Record Group 199
Date Span: January - November 1941
Extent: 0.2 cubic feet
Historical Sketch: Originally composed of National Guard units from the southern states, the Thirty-First "Dixie" Division was a National Guard division that served in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The Dixie Division was most active during World War II, first as a training ground for both officers and enlisted men, before it served in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
In November 1940, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Thirty-first into active service, as a response to the war in Europe as well as increasing tension in Asia. Under the command of Maj. Gen. John C. Persons, the division was stationed at the newly constructed Camp Blanding near Starke, Florida (approximately fifty miles southwest of Jacksonville, FL).
From 1941 to 1944, the Thirty-first was a training division. It deployed to the South Pacific island of New Guinea in April 1944 to serve under Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The Thirty-first remained in the Pacific Theater until the war ended. On December 21, 1945, it returned to the Camp Stoneman, California, where it was deactivated and returned to its National Guard status.
“The Dixie” was a weekly newspaper published by the Thirty-first Division during World War II. It follows the unit through the various training camps.
Sources:
Truss, Ruth Smith. “Thirty-first 'Dixie' Division.” Encyclopedia of Alabama.
War Department. 31st Infantry Division. 11/25/1940-12/21/1945. National Archives Catalog.
Scope / Content Note: Contains copies of Volume 1, issues 1-46, published January 10 through November 24, 1941. Some dates are missing from this collection.
Organization: Arranged chronologically.
Provenance: Provided by an unknown donor to Houston Love Memorial Library, which turned them over to The Wiregrass Archives in 2015.
Proc Date: January 2016
Issues Available
Volume 1, No. 1 (January 10, 1941) through Volume 1, No. 46 (November 24, 1941)
Missing issues: Vol. 1, no. 31 (August 11, 1941) and Vol. 1, no. 35 (September 8, 1941). During this period, the division was on maneuvers in Louisiana. It's possible the Publicity Unit simply did not publish these issues.