Photo By Spc. Amy Carle | The 40th Infantry Division Band stands ready for the beginning of a Division Change of...... read more read more
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The ballroom’s foyer was full of lively chatter, and Soldiers in dress blues and mess uniforms cheerfully posed for photographs with family and friends in black tie and ball gowns. Brig. Gen. Mark G. Malanka, fresh from his change of command ceremony, slipped past the crowd and began to read name cards at his table. He gently laid his wife’s handbag at her place setting before returning to her side to escort her to the table.
The gala of the century was about to begin.
The 40th ID celebrated its 100th anniversary Sept. 16 - 17 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, honoring a century of memories and accomplishments.
The division has been part of every major international campaign, and it was important to recognize this legacy, said Maj. Gen. Lawrence A. Haskins, the 40th’s outgoing commander.
“The lineage and honors of the 40th ID and its subordinate brigades need to be recognized and celebrated in memory of all who have served in the division, and so current members understand their rich history,” Haskins said. “We really can't talk about the history of the California Army National Guard without recognizing the significant role the 40th ID has played.”
As one of the few divisions to continually serve the nation, its history spans across continents and oceans, and nearly every significant military event since it was formed.
A STORIED HISTORY
The division has such a profound legacy that it is difficult to focus on any one point of impact, said Sgt. Maj. Daniel M. Sebby, an historian with the California Military Department.
“Their whole history is good,” Sebby said, beginning to list the 40th’s many accomplishments.
The division formed in San Diego, Sept. 17, 1917 as the U.S. entered the First World War. Originally a depot division, it supplied over 27,000 fresh troops to the seasoned combat divisions already in the fight. By the end of the war, 2,500 40th ID Soldiers had died in battle and nearly 12,000 were injured.
Early in 1941, the 40th began to mobilize in response to the war in Europe and Asia. Within 48 hours of the attack on Pearl Harbor, elements from the division spread across California, Arizona and Utah in preparation for an expected attack on the West Coast.
By 1942, the Soldiers left to complete additional training in Washington before shipping to Hawaii for further operations. Throughout the war they battled Japanese forces in the Pacific and earned campaign streamers for the division in Luzon, the Southern Philippines and the Bismarck Archipelago.
After returning from the Second World War, the Division enjoyed only four short years of peace before being reactivated for the war in Korea. By September of 1950, the entire division had mobilized to what is now Vandenberg Air Force Base, recruiting and training until shipping to Honshu in March of 1951. By 1952, under the command of Maj. Gen. Daniel H. Hudelson, they had taken their place on the front line.
There, the division participated in major battles, including Punchbowl and Heartbreak Ridge, and also formed close relationships with members of the local community. Soldiers even took up a collection to help build a school in Gapyeong, South Korea, not far from the front lines. They maintain those relationships to this day, with continued visits and collaboration between emissaries from South Korea and the 40th.
More recently, members of the division have represented the California Guard in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and are currently deploying to countries across the Middle East, including Qatar and Jordan. On Monday, Sept. 18, members from the division headquarters staff left for the first phase of a deployment to Afghanistan, their first combat deployment in 60 years.
In addition to international campaigns, the division has been deeply involved with state support efforts since its inception. It mobilized to help stop the Folsom Prison Riots in 1927, the Longshoremen’s strike in 1934, the Watts Riots in 1965, the Los Angeles Riots in 1992 and the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. This year members of the division have responded to natural disasters such as wildfires and the Oroville Dam floods.
That ability to respond to any situation is one of things the division’s outgoing commander is most proud about.
“When we look at the history of the division, it has consistently been there for the nation in national crisis, as well as the state during numerous state emergencies to this day,” Haskins said. “The 40 ID is probably the best it’s ever been and we have lived-up to and exceeded the quality of our predecessors.”
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
Since its inception in 1917, the division has moved often and changed considerably. Though it originated in San Diego, it has also called Berkeley home, as well as Los Angeles, Long Beach and finally Los Alamitos in 1981.
Throughout the past century the Division also experienced the broader changes within the National Guard, most notably the regulation that all Guardsmen must attend basic training. Leadership began to change the expectations for the division, formalizing and tightening standards to ensure the division followed the same rigor and discipline found in the active-duty Army.
“It was a 180-degree change, a whole mindset shift,” Sebby said. “The op tempo completely changed.”
With the updated standards, the division also needed new resources to help achieve its mission, said retired Maj. Gen. Keith Jones, former division commander. He came on staff at Los Alamitos in 1994.
“The building was pretty tight and we couldn’t fit all the Division staff inside it,” Jones said. “The ability to communicate and work under the same roof, and the identity you get under one roof lends a certain synergy.”
Jones helped advocate for, and establish, new headquarters. After the building was completed, the staff began decorating the bare walls with memorabilia, under the guidance and leadership of Chief of Staff Col. Michael J. Leeney. Leeney said it’s important to showcase the division’s history to help Soldiers connect with the division’s legacy.
“It never fails,” he said. “I have that moment when I see a new Soldier walking down the hallways, looking at it all and going, ‘Wow!’ Because now they’re understanding what they are a part of.”
Jones echoed the sentiment, reflecting on the emotional impact the headquarters seemed to have on visiting veterans.
“You can see the sense of pride,” he said. “This is now the heart and soul of the 40th ID.”
A CHANGE OF COMMAND TO REMEMBER
Members of the 143rd Field Artillery Regiment had been set up and ready for action since the previous morning, tasked with honoring division leadership by firing M119 Howitzers after the official change of command between Haskins and Malanka.
Even during the rehearsal, members of the gun crews stood silently at parade rest, awaiting the hand signal to fire.
The official formation stretched across the airfield, colors waving in front of hundreds of Soldiers. Speakers ran through speeches and the division band practiced their marks. When everything was ready, Sgt. 1st Class Anthony J. Phillips, the chief of the firing battery, lowered his hand.
The booming of the Howitzers was a signal that everything was now in place.
Earlier in the morning, a charter bus brought dozens of attendees through the gates to watch the dedication of Building 1000, the updated division headquarters. The crowd of veterans and supporters applauded as the black covering lifted from the letters that proclaimed the building as MG Daniel D. Hudelson Hall. Mark Hudelson, grandson of the famed division commander, was in attendance, and had lent his grandfather’s artifacts in support of the event.
By noon the visitors were making their way to the airfield, filling seats and bleachers in preparation for the change of command. Nearly 300 Soldiers stood ready, awaiting the arrival of the official party.
The official party arrived at the airfield in a vintage jeep, saluting the formation as they drove past. The 40th ID band performed, marching in front of the general officers. Under the sunny blue sky, the color guard presented the streamer bedecked flags, and the colors were passed. Malanka’s wife, Kim, beamed as she watched him assume command.
“That was the change of command to end all changes of command,” remarked one of the attendees.
And though the official ceremonies had concluded for the day, the celebrations were only getting started.
HAVE FUN - IT'S AN ORDER
After a day filled with somber commemorations and formal ceremonies, the 40th ID 100th Anniversary Ball at the Disneyland Hotel was a chance for the nearly 800 guests to celebrate the history of a century of accomplishments.
In the back of the hall, members of the California Air National Guard finalized preparation for the night’s video feed and presentations while Soldiers in dress blues checked name cards and table numbers, and straightened wine glasses etched with the Sunburst insignia. The color guard and division band stood at the ready. A solitary “Missing Man Table” was set to the left of the stage, dimly lit and ready for the ceremony of remembrance.
While the day had been an important reminder of honor and sacrifice, tonight’s gala was about celebrating accomplishments and looking forward to the future. Leeney, the evening’s master of ceremonies, told the audience that having fun was the priority for the evening, by order of the commander.
That joyous spirit was alive in the room, and Leeney helped it along with jokes and banter, keeping the audience laughing all the way through dessert. In addition to speeches and presentations, Sgt. Maj. Sebby entertained the audience with vintage images from the division’s past, and a display of military uniforms paraded across the stage by members of California’s State Military Reserve.
Winding down the evening’s ceremony, Malanka and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Whittle used the ceremonial saber to cut a giant division birthday cake. “Now it’s tradition for them to feed each other,” Leeney quipped.
As the dishes and coffee cups were cleared from the tables, DJs began to play music, signaling that it was time for the real fun to begin. Guests pulled out their cameras to snap selfies with friends and colleagues before making their way to the dance floor.
As night fell on the Sunburst Division’s anniversary celebrations, their next chapter was just about to begin.
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This is the first of a two part series about the 40th Infantry Division. Find the next installment by checking out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/69thPAD or our DIVDS page www.dvidshub.net/unit/69PAD
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2017 17:32 |
| Story ID: | 249366 |
| Location: | LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 417 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Celebration of the Century : 40th ID honors 100 years of history, by SPC Amy Carle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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