WWII Unit History

Late in 1940, the battalion returned to Fort Bliss and trained for war as part of the 1st Cavalry Division’s Second Brigade and participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers.

The battalion traded its horses for jeep and amphibious assault vehicles in February 1943. In mid-June 1943, the Division shipped out for Australia, where it trained in preparation for combat on the Pacific Rim. The battalion saw its first combat on Los Negros Island in March 1944.

The battalion also participated in the invasion of the Philippines. Landing on Leyte on 20 October 1944, the regiment was assigned the most difficult terrain in the central mountain ranges and faced fierce fighting. The fight was characterized by the bloody fight for Hill 2348 on 15 November. After being cut off from their supply lines, the battalion held off waves of suicide attacks. Finally on the night of 2 December, the troopers counterattacked and took the hill. The First Team lost 241 killed in action during the fighting on Leyte.

On 27 January, the battalion stormed ashore on Luzon. It took six months, but on 30 June 1945, the entire island was secured. Selected by MacArthur to be the first into Japan, the battalion took on occupation duty near Yokohama until it’s deactivation in 1949.

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