Stutsman County Courthouse Hosts 84th Anniversary WWII Tribute to 164th Infantry

Reenactors and living historians camped on the lawn of the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse at 504 3rd Ave. S.E. in Jamestown to stage an immersive World War II weekend honoring the 164th Infantry Regiment, drawing visitors Feb. 28 and March 1 for formation drills, rifle training and home-front interpretation. The program ran 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 28 and 9 a.m. to noon on March 1 and was free and open to the public, organizers said.

Inside the limestone courthouse, volunteers demonstrated close-order drill, military customs and courtesies and period rifle training while interpreters ate, marched and lived the routines of early 1940s soldiers. Brandon Delvo, identified by organizers as an outreach coordinator, said, “We are doing stuff no different than what they would have done in February 1941.” Reenactor Alec Stork described the approach to living history: “We’re still here wearing uniforms, we’re doing the things they would be doing, so we’re like living this lifestyle as it would have been, but we are still ourselves.”

The event roster included civilian interpreters highlighting home-front work by women and local communities, paperwork displays showing how the regiment prepared before 1942 and representatives from the Barnes County Museum showing Valley City’s wartime connections. Coca-Cola Bottling Company High Country donated an 8 oz. glass bottle for the first 100 guests, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota, which manages the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site, hosted the site program. For more information, organizers listed the contact phone 701-328-1883.

Organizers and local reporting framed the weekend around the 164th’s wartime significance. KFYR reported that on Oct. 13, 1942 the regiment landed on Guadalcanal as reinforcements for the 1st Marine Division and “became the first U.S. Army unit to offensively engage the enemy in World War II,” coming under fire within hours. Outreach coordinator Stephan Zacharias said the regiment’s departure to the South Pacific made them “the first Army unit of any kind to see action in WWII,” and he noted the urgency of preserving memories because “from the 164th, there’s nobody left to tell their stories.”

The living-history weekend doubled as a public-education and outreach effort. The newly formed 164th Infantry Remembrance Association, organized as a statewide 501(c)(3), described the Jamestown event as its first official living-history program. Casey Beck, president of the Remembrance Association, said the goal is “to honor these soldiers in a way that is truthful, respectful, and deeply human.” Delvo said the association is seeking donations to cover costs that often fall to participants and plans to expand programming across North Dakota in coordination with the North Dakota National Guard.

Publicity for the weekend varied on one technical detail: some materials and reports labeled the event an 84th anniversary commemoration while North Dakota Tourism and High Plains Reader promoted it as the 85th anniversary of the regiment’s WWII departure. Organizers also noted interest from social studies teachers who contacted the association on social media seeking ways to connect classrooms to the living-history program.

Organizers said the Remembrance Association aims to continue touring living-history programs statewide and to work with schools and veterans organizations to keep the 164th’s service and the home-front story visible for future generations.