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Americal Division
The Americal Division was an infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, briefly in the mid 1950s and the Vietnam War.
The division was activated 27 May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent a task force to defend New Caledonia against a feared Japanese attack. This division was the only division formed outside of United States territory during World War II (a distinction it would repeat when reformed during the Vietnam War). At the suggestion of a subordinate, the division's commander, Major General Alexander Patch, requested that the new unit be known as the Americal Division—the name being a contraction of "American, New Caledonian Division". This was unusual, as with the exception of the Philippine Division, all other active U.S. divisions were known by a number. After World War II the Americal Division was officially re-designated as the 23rd Infantry Division. However, it was rarely referred to as such, even on official orders.
During the Vietnam War the division had a mixed record. It combined participation in numerous battles and campaigns but was marred by the My Lai massacre, which was committed by a platoon of the division's subordinate 11th Infantry Brigade, led by Lieutenant William Calley.
The division suffered a tactical defeat in the early morning of 28 March 1971, when Vietcong sappers assaulted FSB Mary Ann. The attack destroyed key infrastructure, as well as killing 33 and wounding 83 Americans.
The division was inactivated following its withdrawal from South Vietnam in November 1971.
The 164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division went into action on Guadalcanal on 13 October 1942 alongside the 1st Marine Division as the first United States Army unit to conduct an offensive operation against the enemy in either the Pacific or European Theater of Operations during World War II. Eight other U.S. Army divisions began offensive combat operations in late 1942: the 32nd and the 41st Infantry Divisions in the Pacific on New Guinea; and in North Africa, the 1st, 3rd, 9th, and 34th Infantry Divisions, and the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions.
As the "square" divisions of the National Guard were being transitioned to the triangular division TO&E in 1942, they each "shed" an infantry regiment, leaving several trained and operational "orphan" regiments available for independent service.
The "line" regiments selected to form the Americal Division were the 132nd Infantry Regiment from Illinois, formerly part of the 33rd Infantry Division, the 164th Infantry Regiment from North Dakota, formerly part of the 34th Infantry Division, and the 182nd Infantry Regiment from Massachusetts, formerly part of the 26th Infantry Division.
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Americal Division
The Americal Division was an infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, briefly in the mid 1950s and the Vietnam War.
The division was activated 27 May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent a task force to defend New Caledonia against a feared Japanese attack. This division was the only division formed outside of United States territory during World War II (a distinction it would repeat when reformed during the Vietnam War). At the suggestion of a subordinate, the division's commander, Major General Alexander Patch, requested that the new unit be known as the Americal Division—the name being a contraction of "American, New Caledonian Division". This was unusual, as with the exception of the Philippine Division, all other active U.S. divisions were known by a number. After World War II the Americal Division was officially re-designated as the 23rd Infantry Division. However, it was rarely referred to as such, even on official orders.
During the Vietnam War the division had a mixed record. It combined participation in numerous battles and campaigns but was marred by the My Lai massacre, which was committed by a platoon of the division's subordinate 11th Infantry Brigade, led by Lieutenant William Calley.
The division suffered a tactical defeat in the early morning of 28 March 1971, when Vietcong sappers assaulted FSB Mary Ann. The attack destroyed key infrastructure, as well as killing 33 and wounding 83 Americans.
The division was inactivated following its withdrawal from South Vietnam in November 1971.
The 164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division went into action on Guadalcanal on 13 October 1942 alongside the 1st Marine Division as the first United States Army unit to conduct an offensive operation against the enemy in either the Pacific or European Theater of Operations during World War II. Eight other U.S. Army divisions began offensive combat operations in late 1942: the 32nd and the 41st Infantry Divisions in the Pacific on New Guinea; and in North Africa, the 1st, 3rd, 9th, and 34th Infantry Divisions, and the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions.
As the "square" divisions of the National Guard were being transitioned to the triangular division TO&E in 1942, they each "shed" an infantry regiment, leaving several trained and operational "orphan" regiments available for independent service.
The "line" regiments selected to form the Americal Division were the 132nd Infantry Regiment from Illinois, formerly part of the 33rd Infantry Division, the 164th Infantry Regiment from North Dakota, formerly part of the 34th Infantry Division, and the 182nd Infantry Regiment from Massachusetts, formerly part of the 26th Infantry Division.