158 AEF US 165th IR, 42nd "Rainbow" Division, 1918

The Fighting Irish: WWI American doughboys of the 165th Infantry Regiment

"Stretched over the whole country like a rainbow." Major Douglas MacArthur said it first, looking at the 42nd Division—National Guard units drawn from states that hadn't already formed their own divisions. He saw something poetic: an American fighting force that spanned the nation.

The Rainbow Division was born.

This WWI American infantry set depicts doughboys of the 42nd Division's most famous regiment: the 165th Infantry, the "Fighting Irish," whose colours traced back to the 69th New York Infantry of 1775.

Dressed for the Western Front

Our figures wear the authentic kit of American Expeditionary Forces infantrymen: greatcoats against the cold and mud of France, the iconic fatigue hats that came to symbolise U.S. troops in the Great War, and steel helmets tied to their backpacks.

Period accuracy extends to the smallest details. The officer shows rank only on his hat—front-line commanders learned to avoid the braided arm decorations that made them targets for enemy snipers.

264 days of combat

The Rainbow Division saw action in four major operations: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Saint-Mihiel, and the bloody Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Colonel MacArthur served as their Chief of Staff throughout.

The Fighting Irish legacy

The 165th Infantry Regiment counted remarkable men among its ranks:

• Lt. Col. William "Wild Bill" Donovan — Medal of Honor recipient who would later found the OSS

• Sgt. Joyce Kilmer — author of the poem "Trees"

• Father Francis Duffy — the regiment's beloved Catholic chaplain

A fitting tribute for collectors of WWI military figurines and American military history.