Time line
The 40th/143rd Camp Cooke 1950 to Korea 1954 time line.  

1950 July - 40th ID received a secret alert for mobilization.

1950 August - Division was inducted into federal service.

1950 September - 143rd Field Artillery starts arriving at Camp Cooke, Ca.

1950 November - 40th recruit training commences.


18,000 men strong. The 40th listens to MGen Hudelson talk about Japan

1951 February - Division to prepare for overseas deployment.

1951, March 29 - Division's main body departs for Honshu Japan.

1951 April 10 & 11 - 143rd disembarking at Tokyo Bay, Honshu, Japan and Camp McNair at Mt. Fuji for training.

1951 November 16 - 40th ID received a secret notification to be ready to deploy into Korea.

1951 December 23 - "QUICK MOVEMENT" orders into Korea.

1951 December 26 - Division's advance party deployed into Korea.

1951 December 26 to 1952 January 11 & 22 - 40th departs Japan and arrives in Korea in echelons to relieve 24th ID.

1952, January 6 & 7 - Division boarded troopships bound for Pusan, near Seoul.

1952 January 7 8:00pm - 143rd lands at Inchon Korea [mostly at night].

1952 January 13 - 143rd FA fired first round in anger when SFC Gary Ducat of 143rd pulled lanyard on 105mm howitzer.

Photo donated by Cpl. Earl H.Bates, Service Company, 160th Inf Regt


MLR looking North near Kumsong Korea. Many of the shells of the 143rd sailed through the air shown here

1952 January 20 - The first casualty SFC Kenneth Kaiser Jr., of 160th Infantry, Los Angeles, was killed by communist mortar fire.

1952 January 22 - Officially reassigned to the Eighth Army, Korea.

1952 March 2 - US Marine Corps F4U Corsairs strafed and bombed the division's rear area killing several members of the division's
postal section. This action was witnessed by men from the 143rd.

1952 March - 40th ID had a daily average of 19,496 organic and 7,858 attached troops to support. Div CP was moved from Ascom City (near Seoul) to the Chunchon area.

1952 March 22-29 - The 40th ID received incremental attachment of three regiments from the 6th (ROKA) Division.

1952 April - 40th ID conducted nuclear weapons defense training .

1952 April - There were a total of 3836 enemy mortar and artillery rounds impacting the 40th ID area.

1952 May to August - 40th ID started incrementally rotating Guardsmen and other long assigned members off the front lines.

1952 June - 40th ID was relieved by the 2nd (ROKA) and 24th (ROKA) Divisions, designated as IX Corps reserves, and moved to Field Training Command #5. The Division Artillery remained in forward combat positions.

1952 July - Division moved near Kapyong. Guardsmen started the “SFC Kenneth Kaiser Jr. High School” at Kapyong.

1952 August 16 - Supporting Korean infantry at Kumsong salient.

Photo donated by Cpl. Earl H.Bates, Service Company, 160th Inf Regt


1952 October 18 - SFC Kenneth Kaiser Jr. High School dedicated.

1952 October 22-25 - 40th ID assigned to the X Corps, and moved back into the front lines. They defended from Heartbreak Ridge to the Punch Bowl. Communists’ bugles signaled attack along the Division's front that lasted every night.

1952 November 3-4 - Offensive launched along the front at Heartbreak Ridge (Hill 851) to the adjacent Mundung-ni Valley. The Division held fast and repelled the foe time-and-again

1952 November 3 - Strong North Korean attack at Heartbreak Ridge.

1952 December - Punchbowl & Anchor Hill.

1953 January 4 - A modern dispensary, provided by medical units within the 40th Division, is the latest addition to the Kenneth Kaiser High School at Kapyong.

1953 January 30 - 40th ID was designated as X Corps reserves. Division Artillery remained in positions tasked to provide direct Support to the 45th Division and the 12th (ROKA) Division.

1953 April 27 - 40th ID moved back into the front lines with all its units and relieved the 20th (ROKA) Division at The Punch Bowl.

1953 July 10 - 20th (ROKA) Division relieves 40th ID in the Punch Bowl.


40th ID at Punchbowl -Directly above "G" in EIGTH ^

1953 July 11 - 40th ID relieved the 45th ID on Heartbreak Ridge and Sandbag Castle.

1953 July - East in Korea, near the Japan Sea. Heavy battles with North Korean and Chinese forces. Truce takes effect.

1953 July 27 - At 10:00 hours, 27 July 1953, Lieutenant General Harrison and Lieutenant General Nam Il Jr. signed the Armistice Agreement at Panmunjom ending hostilities at 20:00 hours. Prior to 20:00 hours the enemy shelled friendly positions with 4,700 rounds of mortar and artillery. 40th arty countered with about 11,000 mortar and artillery rounds.

1953 August - First 143rd troops head home. 40th Infantry Division soon started nation-building duties and humanitarian deeds. They also assisted in building defenses, helped train and arm an Army and National Guard for South Korea. Several times during this period, they were called to the Demilitarized Zone to enforce the tenuous Armistice.

1954 May - 143rd troops still heading home. 40th ID conducted its final Korea Pass-in-Review while the band played "California Here I Come", carrying the Colors and California Flag With which it was mobilized, and then moved to Camp Stoneman, California.

1954 June 30 - 40th ID, California Army National Guard was demobilized.

1954 July 1 - 40th ID, California Army National Guard, combined with the 111th Armored Cavalry Regt, California Army National Guard, and formed the 40th Armored Division (*Grizzly*), California Army National Guard.