129th Infantry Regiment WWII
The 129th Infantry traces its lineage to the 11th and 12th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiments, constituted on 16 April 1861 and organized as three-month units from volunteers in northern Illinois, excluding Chicago. The 12th Illinois was mustered into federal service at Springfield, Illinois on 25 April, while the 11th Illinois was mustered into federal service at Springfield on 30 April; the 12th Illinois was mustered out at Cairo, Illinois, on 25 July, while the 11th Illinois was mustered out at Cairo on 30 July. The two regiments were reorganized at Cairo on 31 July-1 August, and following three-year reenlistment service, were again mustered out on 10 July 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky (12th), and 14 July 1865 at Baton Rouge, Louisiana (11th)
The 129th Infantry Regiment was detached from the 33rd Infantry Division on 31 July 1943, sent as a garrison force to Espiritu Santo, and later assigned to the 37th Infantry Division on Bougainville during the Bougainville campaign on 13 November. The 129th Infantry Regiment participated during the Philippines campaign and was detached and attached to the 33rd Infantry Division between 26 March and 10 April 1945, before rejoining the 37th Infantry Division.
The 129th Infantry Regiment was an Illinois National Guard regiment federalized at Sycamore on March 5, 1941. It first belonged to the 33rd Division, but after deployment to Fiji it was attached to the 37th Division and formally assigned to it on July 31, 1943. Unlike the 145th and 148th, the 129th did not fight in the New Georgia phase. Its combat service with the 37th began on Bougainville, where it entered the perimeter in November 1943.
On Bougainville the regiment defended the Piva airfield perimeter during the long static phase of the Northern Solomons campaign. In March 1944 Japanese attacks struck the 37th Division line, including the 129th’s sector near the Piva approaches. A later general attack penetrated the regiment’s positions before being contained and destroyed. After months of patrols, perimeter work, and jungle defense, the regiment left Bougainville for Luzon.
The 129th landed with the division at Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945. In the Clark Field-Fort Stotsenburg operation it overran Fort Stotsenburg and Sapangbato, attacked the Top of the World hill mass, and helped clear the heights west of the airfield area. It then joined the drive on Manila. After the 148th opened the Pasig crossing, the 129th moved into the bridgehead and fought in the urban battle. During the assault on Intramuros it crossed in assault boats and attacked the Mint Building area as the division reduced the old walled city.
In late March the regiment was temporarily attached to the 33rd Division near Bauang, then returned for the drive on Baguio. It helped reopen Route 9 and took Mount Mirador before the fall of the city. In the final Luzon campaign, the 129th led the 37th Division north from Santa Fe, seized Aritao on June 5, and continued through the Cagayan Valley toward Tuguegarao and Aparri.