Source: http://www.grunts.net/army/31stid.html
History of the 31st Infantry Division
"Dixie"
All information was provided by Ms. Marion Hess, Former President of the
124th Infantry Regiment Association, for which we are very grateful.
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The 31st "Dixie" Division has seen a lot of action. Some of the Regiments
that comprise the Dixie Division date back to 1798. The 155th Infantry
Regiment, formed in Mississippi, is the 7th oldest Regiment in the US Army.
The 155th Regiment fought in World War I while assigned to the 39th Infantry
Division. The 167th Infantry Regiment was formed in Alabama as the 4th
Alabama Infantry in 1836. They saw action in World War I while assigned to
the 42nd "Rainbow" Division. The third regiment of the Dixie division was
the 124th Regiment formed in 1887 in Florida. When the Dixie Division was
sent to France during World War I, it was sent as a replacement division and
never saw combat as a division. Instead the regiments were sent to augment
existing divisions and distinguished themselves in battle.
After returning to the United States, the Dixie Division was demobilized in
1919. In 1923, the division was reorganized as a National Guard Division
drawing its personnel from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
Because almost all of the men who comprised the division came from the deep
south, "Dixie" was a natural nickname.
On November 25, 1940 the Dixie Division was activated into Federal service
and assigned to Camp Blanding FL. Over the next three years, the men of the
Dixie Division would participate in numerous training exercises and served
as a training cadre for other units bound for duty overseas. In late 1943,
the Division was activated and prepared to move out themselves to enter the
war. In January, 1944, the Dixie Division boarded transport ships at Hampton
Roads VA and shipped out. Their destination was the Pacific Theater of
Operations.
After a brief training stop in Oro Bay, New Guinea, the Dixie Division was
sent into action. The 124th Regiment assisted the 32nd Division in the
vicinity of the Driniumor River, New Guinea while the 155th and 167th were
sent in on the Wakde-Sarmi camaign. During the course of these battles, the
Regiments of the Dixie Division killed over 4,000 Japanese soldiers, wiping
out 2 entire Regiments and broke the back of the Japanese 18th Army
In September of 1944, the 31st Division consolidated and invaded the island
of Morotai, Southeast of the Phillipine islands. Over the next seven months,
the 31st Division fought on Morotai, killing the Japanese defenders 2 or 3
at a time. The difficult fighting only further prepared the men of the Dixie
Division for their next mission. The invasion of the island of Mindanao, the
souternmost island in the Phillipines.
The 31st Division stored ashore at Mindanao, meeting very little resistance.
As the Division pushed north, with the 124th Regiment on point, they met
stiff resistance from the head-high cognon grass. While they struggled to
continue the advance, the Japanese took the advantage and opened fire on the
Americans. For six hours, the battle raged only to be conluded when the
Americans had completely routed the Japanese forces. As they neared the
Maramag Airtsrip Number 1, the Americans encountered stiff resistance from
Japanese forces who had dug in under the roots of trees. For the next 7
days, all 3 battalions of the 124th fought to eliminate the fanatical
resistance.
Shortly after the Japanese were driven from the woods, the 155th Regiment
took point. After meeting light resistance, they came upon a group of
Japanese soldiers sunning themselves next to a stream. The lead company
opened fire and killed 96 of the soldiers catching them completely
off guard. No other Japanese came to their aid because the American rifle
fire was drowned out by the roaring stream.
After securing Mindanao, the American forces continued on to liberate the
rest of the Philippine islands. The men of the Dixie Division had fought in
places where the only resupply available was by air drop. Yet they continued
to fight and defeated an enemy that was greater in numbers and had more time
to prepare for the battles. In December, 1945, the Dixie Division returned
home and was deactivated on December 21, 1945 at Camp Stoneman, CA and
returned to National Guard duty.
When hostilities broke out in the Korean peninsula and American soldiers
were sent to fight, the Army realized they needed a training cadre of men
who were experienced and could train its new soldier properly. On January
16, 1951, the Dixie Division was activated to fulfill that mission. Over the
next 2 years, the Dixie Division conducted training missions for units
slated for deployment to Korea. Many men who served in the Division were
sent to Korea as replacements as the need for veteran soldiers increased. In
the fall of 1953, the Dixie Division was ordered to prepare for deployment
to Korea and the 200th Infantry Regiment was added to its ranks. The cease
fire was signed before they could deploy however, and the 31st Division was
deactivated and returned to National Guard status in late 1954.
Throughout its history, 1,709 Dixie Division veterans became casualties. 404
of them gave their lives. 4 men earned the Distinguished Service Medal, 177
earned the Silver Star, and 965 earned the Bronze Star. Four units of the
Dixie Division have been awarded the Presidential UNit Citations; the 2nd BN
124th Regiment, 2nd BN Medical Detachment 124th Regiment, 3rd BN 124th
Regiment, and the 106th Engineer Combat BN.
Today the proud tradition of the Dixie Division is carried on by the men and
women of the Mississippi Army National Guard the Alabama Army National Guard
and the Florida Army National Guard. The unit designations are different
now, but they all still serve with pride knowing they decend from the Dixie
Division
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Web sites relating to the "Dixie Division"
*31st Infantry Division site by Jim West
*World War II Diary of Robert T. Webber a web site by Paul Webber dedicated
to the war diary of his father, a Veteran of the 124th Infantry.
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