News Release: 6/23/2025

The Story of a National Guard Unit at the Forefront of the War in the Pacific during World War II

Superior, WI – June 23, 2025— The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is thrilled to welcome Mark Van Ells, author and professor of history from Queensborough Community College in New York, to speak on Thursday, July 17th, from 6:30-7:30 pm.

Red Arrow across the Pacific reveals the long-overdue story of the Thirty-Second “Red Arrow” Infantry Division and the crucial role it played for the Allied Forces in World War II. Discover how this National Guard unit with roots in the American Midwest became one the most effective—and most battle-tested—combat units in the Pacific, eventually logging more combat hours than any other US Army division during the war.

Far more than a traditional battle narrative, Red Arrow across the Pacific offers a cultural history of the Red Arrow’s wartime experience, from its mobilization in 1940, to its deployment across New Guinea, Australia, and the Philippines, to its postwar occupation of Japan. Drawing from letters, memoirs, and interviews, author Mark D. Van Ells lets the soldiers speak for themselves, describing in their own words the terror of combat, their impressions of foreign lands, the struggle to maintain their own humanity, and the many ways the war profoundly changed them. Nuanced and remarkably thorough, this book explores the dramatic evolution of the Thirty-Second Infantry Division and reveals how the story of the Red Arrow reflects the experience of the American GI during World War II.

Red Arrow across the Pacific was recently named a Bronze Winner in the 2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in the War & Military category.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mark D. Van Ells is a professor of history at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York and the author of the previous books; To Hear Only Thunder Again: America’s World War II Veterans Come Home and America and World War I: A Traveler’s Guide. His travel articles on historic sites have appeared in numerous periodicals, among them America in WWII, Military History, Naval History, Stars & Stripes and World War II.

Visit him at https://markdvanells.com/

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, July 17th
Time: 6:30-7:30 pm
Location: Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, 305 Harbor View Parkway, Superior, Wisconsin
Refreshments: Provided

For more information regarding this, and future speaker events contact:
Briana Fiandt
Richard I. Bong Veterans Historic Center
Director of Collections & Exhibits
Email: fiandt@bongcenter.org • Phone: 715-392-7151

About the Bong Center: The mission of the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is to bond veterans and the community in honor of the memory of America’s Ace of Aces, Major Richard Ira Bong.