N.D. soldiers ready for any fight, Historian credits hard work ethic for getting troops through battles

By Steven P. Wagner
The Forum

The French phrase "Je Suis Pret," a motto adopted by the North Dakota National Guard during World War II, defines the unit's service in United States military history. In English, the phrase means "I Am Ready." From the beginning, settlers in North Dakota proved their willingness to serve as citizen soldiers. That willingness was later tested in the Pacific during World War II when the 164th Infantry Regiment fought on Guadalcanal and Bougainville islands.

Maj. Pete Conlin, command historian for the North Dakota National Guard, credits the second amendment -- the right to bear arms -- for the strength of the Guard in the state. In March, Conlin wrote an abbreviated history of the Guard for the state Legislature, condensing much of the information in the 1986 book, "Citizens As Soldiers." The Guard's standards in combat have matched the Army's track record, Conlin said. "In North Dakota, we have a history of not only meeting, but exceeding, that standard," Conlin said. "We are a state of conservative people with a real hard work ethic. We see that in people who drive on and get the job done."

Humble origins

By the time Congress created Dakota Territory in 1861, regular Army posts already existed on the prairie. The North Dakota National Guard was born out of the Dakota Territorial Militia of the 1860s. Territorial Gov. William Jayne issued a proclamation in December 1861 to form two companies of volunteer cavalry after regular troops were reassigned for the Civil War. In April 1862, Company A, 1st North Dakota Cavalry, gained federal recognition and Company B was formed the next year.

The militia struggled, however, with mismanagement of arms and uniforms. There were 1,000 officers and men in the Guard by 1885. In 1889, the territory was split into North and South Dakota, and the state's military code authorized one regiment of 10 companies.

There was little money for the Guard, making recruiting and preparation difficult. Training was all but abandoned in the mid-1890s.

Events in Cuba in 1898, and the conflict with Spain, led to North Dakota's call-up for duty. Eight companies were chosen to become the 1st North Dakota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regiment arrived in Manila Bay in July 1898. Less than two weeks later, the soldiers were on the trench lines surrounding Manila and played a modest role in a firefight which led to the surrender of the city. The United States originally went to the Philippines to protect the islands from the Spanish, and the North Dakota regiment assumed occupation duties before facing hostility from locals during an insurrection.

In April 1899, the volunteers encountered their mostly costly combat mission. Eight men were killed during one skirmish. Private Thomas Sletteland won the Medal of Honor, the first for a North Dakotan, for carrying one wounded soldier to safety and defending three others who were killed. By August of that year, the 1st North Dakota was back in the United States. "They took on an identity of their own," Conlin said. "These early soldiers, their valiant efforts and bravery, set the standards for the 164th. I don't think they came home thinking they were heroic."

Border patrol and WWI The National Defense Act of 1916 guaranteed the Guard's permanent service as a reserve unit for the Army. President Woodrow Wilson ordered a troop call-up to pursue raiding bands of Mexican troops along the Texas, New Mexico and Arizona borders. By July 1916, North Dakota's regiment arrived in Texas, endured grueling training but saw no action. In January 1917, the infantry returned home. Another call-up, less than three months later, was initiated for World War I. A draft board was established in July 1917, and approximately 3,700 North Dakota men went to war as National Guardsmen. Many who went for border patrol refused to show up for World War I service, Conlin said. "They felt a little used and abused," he said.

All units were given new numbers to eliminate state names, and the 1st North Dakota was now part of the 164th Infantry Regiment. The regiment left in November 1917 and was one of the first divisions to go to France, and men became frustrated by the travel conditions, food and constant reorganization within the American Expeditionary Force. The 164th Regiment lost 278 men in the war while nearly 650 were wounded. The infantry returned home in 1919.

The Pacific campaign

The Regiment entered federal service again 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.

The 1950s and 1960s

President Harry Truman, in an attempt to contain communism, initiated a partial call to arms and ordered a limited National Guard mobilization in September 1950. The 231st Engineer Battalion was North Dakota's first unit called up for action. The 164th Infantry and 188th Artillery were also called into action, and all three units began training exercises in the United States. More than 2,600 North Dakota guardsmen served during the Korean War, with about 800 going overseas. Of those, 16 were killed in combat.

Again, the Guard was slated for active duty in October 1961 as part of President John Kennedy's mobilization after the Berlin Crisis. The 164th served at Fort Riley, Kan., and returned home after 10 months on active duty.

The Gulf War

When Iraqi President Suddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in the summer of 1990, another crisis was at hand. President Bush ordered federal mobilization of 200,000 National Guard and Army Reserve troops. Initially, North Dakota units receiving alert notifications in August 1990 were the 136th Quartermaster Battalion, 132nd Quartermaster Company and three Quartermaster Detachments: the 131st, 133rd and 134th. They provided supply, distribution and purification of water.

The 191st Military Police company, which provided support for security and POW processing, and the 818th Medical Battalion, which provided command and control for medical companies assigned to it, were alerted in November 1990. Operation Desert Storm started Jan. 16, 1991, and the North Dakota National Guard remained in the Persian Gulf while the drawdown of troops took place.

The history of the North Dakota National Guard can be compared to a common scene in the state, Conlin said. "If you drive down the road during planting season and you see (farmers) out there planting, despite the time and conditions, you are seeing the 164th," he said. "Some see it as incredible, we see it as getting the job done."

Service honors

Soldiers from the 164th Infantry Regiment received several commendations for its Pacific campaign: Navy Cross - 1, Distinguished Service Crosses - 6, Silver Stars - 89, Bronze Stars - 199, Legion of Merit - 6, Soldiers Medals - 10, Purple Hearts - About 2,000.