160^th Infantry Regiment

The 160th Infantry Regiment was a California National Guard regiment federalized at Los Angeles on March 3, 1941 and assigned to the 40th Infantry Division. After training on the West Coast and in Hawaii, it moved to Guadalcanal and then Cape Gloucester, New Britain, where the division relieved Marine forces and conducted security and patrol duties. The regiment departed New Britain in December 1944 and assaulted Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945. With the 185th Infantry it helped seize Lingayen Airfield with little opposition.

The regiment became the division's main road-axis force in the Luzon drive. It pushed down Route 13, took Tarlac on January 21, and forced a bridgehead at Bamban on January 23. There it met the fortified Japanese defenses west of Clark Field. The regiment fought through the Bamban Hills and along Storm King Mountain, where it faced caves, bunkers, foxholes, mortars, automatic weapons, and counterattacks. At McSevney Point it cleared a stubborn strongpoint with tank, tank-destroyer, artillery, and air support, then drove into the center of the Japanese line. Its attacks on Snake Hill West, Scattered Trees Ridge, and Object Hill helped break the Kembu Group defenses that threatened Clark Field, Route 3, and the XIV Corps right rear. Later in February the regiment joined the renewed attack against Sacobia Ridge.

After rehabilitation, the 160th joined the Southern Philippines campaign. It landed on Panay on March 26, leaving elements for garrison and mop-up, and then came ashore on Negros on March 30 behind the 185th. In northern Negros the regiment fought on the division's right as the 40th pushed into the Japanese mountain defenses. Its hardest action centered on Hill 3155, later called Dolan Hill. The position changed hands repeatedly under artillery, air, and infantry pressure before the 160th finally secured the remaining north-spur pocket on May 23.