31^st Infantry Division

The 31st Infantry Division entered combat in New Guinea in 1944. The 124th Infantry Regiment landed at Aitape on July 5 as Task Force reserve and entered the front lines on July 13 in the Battle for the Driniumor River, helping repel a major Japanese offensive in dense jungle and close terrain. The remainder of the division relieved the 6th Infantry Division in the Sarmi area, the 167th Infantry Regiment arriving at Toem on July 14. In September 1944 the Dixie Division assaulted Morotai against light opposition, securing a forward base for the advance toward the Philippines.

The division's principal campaign began with the landings on Mindanao on April 22, 1945, where it relieved the 24th Infantry Division. On May 1 the 155th Infantry Regiment defeated Japanese forces at Misinsman, and on May 3 the 124th and 167th Infantry joined from Morotai, the division overrunning Kibawe airstrip and securing the junction of the Sayre Highway and the Kibawe-Talomo Trail. The division fought the Battle for Colgan Woods from May 5 through 12, then continued its drive north through knee-deep mud and torrential rains against determined resistance.

Fighting continued through the summer as the division advanced along multiple axes through jungle, mountains, and river valleys, often in coordination with Filipino guerrillas. Its campaign reflected the wide-ranging operations of the final phase of the Pacific war, combining major engagements with extended clearing operations across a large and difficult island.