Occupation Diary, First Cavalry Division
On Occupation Duty in Japan 1945-1950
By 1LT Charles Rogers, Assistant Public Information Officer
Published by First Cavalry Division Association, May 1950
Excerpts from the Occupation Diary that mention the 12th Cavalry Regiment:
To PFC Paul Davis of Fairland, Ottawa County, Oklahoma,
who followed the Division Commander MG William Chase, went the honor of being the
first enlisted man to enter the city officially on September 8, 1945. This won him an award of
$1,000 offered by the Veterans of foreign Wars of his home county to the
first soldier from the county to set foot in Tokyo. Davis was a member of D
Troop, 12th Cavalry. (page 1)
At the end of the first 18 months of occupation, the
command posts of the 1st Brigade, 5th Cavalry and 12th
Cavalry were situated at Camp McGill at Otawa, about 20 miles south of
Yokohama. (page 3)
Operations during February 1946 were still being
carried out in accordance with directives from higher headquarters. Some
localities still required a thorough searching for war material that had
been unreported either because it had been secreted or simply overlooked. As
evidence of this fact, a 12th Cavalry patrol, accompanied by
Japanese Police, discovered 20 boxes of dynamite and 2,600 meters of primer
cord at the Kanawa Christian Church just four miles northwest of Hiratsuka.
(page 9)
On March 25th 1946, Colonel William E. Lobit
assumed command of the 12th Cavalry, Colonel Reybold’s former
command. (page 11)
General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the
billets of the 8th Cavalry prior to the division review on May 12,
1946 and in the following two days inspected elements of the 12th
Cavalry and the 271st Field Artillery Battalion. (page 13)
In August 1946 a 12th Cavalry patrol located
a large quantity of 14-inch projectiles, mines and torpedoes cached in the
Kami Karskona Primary School for use against our forces when troopers were
to “hit the beaches” the pervious year. (page 15)
In January 1947, at the repatriation port of Uraga,
where the 12th Cavalry had long supervised the processing of
millions of demobilized Japanese military personnel, activities slowed to a
walk, and plans were made to close the port and cease operations January 15.
(page 20)
June 1947 saw many organizations of the division moved
to new locations. C Troop of the 12th Cavalry replaced B Troop,
12th Cavalry at Hiratsuka. (page 24)
On May 31, 1947, an airplane crash into the side of a
mountain near Hadano, in which 40 persons lost their lives, brought forth a
display of resourcefulness from elements of the 1st Cavalry
Brigade. B Troop, 12th Cavalry, with the able assistance of L-5
airplanes from Division Artillery, performed excellent work in locating,
investigating and evacuating victims of the C-54 accident. (page 25)
The First Cavalry Division small arms tournament was
conducted the week of August 25, 1947 at Camp Palmer with the 12th
Cavalry capturing the pistol team honors. (page 26)
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. At Camp McGill, the 12th Cavalry, reduced
now to cadre strength, had been relieved of almost all occupational duties.
(page 29)
Major command changes during the month of November 1948
included the naming of Colonel Raymond D. Palmer as commanding officer of
the 12th Cavalry Regiment. (page 33)
March 1949 saw the First Cavalry Division write finis to the square division (5th Cav, 7th Cav, 8th Cav, 12th Cav), as it was retitled First Cavalry Division (Infantry), and organized as a regular, triangular infantry division (5th Cav, 7th Cav, 8th Cav). The 12th Cavalry Regiment became inoperative and most of its members were transferred to the 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division, (page 35)
Webmaster Note: On June 10, 2007 I purchased the 58 page Occupation Diary, First Cavalry Division on e-bay for the pricely sum of $5.95.