U.K. Infantry Battalion.