In late 1941, there was a massive build-up in the Philippines, in hopes of deterring Japan from launching an attack. General Macarthur wanted a U.S. infantry division to beef up his forces and the 41st, a newly Federalized unit made up of soldiers from the Northwest and the Dakotas, was suggested.

After some discussion, the request was reduced to the 161st Infantry Regiment, made up of men from (most) Washington State and headquartered in Spokane (my home town). The 161st was selected and supposed to ship out about Christmas, 1941. Obviously, with the attack on Pearl Harbor and the cutting off of the Philippines, the unit never got sent.

A couple of other National Guard units, the 200th Coast Artillery (mostly from New Mexico) and the 192nd and 194th Tank Battalions (from various states) were sent earlier. In many cases, less than half returned from Japanese prison camps.

I had some friends who served with the 161st (which was later attached to the 25th ID). I always wonder how many of my friends would not have been born, had the 161st been sent to the Philippines. Spokane would have had a lot of widows and orphans.

Unfortunately, such a small an element of troops would not have made that much difference in the overall conduct of that campaign and as a result, another good U.S. Army Regiment of Infantry would have gone behind the wire in a Luzon, Japanese POW cage.