31st Infantry Division ( United States ) The 31st Infantry Division was a unit of the Army National Guard in World War I and World War II . It was originally activated as the 10th , a division established in early 1917 consisting of Alabama , Florida , and Georgia national guardsmen . By the end of that same year , the 10th Division became the 31st . It went overseas in September 1918 . Upon arrival in France the 31st was designated as a replacement division . The personnel of most of the units were withdrawn and sent to other organizations . World War II . Combat chronicle . The 31st Infantry Division arrived in Oro Bay , New Guinea , 24 April 1944 , and engaged in amphibious training prior to entering combat . During the war , at various times its units included the 124th Infantry Regiment , the 155th Infantry Regiment from Mississippi , the 156th Infantry Regiment , and the 167th Infantry Regiment . The 156th Infantry Regiment of the Louisiana National Guard was separated from the 31st Division on 14 July 1942 . The unit was sent to England and then to Oran , Algiers where they were redesignated the 202nd Inf . Battalion and assigned Military Police duties due to the large number of French speaking members in the unit . Portions of the unit participated in the D - Day landings with the entire unit being reunited on 24 June 1944 . The unit was later used to guard the Allied Expeditionary HQ ' s . The unit returned to the US on 11 March 1946 . Alerted on 25 June 1944 for movement to Aitape , New Guinea , the 124th RCT left Oro Bay and landed at Aitape 3 – 6 July 1944 . The combat team moved up to advanced positions and took part in the general offensive launched 13 July , including the bloody Battle of Driniumor River . Meanwhile , the remainder of the division relieved the 6th Infantry Division in the Sarmi - Wakde island area , 18 July 1944 , built bridges , roads , and docks , patrolled the area , and engaged small units of the enemy , trying not to provoke a large scale counterattack by the enemy . Over 1 , 000 Japanese were killed in these actions . In mid - August the division began to stage for a landing on Morotai , leaving Aitape and Maffin Bay , 11 September 1944 . The Division made an assault landing on Morotai , 15 September 1944 , meeting only light opposition . During the occupation of Morotai , elements of the division , primarily the 167th Infantry Regiment , seized Mapia , 15 – 17 November , and waded ashore on the Asia Islands , 19 – 20 November , only to find the Japanese had already evacuated . Other elements reverted to Sansapor , where they maintained and operated the base . On 22 April 1945 , the division landed on Mindanao to take part in the liberation of the Philippines . Moving up the Sayre Highway and driving down the Kibawe - Talomo trail , fighting in knee - deep mud and through torrential rains , the 31st forced the enemy to withdraw into the interior and blocked off other Japanese in the Davao area . With the end of hostilities on 15 August 1945 , the 31st accomplished the surrender of all Japanese forces remaining in Mindanao . Postwar . When the Korean War broke out in 1950 , small units and individual leaders were sent to Korea as replacements from the activated 31st Infantry Division ( " Dixie " ) . No units were deployed , but individuals representing three - fourths of the authorized strength were sent to either Korea or Japan . The 31st Infantry Division was transferred to Fort Carson , Colorado in February 1954 from Camp Atterbury . The 31st Division as an active service formation was then reflagged as the 8th Infantry Division on 15 June 1954 . The 31st Infantry ( NGUS ) Division was effectively reformed with units from Alabama and Mississippi . It served as a National Guard division until its inactivation on 14 January 1968 . Alabama Army National Guard units subsequently became a part of the 30th Armored Division ( “ Volunteers ” ) . The 31st Armored Division transitioned to a brigade in the late 1960s serving through the three decades as a separate armored brigade . In November 2002 the brigade was redesignated the 31st Chemical Brigade .