Hawaiian Division (United States)

The Hawaiian Division was a division of the United States Army.

This division was named rather than numbered, as were the Philippine, Panama Canal Division and Americal Divisions. It was first activated under the peacetime Square Division Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) on 25 February 1921 as the Hawaiian Division using assets of the World War I era 11th Infantry Division. It, the Philippine Division, and the Americal Division were the last three U.S. Army divisions to be named rather than numbered. The division retained this TO&E until 1941, when it was reorganized under a triangular division TO&E, and part of its former organization became the core of the new 24th Infantry Division and 25th Infantry Division.

It included the 77th, 19th, 21st, 27th, and 35th Infantry Regiments.

World War II
The 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions were among the first to see combat in World War II and among the last to stop fighting. The Divisions were on Oahu, with Headquarters at Schofield Barracks, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, and suffered minor casualties. Charged with the defense of Oahu and the Hawaiian Islands, they built an elaborate system of coastal defenses before deploying for further combat operations.

Inactivation
The Hawaiian Division inactivated in October 1941 to provide cadre and units for the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions. These were triangular divisions with regiments of the Hawaiian National Guard providing the 3rd regiment of each division. The 299th Regiment went to the 24th and the 298th Regiment went to the 25th Infantry Division.

Lineage

 * Constituted 1 February 1921 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, Hawaiian Division
 * Activated 1 March 1921 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
 * Inactivated 1 October 1941 at Schofield Barracks

Commanders

 * Charles D. Herron: 1937 - 1938
 * James A. Woodruff: 1938 - 1939
 * William H. Wilson: 1939 - 1940
 * Maxwell Murray: 1940 - 1941
 * Daniel Sultan: 1941