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They Were Ready: The 164th Infantry in the Pacific War, 1942-1945
A narrative history of the 164th Infantry Regiment in World War II, related from the memories of members of the regiment. The 164th fought in five major campaigns, from Guadalcanal and Bougainville to the islands of the Philippines. The 164th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) is a training unit of the North Dakota Army National Guard. As the 164th Infantry Regiment, it was formed during World War I, but traces its history to Dakota Territorial Militia units formed in the 1880s. The regiment was the first United States Army unit to land on Guadalcanal during World War II.
- GenresWorld War II
412 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 12, 2017
This book reading, review, and ownership by me is dedicated to the memory of one U.S. Army Soldier who served in the 164th Regiment of the Americal Division by the rank and name of Master Sergeant William J. “Pap” Hanusek (US Army Retired 1964). He was commonly known as “Bill” but his family and friends of endearment all called him “Pap”. Pap gave me this book in December of 2015, ironically it was on my personal excel spreadsheet list to begin after I finished my recent Patrick Henry book entitled “Lyon of Liberty”, I began reading this book the day that final Mass of Christian Burial was to be said for him. Pap was born on 27 March 1920 and passed away on 20 July 2017. For those like me who knew Pap – we all had hoped he would make the 100th birthday mark. His wit was quick, his honesty and loyalty to country patriotic to the core and fiber of his being, his love of family and neighbors was endearing to the “nth degree” – qualities that have all seemingly been but lost in generations since. He embodied the phrase “Greatest Generation” by those of us younger than he, but he never considered himself anything but a mere single person who was no greater nor better than those that came before and after himself. It wouldn’t take one long to understand that when speaking with him there was in fact something “special and different” from most people that each of us knew, whether at our collective offices, churches, gatherings, and/or neighborhood functions. For continuous students of Military History and for those of us who have served in many capacities for the country whether in the Military or in Civilian Government Service to include School Teachers of all grades – Pap was a gem, a gentleman, a father, grandfather, great grandfather, and a Soldier of walking-living history. For those reading this review – at some point (when your time is available) I would encourage you to watch and listen to Pap as he speaks to High School children at Chantilly High School in Virginia of his experiences during the Second World War – the video lasts approximately 35 minutes.
Pap – to your memory I thank you for having had the pleasure and honor to have been called “your friend” – thank you for this book and thank you for all the baseball games we watched together as we continuously discussed history, battles you experienced and those battles you and I read about before your time and after your retirement. Most of all, thank you for sharing with all of us your descriptive love of country and thank you for your service during and after the Second World War. As you were a member of the 1st Marine Division Association (1942) I also have to thank you for forcing me to “owe up” and join the Association based on my own service.
https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/sto...
The book was published in 2010 and the first noticeable item of interest is the size of print. It was designed (so I believe) to be large enough that the many veterans who were still alive at this printing could in fact be read by those surviving members of the 164th with eye glasses in an easy fashion. The author spent many hours, days, weeks, and months interviewing as many of the living members of the 164th as he could locate – I do wish that Pap had the chance to provide his input but this it seems was not possible.
This is not the first book written on the Americal Division; however, it is to my knowledge the first dedicated book to the 164th Regiment. The 164th became co-mingled with the U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal and again on Bougainville. Specifically, Pap was a medic whose company became entwined with those Marines under (then) Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller; before the Marines departed Guadalcanal the Colonel himself had managed do slap Pap on the back and stated in passing “Thanks for taking care of my Marines.” Colonel Puller also called the 164th Regiment the “164th Marines”; the U.S. Marines highly respected the fighting ability of the “One-Six-Four.” Whenever a Marine yelled “Corpsman” or a Soldier yelled “Medic” – Pap was up and out to take care of the injured Marine or Soldier. After learning of the firsthand accounts by Pap on the “Million Dollar Tree” and how he was nearly killed there as a young man just before his 22nd birthday – I was none but thrilled to read of the author’s accounting of this section of the Bougainville battle; however, details were missed or not printed and this may have been due to lack of information or a self-willingness to condense but as explained by Pap in previous conversations to me and others the “Million Dollar Tree” changed hands between the American and Japanese Forces no less than 7 times before the Americal and the 164th, 132nd took complete control of the demolished tree. Why was it called the “Million Dollar Tree” one may ask? I would encourage one to read the book to find out as to reasons “why.”
The first book written on the Americal Division was published in 1951 and can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
The photos in this book are nothing short of excellent, the maps are relevant and certain to remain valid through the test of time regardless of technological advances that can be foreseen and understood to the fullest. The hard cover binding on this book is excellent and done in such a way of manner that is not regularly seen or noticed on books produced for mass printing and high sales. Given the few reviews on this book I sense that publication print was minimized intentionally, but nothing was spared in the “quality” production. References within this book follow each chapter directly as opposed to being condensed in one section at the end of the book as is normally the case. The Index however is severely lacking and only references names as opposed to other historical information on battles, ship names, and other interesting points that I personally am used to seeing. Maybe this was intentional as it is after all more of a memoire of the living survivors of the 164th but it just didn’t “feel right” to me as a continuous student of History.
Overall, the book likely deserves 5 stars but I am only able in good conscience to muster up 4. This is not intended to be a “slight” or a “ding”, just my general belief.
Pap – Rest in Peace – I am again honored to have been called by you your “friend.”
Pap – to your memory I thank you for having had the pleasure and honor to have been called “your friend” – thank you for this book and thank you for all the baseball games we watched together as we continuously discussed history, battles you experienced and those battles you and I read about before your time and after your retirement. Most of all, thank you for sharing with all of us your descriptive love of country and thank you for your service during and after the Second World War. As you were a member of the 1st Marine Division Association (1942) I also have to thank you for forcing me to “owe up” and join the Association based on my own service.
https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/sto...
The book was published in 2010 and the first noticeable item of interest is the size of print. It was designed (so I believe) to be large enough that the many veterans who were still alive at this printing could in fact be read by those surviving members of the 164th with eye glasses in an easy fashion. The author spent many hours, days, weeks, and months interviewing as many of the living members of the 164th as he could locate – I do wish that Pap had the chance to provide his input but this it seems was not possible.
This is not the first book written on the Americal Division; however, it is to my knowledge the first dedicated book to the 164th Regiment. The 164th became co-mingled with the U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal and again on Bougainville. Specifically, Pap was a medic whose company became entwined with those Marines under (then) Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller; before the Marines departed Guadalcanal the Colonel himself had managed do slap Pap on the back and stated in passing “Thanks for taking care of my Marines.” Colonel Puller also called the 164th Regiment the “164th Marines”; the U.S. Marines highly respected the fighting ability of the “One-Six-Four.” Whenever a Marine yelled “Corpsman” or a Soldier yelled “Medic” – Pap was up and out to take care of the injured Marine or Soldier. After learning of the firsthand accounts by Pap on the “Million Dollar Tree” and how he was nearly killed there as a young man just before his 22nd birthday – I was none but thrilled to read of the author’s accounting of this section of the Bougainville battle; however, details were missed or not printed and this may have been due to lack of information or a self-willingness to condense but as explained by Pap in previous conversations to me and others the “Million Dollar Tree” changed hands between the American and Japanese Forces no less than 7 times before the Americal and the 164th, 132nd took complete control of the demolished tree. Why was it called the “Million Dollar Tree” one may ask? I would encourage one to read the book to find out as to reasons “why.”
The first book written on the Americal Division was published in 1951 and can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
The photos in this book are nothing short of excellent, the maps are relevant and certain to remain valid through the test of time regardless of technological advances that can be foreseen and understood to the fullest. The hard cover binding on this book is excellent and done in such a way of manner that is not regularly seen or noticed on books produced for mass printing and high sales. Given the few reviews on this book I sense that publication print was minimized intentionally, but nothing was spared in the “quality” production. References within this book follow each chapter directly as opposed to being condensed in one section at the end of the book as is normally the case. The Index however is severely lacking and only references names as opposed to other historical information on battles, ship names, and other interesting points that I personally am used to seeing. Maybe this was intentional as it is after all more of a memoire of the living survivors of the 164th but it just didn’t “feel right” to me as a continuous student of History.
Overall, the book likely deserves 5 stars but I am only able in good conscience to muster up 4. This is not intended to be a “slight” or a “ding”, just my general belief.
Pap – Rest in Peace – I am again honored to have been called by you your “friend.”
February 19, 2025
Terry Shoptaugh’s dedication to research and history is most evident in this masterpiece of a unit history book. Having known several kin of 164th INF members & working with the artifacts of some members at a museum in Fargo, this was a must read for me. “They were Ready” combines well-documented research with masterful storytelling to create a book that not only provides a great insight into a unit fighting in the Pacific, but puts faces to the names of the actual men that were there. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in WWII, most notably the exploits of the U.S. Army in the Pacific theater.
September 7, 2021
I have a family member who was in the 164th and it made me feel like I had a connection to him as I have never met him.
January 25, 2024
This is an important book. It picks up almost immediately where Guadalcanal Diary leaves off and describes things that few other books about the Pacific theater (if any) bother to mention except in passing; i.e., the role played by the Army in defeating the Japanese in the Pacific.
Though clearly written for the 164th and their families, it should not be overlooked by anyone with a historical interest in WWII. Painstakingly researched by the author, including numerous interviews with survivors, it does a fine job in describing the events between the invasion of Guadalcanal until the eventual surrender.
My grandfather (Carl) and his little brother (John) both served in the 164th. At the time he was drafted, my grandfather was nearly 28 and his brother was 21. As with nearly all participants in the greatest of wars, he never discussed his experience (thanks to this book, I now know that he spent his 29th birthday at the Matanikau). At the time I was growing up in rural North Dakota, nearly all the old timers in my town were veterans and only one ("Butch") ever spoke of the war in my presence. He told me that when my grandfather was to be sent home, he refused to go, saying, "I'm not leaving without John!" To which he was told by Butch, "If you don't get the hell out of here, I'm going to shoot you myself."
War is hell.
Though clearly written for the 164th and their families, it should not be overlooked by anyone with a historical interest in WWII. Painstakingly researched by the author, including numerous interviews with survivors, it does a fine job in describing the events between the invasion of Guadalcanal until the eventual surrender.
My grandfather (Carl) and his little brother (John) both served in the 164th. At the time he was drafted, my grandfather was nearly 28 and his brother was 21. As with nearly all participants in the greatest of wars, he never discussed his experience (thanks to this book, I now know that he spent his 29th birthday at the Matanikau). At the time I was growing up in rural North Dakota, nearly all the old timers in my town were veterans and only one ("Butch") ever spoke of the war in my presence. He told me that when my grandfather was to be sent home, he refused to go, saying, "I'm not leaving without John!" To which he was told by Butch, "If you don't get the hell out of here, I'm going to shoot you myself."
War is hell.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews