164th Infantry Regiment ( United States ) The 164th Infantry Regiment , an activated regiment of the North Dakota National Guard , was the first United States Army unit on Guadalcanal . History . World War I and interwar years . The 164th Infantry Regiment began its history on 8 December 1906 in the North Dakota Army National Guard as Company E , First Infantry Regiment , Williston , North Dakota . It was activated in federal service on 18 June 1916 for service on the Mexican border . On 14 February 1917 , Company E was inactivated at Ft . Snelling , Minnesota . Company E was later re - activated on 25 March 1917 and drafted into federal service on 5 August 1917 . The company was reorganized and redesignated 4 October 1917 as Company E , 164th Infantry , an element of the 41st Infantry Division . The company was inactivated 28 February 1919 at Camp Dix , New Jersey . The company was later reorganized and federally recognized 22 January 1921 as Company E , 1st Infantry , Williston , North Dakota . It was reorganized and redesignated 21 October 1921 as Company E , 164th Infantry , an element of the 34th Infantry Division . World War II . The 164th Infantry , by 1940 a National Guard regiment , was activated to federal Service 10 February 1941 at Williston . Before deployment overseas , the 164th was relieved from assignment to the 34th Infantry Division on 8 December 1941 . Commanded by Colonel Earle Sarles , the 164th transited the South Pacific ferry route in January 1942 to New Caledonia . There they joined the 182nd Infantry Regiment and the 132nd Infantry Regiment , in addition to artillery , engineer and other support units to form a new division on 24 May 1942 , designated the Americal Division . The name " Americal " was derived from a combination of the words America and New Caledonia . The regiment spent nearly five months in combat training . In September , Colonel Sarles , a National Guard officer , was replaced as commander of the regiment by Colonel Bryant E . Moore , a West Point graduate . Moore would subsequently be promoted to command an infantry division in Europe , and the regiment would serve under other commanders , almost of whom advanced to general ' s stars . Arriving at Guadalcanal on 13 October 1942 ahead of its brother regiments as emergency reinforcement for the 1st Marine Division , the Regiment was the first U . S . Army unit to engage in offensive action during World War II in the Battle of Guadalcanal . Between 24 and 27 October , elements of the regiment withstood repeated assaults from Japanese battalions and inflicted some two thousand enemy casualties . The First Marine commander , Major General A . A . Vandegrift , was so impressed by the soldiers ' stand that he issued a unit commendation to the regiment for having demonstrated " an overwhelming superiority over the enemy . " In addition , the marines took the unusual step of awarding Lt . Colonel Robert Hall , commander of the 3rd Battalion , 164th , with the Navy Cross for his role in these battles . Until the Americal Division commander , Major General Alexander M . Patch , and other units of the division arrived , the 164th fought alongside the Marines in a series of encounters with Japanese units in the Point Cruz area , where they successfully dislodged enemy troops from two hilltop strongpoints . The action earned them the nickname " The 164th Marines . " Members of the 164th were also known as " jungle fighters " within the U . S . media because of the terrain on which they fought . Later , the 164th participated in extensive jungle patrols as well as organized offensive sweeps of the island to eliminate remaining Japanese resistance . This experience gained the regiment valuable combat experience in jungle travel and navigation , ambush and counter - ambush , and small - unit tactics using small arms and light support weapons . After the Battle of Guadalcanal , the regiment returned to Fiji with the rest of the Americal Division to refit and replenish losses . At this point , many veteran officers and men of the 164th volunteered to join the 5307th Composite Unit , better known as " Merrill ' s Marauders " , for service in Burma . With the rest of the Americal , the Regiment later participated in the Bougainville campaign , then fought to secure the islands of Leyte , Cebu , Negros , and Bohol , in the Philippines . The regiment was slated to be part of the invasion of Japan when the war ended in August . Woodrow W . Keeble , the first Sioux Medal of Honor awardee , served with the 164th throughout the war . He was wounded several times and awarded the Purple Heart and multiple awards for valor during World War II . His Medal of Honor , officially recognized in 2008 , came for his actions in the Korean War . Korean War service . The 164th was inactivated 24 November 1945 at Fort Lawton , Washington . On 10 June 1946 , the 164th Infantry was relieved from assignment to the Americal Division and assigned to the 47th Infantry Division . On 1 May 1947 , the 164th was reorganized and federally recognized 1 May 1947 as Company E of the 164th Infantry at Williston . It was ordered to federal service 16 January 1951 at Williston . Company C of the 164th Infantry ( NGUS ) organized and federally recognized 16 January 1953 at Williston while the 164th Infantry was on federal service . The 164th was inactivated from active federal Service 2 December 1954 and reverted to state control and redesignated as Company C , 164th Infantry ; federal recognition was concurrently withdrawn from Company C , 164th Infantry ( NGUS ) . A gold color metal and enamel device in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned : Azure , a Spanish castle Gules door of the first and fimbriated Or between three six - pointed mullets one and two and debruised in base by a demi - sun issuing from base of the last . Attached below the shield is a blue scroll inscribed " JE SUIS PRET " in gold . The service of the former organization , 142d Engineer Battalion , is indicated by the blue shield for Infantry , with the Spanish castle taken from the Spanish Campaign medal representing Spanish War service . The Philippine Insurrection service is indicated by the three mullets from the Philippine Island flag . The sun in base , from the 41st Division shoulder sleeve insignia , denotes World War I service with that division . The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 164th Regiment Infantry on 11 an 1933 . It was redesignated for the 142d Engineer Battalion on 8 May 1956 . On 26 December 1974 the insignia was rescinded ( cancelled ) . The insignia was approved for the 164th Regiment , with description and symbolism revised , on 6 November 1997 . Azure , a Spanish castle Gules door of the first and fimbriated Or between three six - pointed mullets one and two and debruised in base by a demi - sun issuing from base of the last . That for the regiments and separate battalions of the North Dakota Army National Guard : From a wreath Or and Azure , a sheaf of three arrows Argent armed and flighted Gules behind a string bow fesswise Or with a grip of the second . Coat of arms . Blazon . Motto JE SUIS PRET ( I Am Ready ) . The service of the former organization , 142d Engineer Battalion , is indicated by the blue shield for Infantry , with the Spanish castle taken from the Spanish Campaign medal representing Spanish War service . The Philippine Insurrection service is indicated by the three mullets from the Philippine Island flag . The sun in base , from the 41st Division shoulder sleeve insignia , denotes World War I service with that division . The crest is that of the North Dakota Army National Guard . Background . The coat of arms was originally approved for the 164th Regiment Infantry on 11 an 1933 . It was redesignated for the 142d Engineer Battalion on 8 May 1956 . On 26 December 1974 the coat of arms was rescinded ( cancelled ) . The coat of arms was approved for the 164th Regiment , with description and symbolism revised , on 6 November 1997 .