Authorized by the North Dakota 48th Legislative Assembly to honor members of the 164th Infantry Regiment, North Dakota Army National Guard, the 164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division was the first U.S. Army unit to take offensive action against the enemy in either theatre of operation during World War II on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, when it reinforced the 1st Marine Division on 13 October 1942. Men of the regiment received the U.S. Navy Presidential Unit Citation for their part in the battle of Henderson Field on 23-26 October 1942. The 164th spent nearly 600 days in combat and suffered 325 killed in action and 1193 wounded. Its soldiers earned 1 Navy Cross, 6 Distinguished Service Crosses, 89 Silver Stars, 199 Bronze Stars, 7 Legions of Merit, 10 Soldier's Medals, and approximately 2000 Purple Hearts, and the regiment also received the Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation. Its lineage reaches back to 1885, when it was organized as the First Dakota Infantry. It was mustered on 20 May 1898 as the First North Dakota Volunteer Infantry for the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection, called into federal service on 18 June 1916 for duty on the Mexican Border, and redesignated the 164th Infantry Regiment on 4 October 1917 for assignment to the 41st Division in World War I as a replacement division in the European Theatre of Operations. During 1941-1945 it served in World War II, and on 16 January 1951 it was ordered to federal service for the Korean War and assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama, as a training regiment, with individuals transferred to other units for service in the Korean Theatre of Operations. In 1955 it was disbanded and reorganized into engineer units. Its campaign credits included Manila in the War with Spain; Manila, Laguna de Bay, and San Isidro in the Philippine Insurrection; service in World War I; and Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons, Leyte, and Southern Philippines in World War II. The regiment was assigned to the 41st Infantry Division during World War I, wore the 34th Infantry Division patch before World War II until divisions were reorganized on 8 December 1941, served in the Americal Division organized in 1942 in New Caledonia and later retitled the 23rd Division, and was among units attached to the 1st Marine Division that were authorized to wear the Marine Guadalcanal patch. In 1946 the 47th Infantry Division was officially organized in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, and by late January 1951 many of its men were at Camp Rucker, Alabama, training new draftees before the division was split up and many went to Korea. The North Dakota shoulder sleeve insignia used infantry blue, symbols from the Great Seal of the State of North Dakota, and colors representing artillery, engineers, quartermaster, and cavalry, reflecting the history of the territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase.