The 25th Infantry Division:
^The Shoulder Patch worn by members of the 25th Infantry Division.
Wayne was a member of the 25th Infantry Division in the United States Army. This division was instrumental in the fight for the Pacific Theater. He enlisted in Fort Levenworth, Kansas on December 16, 1944.
This division was very instrumental in many different fights in the Pacific. It was present and making big progress for the US from the start of the campaign to the very finish, in the harbor when the official Instrument of Surrender was signed.
The shoulder-patch worn by this division (shown above) is an outgrowth of the old Hawaiian Division, like the organization itself. The insignia was worn by the parent division to the 25th, without the lightning, before its de-activation in 1941. There is much meaning behind the design. The outline is that of a taro leaf, a common plant in Hawaii. It is also very important to their culture, as it is not only a staple of Hawaii, but is tied to the creation-myth of its people. The colors displayed are Spanish red and gold, the same as those that can be found in the Royal Crest of Hawaii.
“As for the streak of lightning, it is derived from a nickname that has stuck with the Division since the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign. In that operation the code name for the Division was Lightning, and before the work there was over, all associated units were referring to the 25th as the ‘Lightning Division.’” The name was popularly accepted when the War Department approved the streak of lightning in the design, saying “The lightning flash typifies the manner in which the 25th Division has carried out its missions.” And, finally, the natural nickname was “Tropic Lightning” since all the campaigns it fought were in the tropics.
“Into the Jungles”
The fighting in the Pacific theater is famous for the conditions it which it occurred. American soldiers “island hopped”, going from island to island. The islands were often dense, hot jungle, making everything from battle to travel incredibly difficult. The struggle was also incredibly bloody.
The Japanese soldiers largely fought to the death, for fear of dishonor, or possibly fear of being killed after surrender. This left the fighting vicious and ceaseless, until the last man had been eliminated or captured. And so, the American soldiers fought on. After securing one island, there was nothing to do but to go to the next and do the same.