Welcome to the 25th Infantry Division Association Website. We are an Association of men and women who proudly served our nation's Army in the 25th Infantry Division, in war and in peace since 1941.

Formed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on October 1, 1941, the 25th Infantry Division was the first American Army unit to see combat in World War II, when the Japanese attacked Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Air Field as part of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Division has served in combat in most of our nation's major conflicts since then. Our able Historian, John Keliher, has composed an accurate summary of our proud history in THE DIVISION section of this website. He has also summarized the histories of many of the distinguished subordinate units that have composed the fighting strength of the 25th Division since 1941. Also in THE UNITS section of this website are links to more comprehensive histories of these distinguished organizations.

The 25th Infantry Division Association was formed in 1949 by World War II Veterans and welcomes as members anyone who was ever assigned or attached to the 25th Infantry Division. You can read of our history in THE ASSOCIATION section of this website.

As you explore our website, consider the many benefits of membership. The primary benefit is belonging to a group of individuals who have experienced events and situations similar to yours. There is an unspoken sense of camaraderie between men and women who have risked all to serve their nation in our Division. This is a sense that transcends the generations, linking the 85-year-old Veteran of Guadalcanal with the 22-year-old Veteran of Kirkuk.

Members receive our quarterly 40-page full-color magazine, Tropic Lightning Flashes. In the pages of this publication we share experiences, good history, member news and keep up with the activities of our 25th Infantry Division units engaged in the War on Terrorism.

The Association supports the Tropic Lightning Museum at Schofield Barracks. In 1996, we founded the 25th Infantry Division Archive at the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia. Here thousands of pages of documents and artifacts are permanently preserved for current and future historians who have and will study our history for generations to come.

We have participated in various Soldier Support activities, including visits to our wounded warriors at military and Veterans hospitals, and participation in selected projects targeted to enhance Soldier morale. We built the 25th Infantry Division Memorial at Schofield Barracks depicting four generations of Tropic Lighting warriors in mutual support and memory of our lost comrades. We were able to raise almost a half-million dollars to insure that it was in place to welcome our first deployment home from 21st Century combat in 2006.

Through creation and sponsorship of the 25th Infantry Division Memorial Fund, Inc., we continue to participate in projects to honor our fallen and the sacrifices of our Soldiers. In May 2008, we participated in the dedication of the Spartan Memorial at Fort Richardson, Alaska. This monument honors the 53 Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) who died in service to our nation in Iraq. The Memorial Fund is presently working with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team to memorialize the sacrifices of their 25th Division Soldiers. For more information, visit the Fund's website.

For more than a half-century, the Association has awarded scholarship grants to the children and grandchildren of our members. Hundreds of young men and women have benefited from this program and used our support to achieve their life goals.

Our Parallel PX offer a variety of items of memorabilia and clothing related to the 25th Infantry Division. Show your pride in service with the 25th Infantry Division with a hat, shirt, tie or jacket with the distinctive taro leaf and lightning bolt patch.

An annual highlight of the Tropic Lightning year is the reunion. For sixty years we have held reunions where comrades reunite, strengthening the bonds of friendship forged in combat, meeting and making new friendships with fellow 25th Division Veterans and their families. We rotate the reunions around the country, returning every five years to Hawaii, historic home of the 25th Infantry Division.

The 2009 reunion will be held in Fairbanks, Alaska. This 60th annual reunion will bring together Veterans of World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, Peacekeeping missions, Iraq and Afghanistan. Coincidentally, the Veterans of service in these conflicts will be on hand at Fort Wainwright to Welcome Home a new generation of Veterans as the Soldiers of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team return to their Fort Wainwright home from a year in Iraq.

Our reunions always offer a variety of optional programs, capitalizing on local attractions and activities that make the reunion a great experience for the Veteran, his friends and family. Our 2009 reunion, for example, features an optional scenic cruise and train adventure from Vancouver to Fairbanks. Future reunion sites include Boston (2010), Honolulu (2011) and Cleveland (2012). Complete information is published quarterly in Tropic Lightning Flashes and is also available on this website.

As with any organization, including ours, members are its life's blood. So if you are a member, ask your friends if they served in the 25th Infantry Division and get them to join our ranks. If you're reading this and served, but are not yet a member, print out the application in THE ASSOCIATION section of this website and send it in. As I write this, the economy is on the decline, but the Tropic Lightning spirit is never wavering. Join with us and sustain the camaraderie of the Veteran and the fighting spirit of our Tropic Lightning Soldiers.

As the great Albert Einstein said: "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." Let us take a moment to remember our troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and understand the sacrifice that they and their families are making on our behalf.

Tropic Lightning Sir,

Dave Nelson
President

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Last modified 11-4-08