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Posts:
2
Registered:
8/11/05
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(1 of 4)
164th Americal Marines LAST REUNION
Aug 11, 2005 12:55 PM
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I have come across something that may be of interest to the History Channel, BUT time is of the essence on this one....maybe you can pass it along to the proper channels of the History Channel.
It has JUST come to my attention that the 164th Infantry is having it's 60th and LAST reunion here in Valley City, North Dakota this September 16,17,18th. The 164th Infantry is the North Dakota National Guard of the WWII era. They were on Guadalcanal and it is known that in 1942 - The 164th Infantry Regiment landed on Guadalcanal to reinforce the First Marine Division at Henderson Airfield. The regiment became the first US Army unit to take offensive action against the Japanese during World War II. They were a part of the Americal Division and are known as the Americal Marines. The men of Company G (Valley City Unit) fired the first shots against the Japanese on Guadalcanal. For the outstanding service record with the Marines at Guadalcanal the 164th Infantry received from the Navy the Presidential Navy Unit Citation and is the ONLY infantry division to EVER have been awarded this distinction as far as I know. Something needs to be done with this story of heroism that has not been told. Maybe the History Channel can do SOMETHING before it is too late?
(http://www.in-forum.com/specials/century/jan3/week25.html)
The Regiment entered federal service in February 1941 when President Franklin Roosevelt called up the National Guard. The 164th went to Louisiana for training as one of the four infantry regiments of the 34th Infantry Division, which also included units from Minnesota and Iowa.
In March 1942, the 164th left the United States for Melbourne, Australia, where they boarded small ships for New Caledonia to protect Pacific naval supply lines and prevent a Japanese invasion. "The actions of the 164th has brought them to the limelight in military history," Conlin said. The regiment became part of the Americal Division, landing at Guadalcanal on Oct. 13, 1942. Members of the 164th became known as "jungle fighters" in U.S. media, named for the terrain in which they fought. The infantry was also given the nickname "The 164th Marines" for their bitter fight against the Japanese in the Battle for Henderson Field and the Battle of the Matanikau on the island, and became the first U.S. Army unit to take offensive action during World War II.
During the first five days of the 164th's landing at Guadalcanal, 117 men were killed. During the battle for Henderson Field, an estimated 1,700 Japanese were killed, while the 164th suffered 26 killed and 52 wounded. The 164th continued with other battles and patrols through February 1943, and the unit saw 147 men lose their lives. The regiment received the Navy's Presidential Unit Citation.
The 164th left Guadalcanal and moved on to Bougainville, part of the Solomon Islands, where it served until November 1944. During World War II, the 164th spent nearly 600 days in combat and 325 men were killed in action, while 1,193 men were wounded in action. Conlin said the soldiers saw themselves as "ordinary people doing ordinary things." Others, he said, saw their service as extraordinary, even heroic.
The 188th Field Artillery Regiment, also from North Dakota, fought with the 164th on Guadalcanal, and returned to the United States for desert training in April 1943. The group headed for Utah Beach in France in June 1944 to provide continuing support for offensives in Europe for the remainder of the war.
http://www.guard.bismarck.nd.us/units/valley.htm
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Posts:
3
From:
North Dakota
Registered:
7/12/08
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(2 of 4)
Re: 164th Americal Marines LAST REUNION
Jul 12, 2008 10:14 PM
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The 164th Infantry Association is alive and well; the reunion in 2005 was NOT its last. The 63rd annual reunion will be held in Valley City, ND, in September 2008.
18 Veterans of the battles at Guadalcanal attended last year's reunion (September 2007). A special 40 page issue of The 164th Infantry News in October 2008 featured the unit history and personal stories "Sixty-Five Years Since Guadalcanal"
The October 2008 issue will feature "Sixty-Five Years Since Bougainville"
For information about the 164th Infantry Regiment, contact Editor164InfantryNews@hotmail.com
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Posts:
3
From:
North Dakota
Registered:
7/12/08
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(3 of 4)
Re: 164th Americal Marines LAST REUNION
Jan 10, 2009 7:55 PM
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There is a manuscript in progress to tell the story this heroic unit. Draft chapters of "I Am Ready: The 164th Infantry in WWII" are posted on the author's website. Please contact Editor164InfantryNews@hotmail.com for the website address, or for more information about the book, the 164th Infantry Association, the annual reunion, or other research about the 164th Infantry, North Dakota Army National Guard.
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Posts:
3
From:
North Dakota
Registered:
7/12/08
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(4 of 4)
Re: 164th Americal Marines LAST REUNION
Oct 2, 2009 7:45 PM
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The 2009 reunion of the 164th Infantry Association was held in September 2009. Sixteen veterans of WWII attended, although almost 200 WWII veterans are members of the Association. The 164th Infantry News is published three times a year for veterans of the 164th Infantry Regiment, their descendants, and other interested persons. Contact Editor164InfantryNews@hotmail.com
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