A Brief History of the 25th Infantry Division


The 25th Infantry Division was activated on 1 October 1941 at Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii. Only two months later the Division would see its first combat on 7 December 1941. While the Division itself was brand new, the majority of its assigned components were well-trained professional Regular Army units, which had served at Schofield Barracks for decades with the Hawaiian Division.

ORIGINS
The Hawaiian Division, activated in 1921, was organized under a square structure of the WWI divisions. In 1941 its major units consisted of the 21st Infantry Brigade, comprised of the 19th and 21st Infantry Regiments; the 22nd Infantry Brigade comprised of the 27th and 35th Infantry Regiments; and the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, comprised of the 8th, 11th, and 13th Field Artillery Regiments. (Elements of all seven of these regiments would eventually serve with the 25th Division).

In 1940 as war threatened, the Army concluded that the square division was too cumbersome for modern warfare and adopted a new triangular division design of three infantry regiments, four field artillery battalions plus support troops. At Schofield Barracks on 1 October 1941 the Army activated two triangular divisions, designated the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions, using the units of the Hawaiian Division.

The 19th and 21st Infantry Regiments and the 11th and 13th Field Artillery were assigned to the 24th Division. The 27th and 35th Infantry Regiments and the 8th Field Artillery were assigned to the 25th Division. The Hawaiian Division's support units consisting primarily of an engineer regiment; a quartermaster regiment and a medical regiment were reorganized into separate battalions and assigned to the two new divisions.

To provide the third infantry regiment the 25th was assigned the 298th Infantry Regiment of the Hawaiian National Guard called to federal service in 1940. On 3 August 1942 the 298th was replaced by the 161st Infantry Regiment of the Washington National Guard which served with the Division for the rest of WWII.

WORLD WAR II
On 7 December 1941 the 24th and 25th Divisions had the distinction of being the first U.S. Army divisions to see combat in WWII when they returned the fire of Japanese aircraft strafing Schofield Barracks. After the attack the 25th Division quickly moved to defensive positions to protect Honolulu and Pearl Harbor against a possible Japanese invasion.

In November 1942 the Division underwent intensive jungle and amphibious warfare training and sailed for Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands to relieve the 1st Marine Division. The 25th operating as part of the XIV Corps commenced offensive operations against the Japanese on 7 January 1943. In less than a month and against a determined enemy who offered fierce resistance the 25th Division wiped out the Japanese dug in on Mount Austin and conducted an envelopment through the jungle to cut off retreating Japanese forces. The speed in which the Division accomplished these missions earned it the nickname "Tropic Lightning". For its valor on Mount Austin the 35th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

The 25th as part of the XIV Corps was then committed to operations to seize the remaining Japanese held islands in the Solomons. From 3 July 1943 through 6 October 1943 the Tropic Lightning participated in the seizure of the islands of New Georgia, Vella LaVella, Sasavele and Kolombangara. Upon the conclusion of the Solomons campaign the Division was sent to New Zealand for rest and training and then moved to New Caledonia on 8 February 1944 to prepare for the invasion of the Philippines.

The War Department had decreed that the 24th Division would inherit the lineage as well as the shoulder sleeve insignia of the Hawaiian Division, a green taro leaf in a red circle. This left the 25th Division without a shoulder sleeve insignia. Various designs were proposed; our photos page shows one of the early prototypes. The final design, approved by the War Department on 7 June 1944, was a red and yellow (the colors of the Hawaiian royalty) taro leaf to recognize the 25th Division's ties to Hawaii and the old Hawaiian Division with a lightning bolt superimposed, representative of the Division's nickname.

On 11 January 1945 the 25th Division, now assigned to the Sixth Army, landed on Luzon at San Fabian. Attached to the I Corps the 25th met fierce resistance from Japanese forces as it liberated key towns along the left flank of the Sixth Army. To secure the left flank of the Sixth Army as it drove for Manila, the 25th attacked Japanese forces in the Caraballo Mountains beginning on 21 February 1945. In some of the fiercest fighting of the Pacific war, the Tropic Lightning Division fought its way through the Japanese defenses on one hill after the other with the key Balete Pass falling to the Division on 13 May 1945. Mopping up operations continued until the 25th was taken off the line on 30 June 1945. The Division had suffered the most casualties of any division of the Sixth Army in its record establishing 165 days of continuous combat. The Division was in rehabilitation near Tarlac when the war ended. The 25th was credited with participation in four campaigns of the Asiatic-Pacific Theater: Central Pacific, Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons and Luzon. Six Tropic Lightning soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor.

OCCUPATION DUTY
The 25th Division was chosen to be part of the Occupation Forces for Japan. It took up garrison stations on south‚central Honshu Island with the Division Headquarters located in the city of Osaka. The 161st Infantry Regiment was inactivated in Nagoya, Japan and was replaced by the 4th Infantry Regiment on 1 November 1945. The 89th Field Artillery Battalion was inactivated on 15 December 1946 followed by the 4th Infantry's inactivation on 31 January 1947. On 1 February 1947, the 24th Infantry Regiment along with the 159th Field Artillery Battalion were assigned to the 25th Division. Both units were manned by African-Americans as the Army was still segregated at that time. It was during this period that the 27th Infantry Regiment and the 8th Field Artillery Battalion became sponsors of a children's orphanage in Osaka. The dedication and generosity of Tropic Lightning soldiers in supporting the orphanage resulted in worldwide recognition of their efforts.

KOREAN WAR
The North Koreans launched a surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950. U.S. Army divisions stationed in Japan were rushed to the defense of South Korea. The 25th Division was ordered to South Korea on 5 July 1950. By mid July the Division was fully deployed and ready to engage North Korean forces. On 20 July 1950 the 3rd Battalion 24th Infantry conducted the first combat action of the Division when it attacked and destroyed a well-dug in North Korean force which had seized the critical road hub of Yechon. The recapture of Yechon was considered the first sizable American ground victory of the war. Forced back into what became known as the Pusan Perimeter the American and South Korean forces fought stubbornly to halt the North Korean advance. The 27th Infantry became a fire brigade for the Allied forces moving to whatever part of the perimeter was threatened to repel the North Koreans. The 35th Infantry was equally effective and would soon, become one of the best regiments in the Eighth Army. By 8 September 1950 the North Koreans southward advance had been stopped.

The Tropic Lightning Division was a vital contributor to the successful breakout from the Pusan Perimeter and the subsequent link up with the X Corps that had made the Inchon landing. The United Nations forces drove to the 38th Parallel, destroying the North Korean Army in the process. Crossing the 38th Parallel, the 25th Division, along with the rest of the Eighth Army, advanced into North Korea. In October 1950 the Chinese sent large numbers of troops across the Yalu River in support of the North Koreans.

On 26 November 1950 the Chinese launched a massive offensive that drove the United Nations forces back below the 38th Parallel where the Chinese were finally halted. By June 1951 the UN forces had driven back slightly north of the 38th Parallel and here the war stalemated into a battle of hills and ridgelines.

In the fall of 1951 several changes in the units of the Division took place. On 1 October 1951 the 24th Infantry was inactivated and replaced by the 14th Infantry "Golden Dragons". The 69th Field Artillery Battalion replaced the 159th Field Artillery Battalion. The 79th Tank Battalion, assigned to the 25th in 1949 (redesignated the 755th in August 1951), was inactivated on 14 November 1951 and was replaced on that date by the 89th Tank Battalion.

The Korean War would drag on in a series of limited operations designed to enhance each side's military positions in anticipation of a conclusion of the truce talks underway at Panmunjom. Finally on 27 July 1953, a truce agreement was signed effectively ending the Korean War.

The 25th Infantry Division greatly distinguished itself in the 37 months of combat of the Korean War. The Division received two South Korean Presidential Unit Citations and was credited with participation in all ten Korean War campaigns. Elements of the 27th Infantry, 35th Infantry, 79th Tank Battalion, 89th Tank Battalion, and the 8th, 64th, 69th, and 90th Field Artillery Battalions received U.S. Presidential Unit Citations for their heroism. Fourteen Tropic Lightning soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor.

GARRISON DUTY
In 1954 the Division returned to Schofield Barracks two wars and almost thirteen years later. In it's training program the 25th returned to its original mission of jungle warfare and stressed counter-guerilla operations. Both would serve the division well some 12 years later.

In 1957 the Army concluded that the infantry regiment was no longer a tactically viable organization in the era of nuclear warfare. Consequently the Army reorganized all infantry and airborne divisions under the Pentomic concept. Instead of three infantry regiments, there would be five infantry battle groups each commanded by a colonel. Each division would also have a cavalry reconnaissance squadron, an armor battalion and an aviation battalion. To preserve the lineages of the historic regiments the Army established the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) whereby companies/batteries/troops of a historic regiment would be used to form battle groups/battalions bearing the regimental designation. For example, Company A would form the 1st Battalion, Company D the 4th Battalion, etc. As a result the units of the 25th underwent considerable reorganization and redesignation.

The 14th, 27th and 35th Infantry were reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battle Group 14th Infantry, 2nd Battle Group, 19th Infantry, 2nd Battle Group, 21st Infantry, 1st Battle Group, 27th Infantry and 1st Battle Group, 35th Infantry. Thus with the exception of the 14th Infantry, the infantry component of the 25th mirrored the old Hawaiian Division.

The reconnaissance squadron was designated the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry. (The 4th Cavalry had previously served at Schofield Barracks from 1913-1919.) The 89th Tank Battalion was returned to its mother regiment when it was redesignated the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor. (In 1963 it was redesignated 1/69 Armor.)

The Army had combined the air defense and field artillery into the Artillery branch. Thus by 1960 the 25th Division Artillery had the 1st Battalion 8th Artillery, 2nd Battalion 9th Artillery, 7th Battalion 11th Artillery, and 3rd Battalion 13th Artillery. With the exception of the 9th Artillery (which had been activated at Schofield Barracks in 1916), the 25th Division artillery component also mirrored the old Hawaiian Division.

In 1963, the Army decided that the battle group was not the answer and again reorganized the infantry and airborne divisions replacing the battle groups with a quasi-regimental structure consisting of three brigades of three infantry battalions each. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the 25th were activated in August 1963. The battle groups were reorganized into seven battalions and redesignated as the 1st Battalion 5th Infantry, 1st Battalion 14th Infantry, 2nd Battalion 14th Infantry, 1st Battalion 27th Infantry, 2nd Battalion 27th Infantry, 1st Battalion 35th Infantry, and 2nd Battalion 35th Infantry. The 25th was shy two infantry battalions as it prepared to deploy to Vietnam. In January 1966 the 4th Battalion 9th Infantry and the 4th Battalion (Mechanized) 23rd Infantry were assigned from Alaska.

VIETNAM
On 28 December 1965 the 3rd Brigade, composed of the 1/14, 1/35, 2/35 Infantry and 2/9 Artillery arrived at Pleiku in the Vietnamese Highlands. From January through April 1966 the rest of the Division arrived at Cu Chi north west of Saigon and entered into combat operations. On 1 August 1967 the 3rd Brigade was reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division while the 25th was assigned the 4th Division's 3rd Brigade consisting of the 2nd Battalion 12 Infantry, 2nd Battalion (Mechanized) 22nd Infantry, 3rd Battalion 22nd Infantry and 2nd Battalion 77th Artillery.

From 1966 to 1970, the Division fought the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong north and west of Saigon. During the 1968 Tet Offensive the 25th stopped the Viet Cong attempts to seize Ton Son Nhut airfield and participated in the defense of Saigon. The Tropic Lightning consistently defeated the Communists forces where ever they found them in the Iron Triangle, Boi Loi Woods, HoBo Woods, Hoc Mon, War Zone C and Cambodia.

On 6 December 1969 the 4th Brigade, 25th Division was activated as a garrison for Schofield Barracks, consisting of the 2/5, 3/14, and 3/27 Infantry and 5/13 Artillery. It was inactivated on 15 December 1970 as the Division began to arrive home from Vietnam.

The Vietnamization of the war and the withdrawals of U.S. forces began in 1969. On 6 December 1970 the Tropic Lightning Division began leaving Vietnam for Schofield Barracks with the 2nd Brigade being the last to leave on 30 April 1971. The 25th Infantry Division served gallantly for 1,716 days in Vietnam receiving participation credit for eleven Vietnam campaigns and being twice awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Eight Tropic Lightning units were awarded Presidential Unit Citations and eleven received Valorous Unit Awards. 21 Tropic Lightning soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Historian Eric Bergerud focused on the experiences of Tropic Lightning soldiers in Vietnam in his book, "Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning: The World of a Combat Division in Vietnam".

THE POST COLD WAR ERA
On 21 June 1973 the 3rd Brigade was inactivated. The Division returned to full strength in the early 1980s and was reorganized as a light infantry division in 1985. In 1981 the Army decided to go to a unit replacement rather than an individual replacement system. The implementation resulted in a massive reassignment of regiments. The Army then decided to stay with individual replacements and in 1995 returned many of the regiments to their traditional divisions. As a result the 25th Division regained elements of the 5th, 24th and 35th Infantry, the 8th Field Artillery and the 4th Cavalry.

On 16 August 1995 the 1st Brigade was reassigned to Fort Lewis, Washington. This was the first time in the history of the 25th Division that a major organic component of the division was serving in the continental United States. It was composed of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry, the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry, the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, and the 25th Forward Support Battalion. On 16 September 2000 the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry was reassigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis. The 1st Brigade will receive a battalion to replace the 5-20th in the spring of 2002.

Since 1976, the 25th Infantry Division has participated in numerous deployments of Division units to many locations on the mainland and around the Pacific Basin, making the 25th one of the most deployed divisions in the Army. This activity has also earned the Division a second nickname: "Fire Brigade of the Pacific."

Tropic Lightning troops were deployed to the Middle East in Operation Desert Storm. 25th men and women have participated in peacekeeping duty in the Sinai Desert and in Haiti during Operation Restore Democracy.

The Division's mission as the strategic ground reserve force of the U.S. Pacific Command ensures that the 25th Infantry Division (Light) will continue as an important component of the post-Cold War American Army. Today the Division's motto, "Ready to strike anywhere ... anytime," epitomizes the Division's mission and its resolve to uphold its proud and hard-earned heritage.