division's personnel who were mostly from the Hawaii National Guard until April 1942, when he was ordered to the continental states. On May 20, 1942, Brush was promoted to the rank of Major General and assumed duty as Commanding general, 40th Infantry Division with additional responsibility as Commanding General, San Pedro Sub Sector (defense of Los Angeles Metropolitan Area against possible Japanese attack). While in this capacity, his division consisted of California, Nevada Army National Guard, and Utah Army National Guards. Brush was tasked with the transformation of the Division into combat effective force and after several months of intensive training in California, he departed with his division to Hawaii in September 1942. The 40th Division was tasked with the defense of outer islands of Hawaii while Brush assumed additional duty as Commanding general, Kauai District. The training continued as defensive positions were improved and maintained and Brush supervised division's intensive amphibious and jungle training in late 1943. The 40th Division moved to the stagging area on Guadalcanal in late December 1943 and then arrived to New Britain in April 1944. The Division took positions at Talasea on the northern side of the island, at Arawe on the southern side and conducted jungle patrols during which met only occasional resistance. However no major battle was fought and heavy rain and mud were constant problems for divisional personnel. For his service during the training of the 40th Division, Brush received Legion of Merit. Philippines Brush and his division departed for Luzon, Philippines in late December 1944 and made an assault landing at Lingayen, Luzon on January 9, 1945, as the part of XIV Corps under his old friend, now-Major general Oscar Griswold. Brush and his command seized Lingayen airfield, and then occupied Bolinao Peninsula and San Miguel, before advanced toward Manila. After several weeks of fighting, Brush and his division captured the Clark Field, a former Army Air Corps base now used by Japanese Army for training of Kamikaze pilots. He then led his command in the mainland of Luzon, running into heavy fighting in the Fort Stotsenburg area and the Bambam Hills, before captured the Snake Hill and Storm King Mountain in February 1945. Grisswold then invited General Walter Krueger, Commander of Sixth Army to a ceremony marking the capture of Fort Stotsenburg, a former noted U.S. Army base. Unfortunately Krueger who did not like National Guard units, was not