164th Infantry Regiment WWII Guadalcanal and Beyond

[Editor 164 Infantry News]

Seeking and sharing information about the 164th Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, WWII, in the Pacific Theater. The 164th landed at Guadalcanal on 13 October 1942, then went on to Bougainville, Leyte, Cebu, and prepared for the invasion of Japan. The Regiment, originally North Dakota Army National Guard, came home in late 1945, and was mobilized again in 1951 for the Korean War.

[bartonbone]

Can anyone out there tell me where the 164th was on 17 Apr 1945?

[Editor 164 Infantry News]

On 26 Apr 45, elements of the 164th waded ashore not far from Dumaguete, Capitol City of the Negros Oriental islands. If you can be more specific about which battalion you're interested it, we can pinpoint it a bit further. Please email Editor164InfantryNews@hotmail.com

[Editor 164 Infantry News]

On 17 Apr 45, elements were on Babag Ridge, Cebu.

[Nix's daughter]

Can anyone out there tell me where the 164th was on 17 Apr 1945?

My dad was with the 164th Infantry, later known as the Americal Division. According to his written record the 164th left Leyte on April 9th, 1945, stopped in Cebu the same day and then left for Bohol. They arrived in Bohol on the 10th of April and staying until the 30th. They then arrived back in Cebu on May 1st. I've attached a copy of his record in JPEG. Hope it helps.

[Editor 164 Infantry News]

For those of you watching The Pacific: The 164th Infantry was the first US Army unit to offensively engage the enemy in either theater when it reinforced the Marines at Guadalcanal on 13 October 1942. They brought the M1 Garand into the fight; most of the Marines had been issued 1903 Springfields, which was a great weapon, but slowed by bolt action.
The 164th was the unit that strengthened the Marines' perimeter on 24-25 October, the date Marine John Basilone earned the Medal of Honor.
Marine Lt Col Chesty Puller and 164th's LTC Robert K. Hall walked the perimeter, inserting 164th soldiers into Marine fighting positions to halt the waves of Japanese assaulting the line. LTC Hall earned the Navy Cross; 164 Machinegunner Bill Clark earned the Distinguished Service Cross; and this was one of the actions that earned the Navy Presidential Unit Citation for the 164th & the Americal Division. The Americal was authorized to wear the 1st Marine "Guadalcanal" Patch on their right shoulders.
According to Marine Les Groshong, who posts to Grunts, the 164th was known as the "Little Marines" or "the 164th Marines", a sign of great respect from the 1st Marine Division. Chesty Puller is credited with the comment, "Those farm boys can fight".

[Editor 164 Infantry News]

For those viewing "The Pacific" on HBO, below is one of the stories from the Army unit that reinforced the Marine line during the October battle in which Marine Basilone earned the Medal of Honor:

Bill Clark’s Game
by Richard Stevens, Colonel (US Army, retired), then-corporal, Company M, 164th Infantry Regiment

Corporal William “Bill” Clark, an affable young Nebaskan, came to M/164 in February 1942. Bill was a member of a filler contingent of the same lettered company of the 134th Infantry Regiment, Nebraska Army National Guard. Somewhere either side of twenty, Bill was just the kind of a guy you’d hope your kid sister would meet at one of those USO dances back home. Maybe five-ten, sandy-haired, quiet, good sense of humor, “regular” appearing in every respect. The dependable type. Bill’s new M/164 assignment? To the First Platoon as leader of a heavy machine gun squad—the weapon, a water-cooled Browning Caliber .30, M1917.
The odyssey of the 164th Infantry Regiment from Fort Ord to New Caledonia via Melbourne, Australia, finally ended on the 9th of April, 1942. And soon, M/164 was busily at work – doing some training, but primarily as labor service troops assisting the Quartermaster Corps. Large quantities of supplies were arriving, depots and storage areas were being established.
M/164’s disbursed and partly concealed bivouac area was somewhere Northwest of Noumea, the capital and port city. Small hamlets with names like Dumbea and Pieta were located well beyond walking distance, but not far away. Evenings, those of us who were not off working somewhere on a detail had free time in the bivouac area. Some of us, for example, enjoyed low stakes blackjack games.
It was at those times that Bill Clark developed a game of his own—for himself, and for the members of his squad. At that time, all of our weapons, including the machine guns and the mortars, were with us in our tents – for maintenance, training, and easy access. The game Bill initiated was the timed, blind-folded disassembly and reassembly of his squad’s heavy machinegun. Individual squad members, including Bill, were paired off man against man. Each of the pair took a turn. The fastest member won. Accuracy counted, of course. And the best of all at the game came to be Bill himself.
I well remember one evening in particular, when three or four of us passed by Bill’s tent. We were headed for blackjack. But Bill was out in front, busily at his game. And he challenged us to compete with him, come one, come all. I’d been a long-time squad leader myself, back in the 137th Infantry and could disassemble the weapon down to its smallest component parts. But blindfolded? Never had. And off we went, leaving Bill at his game.
Which leaves us to consider the citation for the Distinguished Service Cross which Corporal William Clark was awarded for his manner of performance on the first night of Guadalcanal’s 24 October1942 Battle for Henderson Field. The members of the 164th’s Third Battalion were inserted piecemeal into the battle that was raging in the late night darkness to reinforce Chesty Puller’s First Battalion, 7th Marines. In the process, Bill Clark’s squad was sent by a Marine guide up a narrow, muddy, jungle trail into the battle in progress. Somehow, early on, Bill’s machine gun became disabled, inoperable. And there was also a disabled Marine machine gun nearby Coolly, Bill Clark took charge, While the battle raged in near darkness, he “cannibalized” both weapons, taking undamaged parts from each, and reassembled them into one operable machine gun-- while casualties were occurring around him. And just in time to perform the pivotal role --with this machine gun-- in stopping a renewed and concentrated Japanese attack, straight at that portion of the American positions. It was the payoff f-- the payoff for Bill Clark’s Game.
Unfortunately, Bill didn’t stay with M Company for long after that. He was summoned away, never to return. Months later, there was a bit of news about him, passed on by one of the other Nebraskans who’d gotten it from home. Bill was back in the States, doing War Bond Drives. What a waste. But then, we were envious, too: was Ol’ Bill Clark makin’ out all right on those War Bond Drives?

THE CITATION: The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to William A. Clark, Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company M, 164th Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, in action against enemy forces on 25 October 1942. Corporal Clark’s intrepid actions, personal bravery, and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the United States Army. Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific Area, G.O. No. 39 (1943) http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/1_Citations/03_wwii-dsc/army_c.html