Unlike the European focus of the film, the actual 69th (still designated the 165th Infantry) was diverted to the Pacific Theater in WWII. traded wool coats for jungle fatigues, fighting in the brutal campaign for the Solomon Islands, including the hellish battle of Guadalcanal.
This is the story of the 69th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard—how a band of Irish immigrants became one of the most decorated and beloved units in United States Army history. the fighting 69th
By October 1851, these independent companies consolidated into the . Their goals were twofold: Demonstrate fierce patriotism to their adopted homeland. Unlike the European focus of the film, the
Every year on March 17th, leads the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade up Fifth Avenue. They are the only military unit authorized to march in step (others must walk casually). Before the parade, they hold a solemn mass and breakfast at the armory. Patrick’s Day Parade up Fifth Avenue
Father Duffy is perhaps the most beloved figure in the regiment's history. A small, bespectacled priest, Duffy was a constant presence on the front lines. He administered last rites, wrote letters home
The regiment was among the first military units to respond to Ground Zero on September 11, 2001, and later deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. Notable Figures Service in New York's 'Fighting 69th' is a family tradition