11 ABN. Division

• Origins in WWII: The 11th Airborne Division ("Angels") was activated on 25 February 1943 at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, and was one of the first airborne divisions in the U.S. Army. • Pacific Theater Veterans: The 11th ABN deployed to the Pacific during WWII, participating in campaigns in New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon in the Philippines. • Manila "Rescue": In February 1945, the division executed the daring raid to liberate over 2,000 civilian internees from the Los Baños internment camp near Manila, considered one of the most successful airborne rescue operations in history. • First in Tokyo: The 11th Airborne was the first Allied unit to enter Tokyo at the end of WWII as part of the occupation force. • Postwar Service in Japan: After WWII, the Angels served as occupation troops in northern Japan, helping maintain peace and stability. • Cold War Reorganization: The division was inactivated in 1958, but elements were reactivated and reflagged as part of the 24th Infantry Division and later as training units. • Unique Combat Jumps: The 11th ABN conducted several combat parachute assaults, including the only such operation of WWII in the Pacific Theater during the Luzon campaign. • Medal of Honor Recipients: Two soldiers from the division, Private Elmer E. Fryar and Private First Class Manuel Perez Jr., were awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor during the Luzon campaign. • Recent Reactivation: In June 2022, the 11th Airborne Division was reactivated in Alaska as the Army’s Arctic-focused division, inheriting the lineage and honors of the original unit. • Motto and Nickname: The division is known as the "Angels," and its motto is "Arctic Angels" following its reactivation, symbolizing both its airborne and Arctic missions.