Original Item: Only One Available. Constituted on 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as the 89th Field Artillery Regiment. Re-designated as the 89th Field Artillery Battalion and assigned to 25th Division. The 89th was activated at Schofield Barracks on 1 October 1941 and equipped with 105 mm howitzers.

The 89th FA came under fire during the Japanese attack on Hawaii 7 December 1941 suffering one soldier killed in action.

Upon the assignment of the 161st Infantry to the 25th and in preparation for deployment to Guadalcanal, the 89th was paired with the 161st to form the 161st Regimental Combat Team. The 161st RCT arrived on Guadalcanal on 4 January 1943.

The first action for the 161st RCT was the elimination of Japanese forces in what was known as the Mantanikau River Pocket. The fires of the 89th FA were instrumental in the 161st Infantry’s elimination of the holdout Japanese force. In the second phase of the Guadalcanal campaign the 161st RCT was placed under control of the XIV Corps and designated to lead the attack to destroy the remaining Japanese forces on the island. Encountering light resistance, the 161st RCT cleared the northern part of the island and by 9 February linked up with the Americal Division to end all Japanese presence on Guadalcanal. In July 1943, the 161st RCT participated in savage fighting on the island of New Georgia against dug in Japanese forces, which required pinpoint accurate artillery fire from the 89th as the 161st Infantry destroyed the Japanese pillboxes one-by-one.

In the Luzon campaign the 161st RCT saw fierce fighting in clearing the Lingayen Plain of Japanese forces and opening the way to Manila. Turning north, the 161st RCT along with the rest of the 25th Division assaulted strong Japanese forces dug into the mountains of northern Luzon. In brutal mountain fighting the 89th FA supporting fires greatly aided the infantry as they cleared the Japanese from Balete pass and Highway 5. For its service in liberating Luzon the 89th received the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

After the Japanese surrender the 161st RCT undertook occupation duties on the island of Honshu. The close relationship between the 161st and the 89th came to an end on 1 November 1945 when the 161st was inactivated.

The 89th became the direct support battalion for the 4th Infantry Regiment which replaced the 161st. On 15 December 1946 the 89th FA was inactivated. It was reactivated on 2 March 1951 as an airborne field artillery battalion and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division. The 89th was inactivated on 1 March 1957 in Germany.

The guidon came to us from the American Armored Foundation, Inc. Tank and Ordnance Memorial Museum. The AAF Tank Museum was a living memorial dedicated to the Tank and Cavalry soldiers of the world. Before 1981 some of the artifacts that make up the AAF Tank Museum was a private collection belonging to Mr. William Gasser. Mr. Gasser felt that his collection would be beneficial in educating present and future generations to the sacrifices made and the technologies gained during war. Therefore, in 1981 the AAF Tank Museum was established as a non-profit charitable organization, and Mr. Gasser donated his private collection to the Tank Museum. Mr. Gasser is still active as Volunteer Director and Curator of the Tank Museum and his knowledge of military history has been a great asset to the museum. Unfortunately after 20 years of operation it had to close its doors, which is when this framed guidon was acquired.

The guidon itself measures approximately 19 ½" in hoist by 29" in fly, and the frame is 34 ½"W x 26 ½"H, making it an impressive display piece. There is tearing present in the material as seen in the photographs.

Overall a very nice display piece that comes more than ready for be added to your collections.