24th Infantry Regiment (Colored)
U.S. Army

Background
The 24th Infantry Regiment was one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments of the U.S. Army. Prewar, stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia at the Infantry School. The unit was racially segregated with white officers commanding African-American enlisted men. During October 1941–December 1942 they participated in the Carolina Maneuvers.

Wartime History
On April 4, 1942 the 24th Infantry under the command of Col. Hamilton Thorn departs San Francisco bound for the South Pacific (SoPAC) as a separate regiment. On May 4, 1942 they arrived on Efaté in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) as part of Force 9156 (later III Island Command) and were tasked with the defense of the island and were organized as a mobile strike force. A Company was sent to Espiritu Santo to clear jungle with a detachment from 3rd Naval Construction Battalion (3rd NCB) "Seabees" building Turtle Bay Airfield. Another Company was sent to Nouméa to work with B Company on 3rd NCB at Ile Nou and worked to extend the landing pier then building pontoons and performing port duties.

On March 1, 1943 the 2nd Battalion moved to Guadalcanal performing port duty and operating a truck company and general labor. On August 28, 1943 the entire 24th Regiment arrived on Guadalcanal. 1st Battalion receiving commendation from the commander of the USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14) for their speed and efficiency in unloading the vessel. In September 1943 the 3rd Battalion was detached to Munda on New Georgia for duty with the Provisional Service Command for guard duties, operation of a labor pool and ration dump.

On January 30, 1944, the 1st Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. John L. Thomas landed at Torokina on Bougainville. Assigned to XIV Corps as part of their reserve and worked to unload transports and operated supply dumps. On February 29, 1944 at a meeting of the U.S. War Department Advisory Committee in Washington DC that recommended using Negros in combat. On Bougainville, General Harmon decided to have the 1st Battalion join the the western half of the 129th Infantry line on the perimeter.

On March 11, 1944 they 1st Battalion was attached to the 148th Infantry on the main line of resistance. That night, they engaged in their first combat and suffered their first casualties with two Killed In Action (KIA). On March 12, 1942 they conducted their first offensive patrol led by 2d Lt. Henry J. McAllister and while returning encountered eight Japanese and killed them with the loss of one man. On March 15, 1944 the first use of Negro troops in combat was reported to the American public in a news release. Later, the 1st Battalion was moved back to Guadalcanal and resumed labor and guard duties.

On December 8, 1944 the 24th departed Guadalcanal and later in the month landed on Saipan and Tinian for garrison duty and mopping up. On March 15, 1945 the 24th was assigned to Pacific Ocean Area Command. On May 15, 1945 assigned to Central Pacific Base Command. On June 22, 1945 assigned to Western Pacific Base Command.

On July 9, 1945 departs the Mariana Islands and later in the month arrives on Kerama Islands off Okinawa. At the end of the Pacific War, the 24th accepted the surrender of the Japanese garrison on Aka-shima the first formal surrender of a Imperial Japanese Army garrison. The 24th remained overseas until 1946.

References
U.S. Army "The Employment of Negro Troops" Chapter XVIII Ground, Air And The Asset Side pages 497-535
U.S. Army "The Employment of Negro Troops" Endnotes for Chapter XVIII endnotes 1-103

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