The 123rd Infantry Regiment was activated for service in World War II on 28 September 1942, and joined the 33rd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington.  The 33rd Division had released regiments to other commands, and now needed another infantry regiment to triangularize it.  Thus, the 123rd regiment was attached to the division.  Throughout the rest of 1942, and into March 1943, the regiment conducted thorough training at Fort Lewis until they moved to the Mojave Desert in early April 1943.  They bivouacked near the Clipper Mountains and, along with other soldiers of the 33rd Division, had the distinction of being the first infantry trained in desert warfare without motorized vehicles.  Originally trained in the desert for combat in North Africa, the 123rd Regiment, with the rest of the 33rd Division, was sent to duty in the Pacific.  After 10 weeks of training in the Mojave, the regiment left for Camp Stoneman, CA, near San Francisco.  The regiment departed California on 7 July 1943, and arrived in Hawaii on 13 July, where the 123rd was stationed on the island of Kauai.  The regiment was slated for a nine-month tour of duty as Kauai's defence force, taking over from elements of the 40th Infantry Division California Army National Guard, and began training.  They trained on jungle warfare, usage of flamethrowers, amphibious assaults, and certain men were selected for Ranger training.  On 25 April 1944, the 33rd Infantry Division's tenure as Hawaiian guards was over, and they set sail for New Guinea.