NOTE:Publication of the Occupation Diary, First Cavalry Division (1945-1950) will appear, as installments, on the Historian Corner on a continuing basis as time and space permits. Each installment will be subsequently moved to the History Annex Page when a new installment is published. Therefore, if an installment is missed during the period it was published, it may be viewed on the History Annex Page.

Continued: Installment 9:

Again, as in October of 1946, the shortage of personnel had become acute. Long overstrength in men, the division now found that for the first time since December 1946, personnel strength was far below table of organization figures. This personnel shortage was already beginning to be apparent in all phases of the division's activities during the month. Nevertheless, occupational duties and training continued at an undiminished rate. For reconnaissance, intelligence or military police purposes, 1268 separate patrols were dispatched and guards were maintained on 65 important military or civil installations throughout the assigned area.

The 70 special patrols in search of World War II dead had completed their work by October 31. This alone had been a tremendous task. Thousands of contacts had been made in each of the eight prefectures assigned for search. In Tochigi-ken, 2,870 stops and inquiries had been made. The search also included complete coverage of the islands of O-Shima, Nii-Jima, Miyake-Jima and Kozu-Jima, south of Tokyo Bay. This search of islands turned out to be somewhat hazardous. On October 17, a severe storm sank one of the landing boats used on the job, and seriously damaged a landing craft, tank which was finally able to limp back into Yokohama without loss of a single man. The search of the islands was resumed the following week and completed without further incident.

At month's end, the First Cavalry Division looked forward with some apprehension to the coming months of necessary training and ever-present occupation duties in view of the impending critical shortage of personnel. Unless replacements were received in greatly increased quantity and of top level quality, the effectiveness of the division would be seriously impaired.

Men of the Eighth Engineer Combat Battalion load barges for river crossings and prepare to move out for a field exercise at the base of Mount Fuji during 1949 fall maneuvers.

November was highlighted by an explosion at the Ikego ammunition dump, a few miles west of Yokosuka in the 1st Cavalry Brigade area. The morning hours of November 17 were disrupted at 9:55 A.M. by the explosion, and fire ran rampant throughout the area surrounding the ammunition warehouses and the adjacent forests. Soldiers and Japanese laborers were hampered in their fire fighting activities by explosions from 105 and 81 millimeter shells as well as all other types of ammunition. Units of the division were alerted for disaster operations after the initial explosion and fire. The 2nd Squadron, 5th Cavalry, actually moved into the area to fight the fire. The commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Brigade made his advance command post at the Ikego dump headquarters. He moved up during the 17th and supervised the action of division units right the scene of most activity. Engineer and medical units were placed on alert status' at their home: stations to render any assistance called for. During the early morning hours of the 18th, additional fires broke out in the wooded hills surround the ammunition dump. As a result, an engineer troop was dispatched with fire-fighting equipment to help suppress the flames. Casualties were at a minimum, with one army officer and an undetermined number of Japanese workmen injured The burning area was brought under control 1100 hours on November 19. As a result of this conflagration, seven warehouses and 700J pounds of ammunition were destroyed.

The third occupation Christmas and New Year experienced by the First Cavalry Division in Japan was well marked with festivities and celebrations. The unusual efforts of enlisted officer clubs, Red Cross clubs, theaters and unit messes, highlighted by a colorful Christmas pan in Tokyo, did much to enhance the gaiety joyousness of the holiday season for all personnel and to promulgate democracy within the Japan nation.

Although the month of December was well attended by the usual holidays, the numerous tasks involved in the occupation were, of necessity, carried on. The necessary daily and special patrols were sent forth conducting reconnaissance for the purposes of security, intelligence and general military police duties. A total of 1070 patrols, which was a decrease over the previous month, were dispatched during December.

On December 1, one of the most unusual incidents in many months occurred. This commenced with reports of the wreck of a C-47 aircraft in the general area of Mount Fuji. Personnel from the 95th Light Tank Company, with certain others attached, and with the aid of Japanese guides, ascended the mountain under extremely difficult conditions. After many days of surviving the hardships of cold, snow and traveling over extremely hazardous terrain, the party reached the wreckage inside of the crater of Hoeizan, recovered and brought out the bodies of two flyers. This was one of the finest examples of courage, determination and fortitude displayed by personnel serving with the First Cavalry Division.

Since the losses of personnel had been so extensive and replacements so few, training within the division had been reduced to a minimum. The few replacements that had been received were undergoing basic training while other personnel were busy storing the vast amount of equipment that had been rendered surplus. Realizing the urgent need for competent non-commissioned officers and giving thought to possible future needs, the First Cavalry Division, on December 1, 1947 began a leadership course for non-commissioned officers and potential non-commissioned officers at Camp McGill. Before the month ended, the first class graduated and a second course contemplated for January of 1948.

Messages transmitted by a radioman of Company "A," 71st Heavy Tank Battalion at Chigasaki keeps his command post in constant touch with tankers in the field.

As the new year opened, the third since First Cavalry Division troopers landed at Yokohama in 1945, there were few members of the division who could look back and trace the changes wrought by 30 months occupation in the heart and nerve center of Japan. Changes there were, and many. A highly industrialized nation, geared for war, its subjects imbued with centuries-old fanaticism, steeped in tradition, and stripped of individual rights had been converted in these short months under the guidance of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and enforced by the strong right arm of the First Cavalry Division into a peaceful nation incapable of waging war, with a framework of government under its new constitution that would make for lasting democracy. A more peaceful, benevolent and successful occupation had never been known.

The First Cavalry Division had not always had easy going in its enforcement task. There were times as in October 1946 when pressed with numerous occupational duties and handicapped by lack of personnel, men were doing double duty to perform necessary assignments. January of 1948 was another month when strength fell so low that it was touch and go to man the patrols, the sentry posts and keep integral units intact. Already, maximum consolidations and redeployment had begun at the old Japanese Merchant Marine School in Tokyo when a few months ago these barracks and those at the Fisheries School, and the Japanese Cavalry School at Camp Palmer had all been filled. The 8th Cavalry, its 1st Squadron all but depleted, had pulled into regimental headquarters at the guard barracks in Tokyo. At Camp McGill, the 12th Cavalry, reduced now to cadre strength, had been relieved of almost all occupational duties. The 5th Cavalry, split between Camp McGill and Camp Drake, had seriously reduced ranks. Division Artillery had concentrated what was left of all its battalions at Camp Drew, Koizumi. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Division Artillery, had moved from Camp Ojima to Camp Drew on January 28.

Training reached a bare minimum during the month but included the essential Troop Information Program and physical conditioning exercises for all members plus intensive basic training for new replacements. These minimum requirements were met in spite of personnel shortages in all ranks in order to perform necessary occupational assignments and carry out other essential military functions of safeguard and custody.

February 1948 saw the First Team open the thirty first month of occupation duty with a moving ceremony at Camp Drake, home of the division headquarters. All elements of the division gathered to celebrate the third anniversary of the liberation of Manila on February 3, 1945 in which the leading elements of the Team fought their way into that beleaguered city to set free the long suffering prisoners. A few civilian alumni of the long wait and the liberation were present, seated on the reviewing stand with the Division Commander, Major General William C. Chase. The Honorable Ruperto Kangleon, Philippine Secretary of National Defense, presented decorations for heroic achievement to 12 members of the division.

On February 1, the division was relieved of its occupational responsibility for Niigata Prefecture by the llth Airborne Division, thus temporarily reducing the division zone of occupation to nine prefectures.

Soldiers of the division attend Sunday worship in one of the many chapel! located at the main and satellite camps Above, men of Camp Drake join in hymn at the post chapel.

The painful process of readjustment to the reduced manning levels was nearly complete with the departure of February's returnees. It appeared that the enlisted strength would be established at about 4000 men. However, the prospect of a greatly increased loss of officers during the ensuing four months was indicated by Department of the Army directives affecting reserve officers and permanent enlisted warrants. A recruiting team was dispatched to the United States to remain on tour for at least 120 days.

During the month, the division accomplished three missions of special trust when it seized, and transported under guard, 1022.84 carats of diamonds from one installation in Tokyo to vaults at the Bank of Japan. Various explosives were located and destroyed in the division area. Two unexploded bombs were found in Ibaraki Prefecture, a sea mine was washed ashore in Chiba Prefecture and four Japanese fire bombs were discovered in Yamada. A few small caches of old Japanese ammunition were uncovered and destroyed in scattered locations.

March of .1948 ushered in an effort to attain top preparedness with the accent on school training for key officer and non-commissioned officer personnel. A total of 41 officers successfully completed the command and staff course at the airborne training center conducted by the llth Airborne Division, and six officers and 37 enlisted men completed the "cadre" course the following week. In accordance with IX Corps directives, the division compiled a training directive designed to establish three schools within division posts for the completion of Phase III instruction in air transportability for all troops. General and specialist instruction of such personnel as were available after occupation duties was continued as well as current on the job training.

During March, the division maintained constant guard on 21 important installations within its zone of responsibility. This figure did not include the routine daily interior guard on unit supply dumps, property and housing or the evacuated billets at four camps formerly occupied by division units. The number of military police and occupational patrols continued to increase as the personnel of the combat units decreased. A total of 1010 such patrols were completed during March. Thirty one meetings were recorded during March of Communist organizations, and ten meetings of Koreans. Seventy two Japanese nationals were arrested for the illegal possession of occupation forces property. An incident was reported of the assault of a member of the occupation forces by a Japanese national, and a large amount of leftist and union activity was noted.

Along with the proverbial showers, the month of April 1948 brought forth spasmodic rallies and demonstrations by Japan's populace. These activities started off with mass labor demonstrations in Tokyo on April 1 and concluded the month on April 30 with a grand finale of Japanese May Day activities. If the aforementioned activities accomplished nothing else, they did result in getting all First Cavalry troopers into the field and intimately connected their tactical assignments with the necessary surveillance of these demonstrations. Thanks to the efficiency, prior training and planning of the First Cavalry Division, no acts of violence or sabotage were committed by the demonstrators in the First Cavalry Division zone of responsibility.

Machine gunners of the 7th Cavalry Regiment receive orders via field telephone go into action during a Ninth Corps combat effectiveness test on the lava-strewn of Mount Fuji in the fall of 1949.

To Be Continued...