Nicknamed the “Buckeye Brigade” because of its origins in the Ohio Army National Guard—the red disc on a white circular background on this unit patch is taken from the Ohio state flag—the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was designated the 37th Division in the Ohio National Guard in May 1923 and inducted into Federal service in 1940. In February 1942 it was redesignated the 37th Infantry Division, and some four months later was deployed to the Fiji Islands where it served as protection against a possible Japanese invasion attempt while continuing its combat training. From there the Division moved to Guadalcanal, with two battalions being detached and assigned to the Marine Raiders in July 1943. The remainder of the Division landed with the 43rd Infantry Division and took part in the Battle of Munda Point on New Georgia, seizing a Japanese-constructed airfield and forcing all enemy soldiers to abandon the island.
One of the Division’s finest moments came during the Bougainville Campaign, which was officially launched 1 November 1943; the 37th began landing its forces a week later and set to work expanding the beachhead and working on transportation infrastructure. The Japanese forces, which maintained a defensive posture for several months after the U.S. landings, launched a major counterattack on 9 March 1944 with a goal of literally pushing the defenders back to the beaches.
Although the Japanese attack was initially successful and resulted in the capture of two strategically important pieces of high ground (Cannon Hill and Hill 700), the men of the 37th Infantry Brigade were not keen on retreating. Just three days later, on 12 March 1944, the Division recaptured both positions, forcing Japanese General Harukichi Hyakutake to launch a second assault that resulted in the mauling of the Japanese 6th Division: out of more than 4900 soldiers at the start of Hyakutake’s counterattack, the unit had just under 1800 left alive by the time it withdrew.
Related Items
37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Crest (DUI)
37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)