​For most U.S. Army units their organization's "colors" are something akin to sacred. The flags, which denote what type of unit they represent, are usually bedecked with streamers denoting campaign participation. Some units have long lineages dating back to the Civil War, with one such unit being the 2nd Engineer Battalion. The 2nd Engineer Battalion, formed in 1861, has been in active service for 156 out of the following 159 years. By 1950 it had participated in the Civl War, Philippine Insurrection, the Punitive Expedition, WW1, and WW2, earning 25 combat streamers in all.

​As part of the 2nd Infantry Division, the 2nd Engineers received orders to act as a rear guard and hold off the Chinese assault long enough for the rest of the division to escape. While they were successful in their actions, it doomed the battalion to destruction. When it became apparent their escape route was cut off the Battalion Commander ordered the colors burned in order to prevent them falling into Chinese hands. Along with this he ordered the destruction of all the engineering equipment and vehicles, and the remaining Soldiers attempted to make it back to friendly lines. When the remnants of the battalion regrouped after the battle they were at 27% strength, with only one commissioned officer present -- over 3/4 of the battalion's 977 men had been killed or captured.

While some modern writers seek to show Japan as a nation on the brink of surrender even before the atomic bombings, the more established historical record gleaned post-war from members of the Japanese government appears to indicate otherwise. Even after the devastating attacks against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet entry into the Pacific theater, there were strong and persuasive voices in the cabinet advocating for a continuation of the fight unless the Allies agreed to MUCH more lenient surrender terms -- even if such resistance led to the extermination of the Japanese people. It was only the extraordinary intervention by the Emperor -- who traditionally reigned but did not rule -- that settled the matter in favor of surrender, causing the anti-surrender cabinet officials to capitulate.

​The anti-surrender cabinet officials were not alone however, as large swaths of junior officers in the rank-and-file military were prepared to continue doing battle until their last breath. A small group, led by Major Kenji Hatanaka, sought to scuttle the surrender by seizing the Imperial Palace and preventing the broadcast of his address announcing the surrender to the people. On the night of August 14th the members of this coup surrounded the palace and attempted to find the surrender recording while a separate group went to assassinate the Prime Minister. Ultimately the coup was unsuccessful, largely due to senior Army officers who refused to go along with the plotters and accepted the Emperor's final word on the matter.

​What they would not do however is chase Pancho Villa. As the pictured poem, written by a Private in an adjacent regiment, complains: 

We came here to fight the [Mexicans] 
But we haven't got the chance
Only to belly drill in the sand
And get cactus in our pants

​While they couldn't claim any glory for bringing Pancho Villa to justice (something the active Army was also unable to achieve) what they got instead was training and preparation for the upcoming US entry into WW1. While on Federal border duty they trained and became accustomed to active Army life, part of which included rifle practice and maintenance.

​What happened with this rifle post Pancho Villa can only be conjecture based upon the markings. The rifle, originally produced in 1907, has obviously gone through multiple arsenal overhauls. The metal bears a dark parkerized finish, much different than the original high polish bluing the men of the Ohio National Guard would have been familiar with.

The stock has a couple of rebuild marks, with the most prominent (and presumably latest) being a BA-W denoting Benicia Arsenal in California (missing the L in BA-WL). The barrel is a Springfield armory replacement barrel produced in February of 1942 featuring the characteristic flat crown of that year -- making it look rather crude. It also lacks the addition of a left-side gas escape hole. ​All of these features make it plausible that it was sent to Benicia Arsenal sometime after the US entry into the war (and obviously sometime after Feb '42) for a rushed reconditioning. Being on the West coast for repair means it would then likely have been earmarked for a Soldier, Sailor, or Marine operating in the Pacific Theater or some stateside duty out West.