Americal Division History
The Americal Division was unique in many ways. The only Division to have never served in the continental United States. Always being organized over seas in the Southern Hemisphere in time of war and also being decommissioned overseas. Just part of the trivia that is part of this unique unit. 
Photo Maj. Gen. Lionel C. McGarr, (center) Commanding General, U.S. Army Caribbean and 23d Infantry Division accepts the colors of the newly activated division from the color guard at Fort Kobbe, Canal Zone, December 2, 1954. Looking on is Assistant Division Commander, Brig. Gen. W.E. Laidlaw
Americal Division Lineage
Constituted 24 May 1942 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters, Americal Division. Activated 27 May 1942 in New Caledonia. Inactivated 12 December 1945 at Fort Lawton, Washington. Redesignated 1 December 1954 as Headquarters, 23d Infantry Division, and alloted to the Regular Army. Activated 2 December 1954 at Fort Amador, Canal Zone. Redesignated 25 September 1967 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 23d Infantry Division, and activated in Vietnam. Inactivated 29 November 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington.
Photo H.M. Montchamps, Governor of New Caledonia and Major General Alexander M. Patch, Jr., Commanding the United Forces on New Caledonia, entering the French cemetery before ceremonies on New Caledonia's Memorial Day, November 2, 1942. (Photo National Archieves)Americal Division World War II
The AMERICAL Division had its origin in Task Force 6814 formed on 14 January, 1942 with the mission of occupying and defending New Caledonia. It departed New York on 23 Jan 42. The force landed in Australia 26 Feb 42 and was sent to New Caledonia 6 Mar 42, arriving there 12 Mar 42 and establishing Headquarters at Noumea. There the task force organized the defenses and built installations on New Caledonia and New Hebrides. The AMERICAL Division was organized from Task Force 6814 which was disbanded on 27 May 42; its name was a contraction of the words "American" and "New Caledonia".Guadalcanal
The 164th Inf left for Guadalcanal 9 Oct 42 and arrived there under air attack on 13 Oct 42. The regiment, with the Marines, defended Henderson Field against a major Japanese counterattack 24 Oct 42, then attacked 5-11 Nov 42 and participated in the renewed offensive toward Kokumbona and Poha River 18-23 Nov 42. The division Hqs and 132nd landed on Guadalcanal 8 Dec 42. They attacked Mt. Austen 17 Dec 42 and engaged in very heavy combat at the Gifu Strongpoint 24 Dec 42 -9 Jan 43. The 35th Reg Inf Div then relieved the 132nd Inf Reg. On 16 Jan 43 the l82nd Inf participated in the drive along the west coast. On 1 Feb 43 the l32nd Inf Reg landed at Verahue and reached Tenaro Village by 9 Feb 43. This was the end of the Guadalcanal ground struggle.
Fiji / Bougainville
The division then occupied defensive positions and moved to the Fiji Islands in echelon 1 Mar - 10 Apr 43. The Americal Division moved to Bougainville 17 Dec 43 - 12 Jan 44, the 182nd Inf Reg entering the front line 2 Jan 44 and the 132nd Inf Reg entering 9 Jan 43 at the Torokina Hornet's Nest. An intensive tank-inf attack cleared the area. A Japanese counterattack 10 Mar 44 took the south knob of key Hill 260 from the l82nd Inf Reg. The 132nd Inf Reg retook Hill 260 and later drove the Japanese from Hill 260 on Mar 44. In Apr 44 the division pushed east of the Mavavia river and secured Hill Masses 165, 155, 5500, and 501 and extended the outpost line past the Torokina River. The division continued patrolling the Torokina River, Numa Numa Trail, and across the Mountain Divide. They were relieved by the Australian 3rd Div on 10 Dec 44. From 11 Dec 44 - 7 Jan 45 the division conducted amphibious training and prepared for movement to the:
Philippines
The division moved to the Philippines by echelon 8-28 Jan 45 where it relieved the 77th Inf Div on Leyte Island and established a command post at Capoocan 25 Jan 45. The division took control of the tactical mission on Leyte northwest of the Jaro-Valencia-Palompon line on 5 Feb 45 and began pushing toward the west coast of the island. On 19 Feb 45 the 1st Bn 182nd Inf landed on the northwest Samar as a provisional task force and cleared the San Bernardino Strait from northwest Samar through Balicuatros Islands and west to Capul and Naranjo Islands by 26 Feb 45. Meanwhile, the division opened its attack at Villaba on Leyte and completed its encirclement of the Japanese in the Northwest coastal sector and mopped upon until 10 Mar 45. The 1st Bn 132nd Inf landed on Burias and Ticao Islands 3 Mar 45, meeting opposition on Burias on 6 Mar 45. All Japanese forces were eliminated by 10 Mar 45. The 164th Inf Reg continued to mop up in western Leyte under the Eighth Army. The division, led by the 132nd Inf Reg, prepared for the Cebu Island landing. On 10 Apr 45 the 164th Inf Reg rejoined the division. The division left Leyte 24 Mar 45. After a one-hour naval bombardment, the division formed a beachhead at Talisay, Cebu and took Cebu City the next day. The 182nd Inf Reg fought the Battle of Go Chan Hill 28-29 Mar 45 and then battled to clear the other hills. They were counterattacked heavily on Bolo Ridge. 1 Apr 45 the 132nd Inf was counterattacked approaching Hill 27 on 7 Apr 45, but took both Hills 20 and 26 by 10 Apr 45. The 3rd Bn 164th Inf landed on Bohol Island 11 Apr 45 and destroyed Japanese forces there by 25 Apr 45. Meanwhile the division on Cebu fought the Battle of Babay Ridge 12-17 Apr 45, and then continued combat on the island until 20 Jun 45. The 164th Inf landed near Looc on Negros Oriental Island on 26 Apr 45 and fought the Battle for the Palimpinon Heights until 28 May 45, the Japanese forces being destroyed on the island near Balasbalas 7-12 Jun 45. The division, with its three infantry regiments, reassembled on Cebu Island and engaged in training for the invasion of Japan from 21 Jun 45 until the end of the war. It took part in the occupation of Japan and was deactivated 12 December 1945.
Americal Division Vietnam
It was reactivated on 1 December 1954, officially redesignated the 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL) and served for almost a year and a half until 10 April 56 with headquarters in the Canal Zone. It was reactivated again when Gen. William C. Westmoreland, needing an infantry division in Vietnam but aware that none would be arriving from the United States for some time, and conscious of the AMERICAL Division's relationship with the 1st Marine Division in World War II, decided to reactivate the army division to operate in the northern coastal sector adjacent to the Marines. He first established a headquarters known as Task Force OREGON and, as additional troops arrived, transformed the task force into the AMERICAL Division. Because the Department of the Army policy required that divisions be numbered, the division was known officially as the 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL) and was reactivated as such in Vietnam on 25 September 1967. MACV, however, preferred the name AMERICAL, listed it as such in numerous official orders, called it "the Army's only named division on active service," and used the vehicle bumper abbreviation AMCAL. In Vietnam the rugged terrain of southern I Corps tactical zone was used by the division for its encampment at Chu Lai. This ran the gamut from marshy, coastal lowlands to triple-canopy jungle on steep mountain slopes. The AMERICAL Division battled the strong enemy influence in both Quang Nam and Quang Tri Provinces 11 Nov 67 - 11 Nov 68 in Operation WHEELER/WALLOWA with two of its brigades. Another brigade was sent to Quang Ngai Province in early 68. During 69 and 70 the division continued to fight in the Duc Pho, Chuy Lai and Tam Ky areas along the coast. In November 71 the division was deactivated and the 196th Infantry Brigade became separate. The 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL) served a total of 1,526 days in Vietnam.Americal Division Order of Battle 31 Oct 1970
| HEADQUARTERS 23d ID | 23d ID ARTILLERY | 23d ID SUPPORT COM |
| HHC, 23d ID | HHB, Div Arty | HHC and Band |
| 1st Sqdn, 1st Cav | 6th Bn, 11th Arty | 23d Med Bn |
| Trp E, 1st Cav | 1st Bn, 14th Art | 23d S&T Bn |
| Trp F, 17th Cav | 3d Bn, 16th Arty | 723d Maint Bn |
| 26th Engr Bn | 3d Bn, 18th Arty | 23d Admin Co |
| 523d Sig Bn | 1st Bn, 82d Arty | Co G, 75th Inf |
| COMSEC CONTACT #2 | 3d Bn, 82d Arty | 63d Inf Plat |
| 23d MP Co | 1st Bn, 14th Arty | 23d ID Combat Center |
| 146thPlt, 504th MP Bn | Btry G, 55th Arty | Chu Lai Defense Com |
| 328th RR Co | 251st FA De | |
| 635th MI Co | 252d FA De | |
| 3d Mil Hist Det | 271st FA Det |
|
| 5th Weather Sqdn, USAF | ||
| 16TH COMBAT AVIATION GROUP | ||
| 11TH INF BRIGADE | 196TH INF BRIGADE | 198TH INFBRIGADE |
| HHC, 11th Inf Bde | HHC, 196th Inf Bde | HHC, 198th Inf Bde |
| 3d Bn, 1st Inf | 2d Bn, 1st Inf | 1st Bn, 6th Inf |
| 4th Bn, 3d Inf | 3d Bn, 21st Inf | 5th Bn, 46th Inf |
| 1st Bn, 20th Inf | 4th Bn, 31st Inf | 1st Bn, 52d Inf |
| 4th Bn, 21st Inf | 1st Bn, 46th Inf | Trp H, 17th Cav |
| 59th Inf Plat (Scout Dog) | 48th Inf Plat (Scout Dog) | 87th Chem Det |
| 31st Public Information Det | 10th Public Information Det | |
| 90th Chem Det | 27th Chem Det |
|
| Combat Weather Team 1 | ||
| 16TH COM AVIATION GROUP | 123d Avn Bn (Cbt) |
NON-DIVISIONAL |
HHC, 16TH CAG |
Trp D-1st Sqdn-1st Cav | 6th CA Plat, 29th CA Co |
| 14th Combat Avn Bn | Trp F, 8th Cav | Det 3, 7th PSYOP Bn |
| 71st Avn Co (Aslt Hel) | Co E, 723d Maint Bn | USASSG, ACSI, DA |
| 116th Avn Co | 335th Trans Co | |
| 132d Avn Co | 362d Avn Det | |
| 174th Avn Co |
|
|
176th Avn Co |
|
|
| 178th Avn Co | ||
| 196th Avn Co | ||
| 534th Med Det | ||
| 756th Med Det |
