152^nd Infantry Regiment

The 152nd Infantry Regiment was an Indiana National Guard regiment federalized at Indianapolis on January 17, 1941 and assigned to the 38th Infantry Division. After training in Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana, it sailed from New Orleans on January 3, 1944. The regiment trained in Hawaii and New Guinea, landed on Leyte on December 14, 1944, and then moved to Luzon with the division. During the Leyte phase, a battalion served at Agojo Point on Samar under direct Sixth Army control, but the regiment's principal combat came in 1945 on Luzon.

The 152nd landed near San Narciso on January 29 and soon advanced east from Olongapo on Route 7 into Zig Zag Pass. There Japanese troops had fortified the twisting jungle road with interlocking foxholes, tunnels, trenches, log-and-earth pillboxes, artillery, mortars, and machine guns. The regiment took the main road-axis burden while the 149th attempted a northern bypass and the 151st later entered the fight from the west. The battle became a slow reduction of concealed strongpoints, with infantry attacks dependent on close artillery, air, and tank support. By mid-February, the 149th and 152nd had linked from opposite sides and finished clearing the pass, opening XI Corps' route across the base of Bataan.

After the Bataan operation and the clearing of Manila Bay, the 38th Division shifted east of Manila against the Shimbu Line. The 152nd relieved the 1st Infantry, 6th Division, near Woodpecker Ridge and prepared for a new attack in the Montalban-Wawa Dam sector. Beginning May 1, the regiment repeatedly assaulted Woodpecker Ridge, but rough terrain, caves, and determined Japanese resistance held progress to small gains. In late May engineers opened routes for tanks, flame-thrower tanks, and heavy weapons. With that close support, the regiment renewed the attack on May 21, broke the ridge defenses, and gained the final objectives near the Marikina-Bosoboso junction. Its success uncovered the way for the 149th to take Wawa Dam on May 28.