Fact Sheet

The National Guard
in World War II

1940-41 MOBILIZATION

Beginning in September 1940, the first of 300,034 National Guard troops
reported for active duty “for one year of training.” This doubled the size of the
U.S. Army, adding 18 infantry divisions, 80 separate regiments, and 29 Army Air
Forces flying squadrons to the nation’s active-duty forces. Along with the Guard's
mobilization came the nation’s first peacetime conscription, which put another
million men in Army uniform.

In August 1941, Congress extended by one additional year the term of service
for draftees and mobilized Guardsmen. Thus the entire National Guard was
already on active duty when the United States entered World War I.

GUARD ALREADY OVERSEAS AS
WAR BEGINS

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, California's 251st
Coast Artillery had already been stationed in Hawaii for a year. Like the
Guardsmen of Hawaii's 298th Infantry Regiment, they took part in the defense of
Oahu.

When Japanese troops invaded the Philippine Islands three days later, U.S.
troops there included the New Mexico National Guard’s 200th Coast Artillery,
and two tank battalions made up of National Guard units from various states. Half
of these men died as prisoners of the Japanese.

Three other Guard field artillery units were in mid-ocean as the war broke out.
‘The 147th (South Dakota), 148th (Idaho), and 2nd Battalion, 131st (Texas) were
diverted from the Philippines to Australia, the first of thousands of U.S. troops to
arrive “Down Under.” The 131st was sent to Java, where it surrendered with the
Dutch garrison to the Japanese.

FIRST TO SHIP OUT; FIRST TO FIGHT

North Dakota's 164th Infantry, sent to reinforce the Marines on Guadalcanal in
October 1942, was the first U.S. Army regiment to fight offensively in World War
Il. They were soon joined by their sister infantry regiments in the newly-formed
Americal Division, the 132nd (Illinois) and 182nd (Massachusetts).

On New Guinea, the 32nd and 41st Infantry Divisions became the first Army
divisions to engage and defeat the Japanese, in late 1942 and early 1943.

The 34th Infantry Division was the first U.S. Army division to sail overseas. In
North Africa, it became one of the first two U.S. infantry divisions to fight in the
European theatre, and by the end of the war had spent more actual days in combat
than any other U.S. Army division.

National Guard flying squadrons were also among the first to reach the combat
zone. Three Observation Squadrons, the Illth (Texas), 12nd (La.), and 154th
(Ark.), arrived in North Africa in the fall of 1942. In July 1944, Michigan's 107th
Tactical Reconnaissance Group, which had flown pre-invasion missions over the
Normandy beaches, became the first Army Air Forces unit to operate from the
continent of Europe.

S. France*,

WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGNS
NATIONAL GUARD INFANTRY DIVISIONS

European Theater

ivision (Mass.)
N. France, Rhineland,
\rdennes-Alsace, Central Europe

ivision (Pa.)
Normandy, N.France, Rhineland,
Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe

9H visi
(Va. Md.,D.C.)
ormandy*, N France, Rhineland,
‘Central Europe

( ”, Tenn.)
Normandy, N. France, Rhineland,
Central Europe, Ardennes-Alsace

vision
(N.D,, S.D.,Minn., Iowa)
Tunisia*, Naples-Foggia, Anzio,
Rome-Arno, N. Apennines,
Po Valley

35th Infantry Division
(Kansas, Mo., Neb.)

Normandy, N. France, Rhineland,

Central Europe, Ardennes-Alsace

(Texas)
Naples-FousiaTM, Anzio Rome-Arno,

i
Ardennes-Alsace

t
(N.J., N.Y.)
N. France, Rhineland, Central Europe,
Ardennes-Alsace

5
(Ariz., Colo.,
Sicily*, Naples-Foggia, Anzio,
Rome-Arno, §. France*, Rhineland,
‘Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe

M., Okla.)

* assault landing

jneland, Central Europe,

Pacific Theater

OY) :
Central Pacific, Western Pacific
Ryukyus

(Fla., Ala., La., Miss.)
New Guinea*, S. Philippines,
Western Pacific

(Mich., Wisc.)
New Guinea, S. Philippines, Luzon

3nd visi
qIiL),
New Guinea, Luzon
37th Infantry Division
(Ohio)
Northern Solomons, Luzon*
NiVisi
(Ind., Kentucl a WN,’
New Guinea, S. Philippines,

40h Infantry Division
(Calif.,Utah, Nev.)

Bismarck Archipelago,
S. Philippines, Luzon*

»)

auzon

41st Infantry Divisio
(Wash., Ore., Idaho,Mont., Wyo.)
New Guinea, Luzon, S. Philippines

43d Infantry Division
(Conn., Maine, Vermont, R.1.)
Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons,
New Guinea, Luzon

Americal Division
(org. May 1942, primarily from
Ill., Mass., N.D. Guard units)
Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons,
Leyte, S. Philippines*

o ©

S0th Anniversary of World War II Commemoration Committee
HQDA, SACC; Pentagon, Room 3E524

Washington, D.C. 20310-0107

(703) 697-4664



First U.S. Army Divisions to enter combat

Division Component Date

32nd Infantry Division National Guard September 1942
‘Americal National Guard October 1942
34th Infantry Division National Guard November 1942
Ist Armored Division Regular Army November 1942
2nd Armored Division Regular Army November 1942
1st Infantry Division Regular Army November 1942
3rd Infantry Division Regular Army November 1942
9th Infantry Division Regular Army November 1942
25th Infantry Division Regular Amy* January 1943
4lst Infantry Division National Guard January 1943
43nd Infantry Division National Guard February 1943
7th Infantry Division Regular Ammy* May 1943

37th Infantry Division National Guard June 1943

45th Infantry Division National Guard July 1943

82nd Airbome Division Reserve July 1943

3rd Infantry Division Regular Amy July 1943

36th Infantry Division National Guard September 1943
27th Infantry Division National Guard November 1943
40th Infantry Division National Guard December 1943

Area

New Guinea
Guadalcanal
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
Guadalcanal
New Guinea
Guadalcanal
Alaska

N. Solomons
Italy

Italy

Italy

Italy
Central Pacific
Guadalcanal

* Contained one National Guard regiment

National Guard Observation Squadrons, World War II

101st Observation Squadron (Mass.)
102nd Observation Squadron (N.Y.)
103nd Observation Squadron (Pa.)
104th Observation Squadron (Md.)

105th Observation Squadron (Tenn.)

106th Observation Squadron (Ala.)
107th Observation Squadron (Mich.)
108th Observation Squadron (IIl.)

109th Observation Squadron (Minn.)
110th Observation Squadron (Mo.)
111th Observation Squadron (Texas)
112th Observation Squadron (Ohio)
113th Observation Squadron (Ind.)
115th Observation Squadron (Calif.)
116th Observation Squadron (Wash.)

118th Observation Squadron (Conn.)
119th Observation Squadron (N.J.)

120th Observation Squadron Colo.)
121st Observation Squadron (D.C.)

122 Observation Squadron (La.)
123 Observation Squadron (Ore.)
124 Observation Squadron (Iowa)

125 Observation Squadron (Okla.)
126 Observation Squadron (Wisc.)
127 Observation Squadron (Kansas)
128 Observation Squadron (Ga.)
152 Observation Squadron (R.I.)
153 Observation Squadron (Miss.)
154 Observation Squadron (Ark.)

1945 Designation

39th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
102nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
103rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
12th Antisub Squadron

(disbanded September 1943)

105th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bomb)
(disbanded August 1943)

100th Bomb Squadron (Med)

107th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
108th Observation Squadron

(disbanded November 1943)

109th Reconnaissance Squadron

110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
112th Liaison Squadron

113th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
115th Liaison Squadron

116th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
(disbanded December 1943)

118th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter)
490th Fighter Squadron

(disbanded May 1944)

120th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
(disbanded November 1943)

12Ist Liaison Squadron

885 Bomb Squadron (Heavy)

35th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
124 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
(disbanded May 1944)

125 Liaison Squadron

34 Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
127 Liaison Squadron

840 Bomb Squadron

37 Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
153 Liaison Squadron

154 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

Theater
European Theater
Zone of Interior
China/Burma/India
Zone of Interior

Zone of Interior

Pacific Theater
European Theater
Canal Zone

European Theater
Pacific Theater
Mediterranean Theater
European Theater
Zone of Interior
China/Burma/India
Zone of Interior

China/Burma/India
Zone of Interior

Zone of Interior

Mediterranean and
European Theaters
Mediterranean Theater
China/Burma/India
Zone of Interior
European Theater
European Theater

China/Burma/India
Mediterranean Theater
Mediterranean Theater
European Theater
Mediterranean Theater

WB.

First Divisions to deploy overseas

Division Component Date
34th Infantry Division NationalGuard 1942
Americal Division National Guard 1942
27th Infantry Division NationalGuard 1942
41st Infantry Division NationalGuard 1942
32nd Infantry Division NationalGuard 1942
Sth Infantry Division | RegularAmy — 1942
1st Armored Division Regular Arny 1942
40th Infantry Division National Guard 1942
Ist Infantry Division Regular Army 1942
43rd Infantry Division NationalGuard 1942
29th Infantry Division National Guard 1942
3rd Infantry Division Regular Army —1942
9th Infantry Division  RegularArmy —1942
25th Infantry Division Regular Amy —1942

v1@®@

Highest battle casualties,
U.S. Army Divisions

Division Component
3rd Infantry Division Regular Army
4th Infantry Division Regular Army
th Infantry Division Regular Army
29th Infantry Division National Guard
Ist Infantry Division Regular Army
45th Infantry Division National Guard
90th Infantry Division Reserve

i National Guard
36th Infantry Division National Guard
2nd Infantry Division Regular Army
80th Infantry Division Reserve
83rd Infantry Division Reserve
34th Infantry Division National Guard
35th Infantry Division National Guard
8th Infantry Division Regular Army
28th Infantry Division National Guard
Sth Infantry Division Regular Army
88th Infantry Division Reserve
26th Infantry Division National Guard
7th Infantry Division Regular Army

Sasualties

24,324
22,225
21,920
20327
19,488
18521
18316
16892
16,828
16273
15,484
15,427
14,895
14473
12877
12,292
12,205
11,781
9,998

9,592