AUCTIONS Poulin's Online Firearms Auction, December 3-5, 2023 161TH US INFANTRY FLAG, 2ND BATALLION, VIETNAM ERA

1128 161TH US INFANTRY FLAG, 2ND BATALLION, VIETNAM ERA

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This item SOLD at 2023 Dec 03 @ 11:17UTC-5 : EST/CDT
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 100.00 USD
Estimated at 200.00 - 400.00 USD
3' x 4' regulation double applique hand and machine embroidered eagle and crest on a blue field, gold fringe. The flag is Army Blue and features the regimental crest with a Fleur-De-Lis and a scorpion, the former with rays extending out, denotes the breaking up of the regiment in World War One. The scorpion denotes their service along the Mexican border. The colors are those of the Philippine flag and the shield's white background harkens back to the infantry branch before 1903. The battlements denote their combat service in the Philippines. Above the Eagle is the Blackbird above a crown. That crest is that of George Washington, the namesake of the state from which the 161st comes from. The 161st is the oldest Washington state Army National Guard tracing its roots back to the territorial militia. The Philadelphia quartermaster depot label is undated but is no later than 1962 when the depot no longer contracted flags. The 161st Infantry Regiment lineage dates to March 1886 and before then back to volunteer militia units that were created in Washington Territory in 1855 to protect settlers from the Yakima Indians. In March 1886, the 1st Infantry Regiment formed and in April 1887 the 2nd Regiment was formed as state units of Washington. In 1898, the US Government Federalized National Guard units for service in the Philippines and ten companies of Washington National Guard were included in the call up. In May they became the 1st Regiment, Washington Volunteer Infantry and were sent to the Philippines to deal with the Filipino uprising after the defeat of the Spanish. They became part of the 1st Division's 2nd Brigade and fought in the Manila Campaign as well as on Luzon against insurgents in 1899. The regiment won recognition for their actions and were sent back home in November 1899. In 1916, the border raids by Pancho Villa brought about the Federalization of more National Guard units to deal with the problem. The regiment's designation was changed to the 2nd Infantry Regiment, Washington National Guard and in June 1916 were mustered into Federal service. They were sent into Mexico and after three months were sent back home mustering out in October. In March 1917, the 2nd Infantry Regiment, Washington National Guard was again Federalized into service. In July 1917, the War Department renumbered the National Guard regiments starting with 101st and ending with the 300th. The 2nd Regiment was consolidated with part of the 3rd Infantry, District of Columbia for become the 161st Infantry Regiment. As part of the 41st Infantry Division, they deployed to France but never saw combat as an extant unit. Instead, men from the 161st were used to replace troops in other commands. The regiment demobilized in March 1919 in New Jersey. With the Army expansion of 1940, the 41st Infantry Division was called back to Federal service in September 1940. First sent to Camp Murray and then Fort Lewis in March 1941, the regiment took part in maneuvers in California before returning home in August. Originally a “square” division (two brigades of two regiments each), the 41st Division was reorganized in the triangular formation (three regiments) and with that the 161st Infantry was ordered to the Philippines to reinforce American units there due to the threat of an invasion by the Japanese. The 161st reached San Francisco after the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. The unit was then sent to Hawaii instead becoming part of the Hawaiian Department. Changes in the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions soon found the 161st being assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. The division was them sent to Guadalcanal in late November 1942 arriving in December. The division then went right into action fighting stubborn Japanese troops. The 161st Regiment was tasked with eliminating a pocket of Japanese troops on the Matanikau River. In a later offensive the 161st was the division spearhead flanking Japanese defenses and continued the drive with other American units helping to end enemy resistance in February 1943. The regiment and the rest of the 25th Division remained on Guadalcanal through the summer of 1943. The attack on New Georgia Island took place with the 25th Division initially not part of the planned attack. Japanese resistance however changed that and the 161st Regiment was landed as reinforcements attached to the 37th Infantry Division. As the 37th Division drove forward fierce fighting developed along a ridge line with dug in Japanese fortifications taking their toll. On July 25, 1943, the 161st Regiment, split into its three maneuver battalions, launched the attack on the ridge using maneuver and frontal attacks and soon cleared the ridge before moving against a hill which they also captured. Finally, with the rest of the 25th Division sent to New Georgia, the 161st was back under divisional command and in the final drive helped secure the island in late August. The 25th Infantry Division, whose nickname was “Tropical Lightning,” went back to Guadalcanal to rest and receive replacements in November and then were sent to New Zealand. In February 1944, the division as sent to New Caledonia for further training in prepare for their part of the upcoming invasion of the Philippines. In early January 1945, the US 6th Army landed on Luzon and the 25th Division was the army's reserve division. On January 17th the division became part of the army's First Corps. The 161st Infantry's ancestor unit, the 1st Washington Infantry, had fought on this island 46 years earlier. The 161st took one village, defeating Japanese attacks before moving on to the town of San Manuel. Here the Japanese were even more stubborn and struck back with numerous tanks which the attached US artillery took under fire and destroyed a number of them. The town was secured on January 28, 1945 which earned two of the companies of the 161st presidential Unit Citations. The 25th Division continued forward clearing Luzon of Japanese troops taking the town of Digdig in early March. First Corps then ordered the division to take the town of Putlan and by using maneuver, the 161st captured it on March 10th. Three days later the division carried on its attacks through rough terrain and forests with the fight fore Belete Pass being one of the toughest assignments the 25th Division ever faced. By April 8th, the objectives had been cleared by the 161st while the other two regiments of the division (27th and 35th Infantry) were tied down attacking Japanese troops dug in along some mountains. The 161st soon linked up with the 27th Infantry securing Belete Pass and opening the door for the attack on the town of Santa Fe. The offensive started on May 25th moving along Highway 5 and by July 4th, Luzon was declared secure. The 25th Infantry Division went to the rear for rest and gathering replacement before training for the planned invasion of Japan. The two Atomic bombs caused Japan to surrender in early September 1945 so instead of attacking Japan, the 25th Division landed as part of the occupation forces. In November, the 161st Infantry was deactivated. One of its members, Laverne Parrish, earned the Medal of Honor during the war. Returning to the Washington National Guard, the regiment continued to serve the state and nation. In 2003, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry, was activated into Federal service for deployment to Iraq in April 2004. Deployed southeast of Baghdad, they faced a tough opponent from the Mahdi Army before returning home in April 2005. The regiment's 1st Battalion was again sent to Iraq in 2008 to provide convoy security in the northern part of the country serving between some remote bases. Today the 161st Regiment is the Stryker regiment of the Washington National Guard training to fight with these swift armored vehicles. They retain their status as the oldest unit of the Washington National Guard. CONDITION: very good overall. (02-19982-38/JS). $200-400.
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