U.S. 6th Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 6th Infantry Regiment (“Regulars” ) was formed in 1812. Its most famous commander was Zachary Taylor
, later the twelfth President of the United States. The Motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa
, in which British general Riall noticed that the approaching regiment had on the uniforms of militia, which the British had defeated at Queenstown Heights. Instead, the Americans pressed the attack. Riall is assumed to have said. "Those are Regulars, By God!" (though the only source of this was opposing U.S. general Winfield Scott
).
, Task Force Eagle, which was charged with implementing the military aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina
. In January 1994, the 1st Battalion, Sixth Infantry deployed to Macedonia
for Operation Able Sentry as part of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force. In May 1998, Bravo Company was deployed again to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Joint Forge (OJE/OJF). In 2001 elements were deployed again to Macedonia and Kosovo
. In March 2003, Charlie Company 2nd Battalion deployed with 5th Corps HQ to Kuwait
and participated in the initial invasion of Iraq
. The rest of the 2nd Battalion and 1st Battalion deployed to Iraq
in late April 2003 as part of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. The "Regulars" arrived in Baghdad
in May 2003, and were the first to relieve elements of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad. The 1st & 2nd Battalions deployed again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2005 and April 2008. The 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn from May 2009 to May 2010.
, the Mexican–American War
, the American Civil War
, the Indian Wars
(1823–1879), the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War (1899–1913), the Pancho Villa Expedition
(1916–1917) World War I
, World War II
and the Vietnam War
. The unit was also a part of the Implementation Force (“IFOR
”) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
. Elements of the regiment were deployed to the Republic of Macedonia
in August 1997. Elements deployed to Kosovo
and Macedonia in 2001. Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-
The regiment is currently stationed in Fort Bliss
, Texas
, as part of the 2nd brigade of the 1st Armored Division
.
Constituted 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as the 11th Infantry Regiment.
Organized March–May 1812 in Vermont
, New Hampshire
, and Connecticut
.
Consolidated May–October 1815 with the 25th Infantry (constituted 26 June 1812) and the 27th, 29th, and 37th Infantry (all constituted 29 January 1813) to form the 6th Infantry Regiment.
Consolidated 1 May 1869 with the 42d Infantry Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps
(constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated as the 6th Infantry Regiment.
Narrative
The present 6th United States Infantry traces its lineage back to 11 January 1812, when the Congress authorized a strengthening of the regular Army in preparation for the threatening conflict that became known as the War of 1812
. The unit was first known as the 11th Infantry Regiment and served as such on the Canadian border throughout the War of 1812.
In 1831 and 1832, the regiment entered the series of actions to be known as the Black Hawk War
, against the Sac and Fox
Indians. On 2 August 1832, the 6th Infantry caught the Indians at the junction of the Bad Axe River
with the Mississippi River
(in present-day Wisconsin
), and killed most of Black Hawk's band
(records say that 950 Sac were massacred), earning the campaign streamer BLACK HAWK. In 1837, the units of the regiment left Jefferson Barracks, Missouri
, for Florida
via Louisiana
. As part of a force commanded by Colonel Zachary Taylor, the regiment entered the Second Seminole War
in eastern Florida in 1837. It was the first "guerrilla-style" war fought by US troops.
At the outset of the Civil War
in April 1861, the regiment was directed to hurry eastward from northwest California
(Fort Humboldt) and join the Federal forces. According to one biographer of the time, "Several of the Regiment's best and bravest officers, honest in the mistaken construction of the Constitution and true to their convictions as to their duty, had tendered their resignations and given themselves to the Confederate cause." One of those officers was the regimental commander, Major Lewis Armistead. During the Civil War, the 6th U.S. Infantry Regiment lost during service 2 officers and 29 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 43 enlisted men by disease. Total lost: 75.
For six years after the Civil War, the regiment served at various stations in Georgia
and South Carolina
. It moved to Fort Hays
, Kansas
, in October 1871. For the next several years, the regiment saw duty on the frontier in Kansas, Colorado
, the Dakotas
, Iowa
, Wyoming
, Idaho
and Utah
. In 1872, the regiment was in the Dakota Territory, fighting many engagements against hostile Indian forces. In 1872 and 1873, the regiment earned campaign streamers NORTH DAKOTA 1872 and NORTH DAKOTA 1873. The next several years saw much action for the regiment during the Indian Wars, and they were awarded campaign streamers MONTANA 1879, LITTLE BIG HORN, CHEYENNES, and UTES.
In 1880, the regiment moved to Fort Thomas, Kentucky
, where it remained until called to action again in June 1898, in the Spanish–American War. On 1 July 1898, the 6th Regiment took the brunt of the fighting during the charge up San Juan Hill
, but carried its standard high and bravely, and always forward, and won the battle.
The regiment sailed, in late July 1898, to the Philippines
to help quell the insurgents in the Philippine–American War. The Moro tribe was one of the toughest enemies the 6th had ever faced—every one of them fought to the death, and preferred to do it in hand-to-hand style. The regiment fought over fifty engagements, and it left with campaign streamers for JOLO, NEGROS in 1899, and PANAY in 1900. In March 1905, the regiment returned to the Philippines to do battle with the Moros
again. For three days in 1906, elements of the regiment fought in the First Battle of Bud Dajo
, one of the fiercest conflicts of the entire island campaign. The successful ending to the battle broke the Moro strength and ended the fighting in that part of the island.
One 6th Infantry soldier received the Medal of Honor
for service in the Philippines:
Following service in the Philippines, the 6th returned to the Presidio of San Francisco
, California. In May 1914, it entered into service on the Mexican border. In March 1916, it proceeded to San Antonio, Chihuahua, as part of the Punitive Expedition
under Brigadier General John J. Pershing
. In February 1917, Pershing's force withdrew from Mexico and the regiment moved to Fort Bliss
. Because of their action, the regiment was awarded another campaign streamer - MEXICO 1916-1917.
Assigned 18 November 1917 to the 5th Division
Narrative
In December 1917, the 6th Regiment was assigned to the 10th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division, and began training stateside. In the latter part of May 1917, the 6th Infantry Regiment was declared ready for introduction to combat and was placed at the disposal of the French
for service at the front. In July 1918, a strategic offensive plan was agreed upon by the Allied
commanders, the immediate purpose of which was to reduce the salients which interfered with further offensive operations. One of these was the Saint-Mihiel
salient. The First U.S. Army was organized on 10 August and directed to launch an offensive on 12 September to reduce this salient. The 6th Regiment was destined to play an important role in this operation. On 1 December 1918 the 6th Regiment conducted a march from Luxembourg
to the city of Trier
, Germany, becoming the first American troops to enter that ancient city.
Relieved in August 1921 from assignment to the 5th Division
Assigned 24 March 1923 to the 6th Division
Relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 6th Division
Reorganized 15 July 1940 as the 6th Infantry Regiment (Armored) and assigned to the 1st Armored Division
Redesignated 1 January 1942 as the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment
Narrative
Between World War I and World War II, the regiment returned to the United States, where they continued to train to become one of the best regiments in the Army. In 1936, they were designated a mechanized
unit by the War Department.
In February 1941, the regiment was stationed at Fort Knox
, Kentucky, conducting routine training and activities under the command of Col. Harry B. Crea. In April, the regiment began supplying cadre for the 51st Infantry Regiment
of the 4th Armored Division, which was to be stationed at Pine Camp
, New York. In May, the regiment continued to get replacements and conduct routine training. The regiment consisted of a regimental headquarters, an antitank company, the regimental band, and two battalions - each with a headquarters company and four line companies. In August, the regiment moved to Louisiana to conduct maneuvers
, then returned to Fort Knox in November. A few weeks later, on 7 December, war was declared; soldiers awaiting release were returned to their barracks.
, on 8 April 1942, for a departure to Ireland
on 31 May from the Port of New York
. They arrived on 11 June and then prepared for their entry into North Africa
. They landed on North Africa on 21 December 1942, and landed in Italy
on 28 October 1943. The regiment remained there until it was reorganized on 20 July 1944 and its elements were redesignated as elements of the 1st Armored Division as follows:
One soldier of the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment and its successor battalions received the Medal of Honor for service during World War II;
After the war, the above units underwent changes as follows:
6th Infantry activated 16 October 1950 in Germany.
Reorganized 1 June 1958 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
Withdrawn 16 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.
Narrative
In October 1950 the 6th Infantry was reconstituted as a regular infantry regiment forming the U.S. garrison in West Berlin
, designated as Berlin Command. The existing garrison units, the 16th Constabulary
Squadron and the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry
, were reflagged as the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 6th Infantry. The 2nd Battalion was assembled from troops in West Germany
.
In 1958 Berlin Command was reorganized as a Pentomic
unit. The 6th Regiment was reorganized as the 2nd and 3rd Battle Groups, 6th Infantry. The 1st Battalion (1st Battle Group) was changed to 1st Armored Rifle Battalion. On 1 December 1961 the occupation forces were designated Berlin Brigade
. In 1964, Berlin Brigade was reorganized again. 2nd and 3rd Battle Groups were redesignated 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 6th Infantry, and 4th Battalion was also formed from cadre of the two battle groups.
On 17 May 1967, the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry was reorganized as a standard Infantry Battalion and was assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, in the Americal (23rd Infantry) Division. The 1-6th Infantry was the division's first element ashore, arriving at Chu Lai
in October to participate in its thirty-fifth campaign and ninth war. After a brief initial operation south of Duc Pho
, the battalion was assigned the mission of securing the installation at Chu Lai.
1-6th Infantry participated in Task Force Oregon, Task Force Miracle, Operation Wheeler/Wallowa, Operation Burlington Trail, and had the mission of protecting Americal Division Headquarters and Chu Lai Defense Command from enemy ground mortar and rocket attacks. The 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry was awarded the Valorous Unit Citation for its victory at the battle of Lo Giang, 7–11 February 1968. Task Force Miracle was formed in February 1968 during the enemy's Tet offensive when the city of Da Nang
was threatened by the 60th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion. The 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry and 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry assisted the Marines in the fighting. After four days of fierce fighting, the threat to Da Nang was obliterated and the task force was deactivated and returned to the Americal area of operation. During the Vietnam War, the Sixth was awarded streamers - COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE III, TET COUNTEROFFENSIVE, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE IV, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE V, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE VI, TET 69 / COUNTEROFFENSIVE, SUMMER-FALL 1969, WINTER-SPRING 1970, SANCTUARY COUNTEROFFENSIVE, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE VII, and CONSOLIDATION I.
On 15 February 1969, the battalion was released from the 198th Light Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division, Americal Division. On 13 September 1972 was reassigned to the 1st Armored Division, and was posted at Stork Barracks in Illesheim
, West Germany.
In 1984, the regiment was split again, this time between Germany and the United States. The 1st Battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Illesheim, Germany. The three Berlin Brigade battalions were reflagged as the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions, 502nd Infantry. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk
, Louisiana, where elements participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama
in 1989, earning campaign streamer - PANAMA, and the Valorous Unit Award for Panama. In 1989, the unit also received the Army Superior Unit Award. The 5th Battalion was assigned to the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division. The 6th Battalion and 7th Battalion were assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg
, Germany. In 1990, the 6th and 7th Battalions were called on to participate in the regiment's tenth war, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. During that war in the Persian Gulf, the regiment earned campaign streamers - DEFENSE OF SAUDI ARABIA, LIBERATION AND DEFENSE OF KUWAIT, and CEASE-FIRE, as well as Valorous Unit Citations for Iraq and Iraq-Kuwait.
In 1993, the 5th Infantry Division was deactivated, and the 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions were re-flagged under the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood; the 1st Battalion moved from Illesheim
to Vilseck
, Germany, and came under the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; and the 6th and 7th Battalions were deactivated.
In 2009 the 4th Battalion, assigned to 4th HBCT, 1st Armored Division deployed in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. Following a successful deployment to Maysan Province the 4th Battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Award.
Mexican-American War:
Civil War:
Indian Wars:
Spanish-American War:
Philippine-American War:
Mexican Expedition:
World War I:
World War II:
Vietnam:
Armed Forces Expeditions:
Southwest Asia:
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
, later the twelfth President of the United States. The Motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa
Battle of Chippawa
The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
, in which British general Riall noticed that the approaching regiment had on the uniforms of militia, which the British had defeated at Queenstown Heights. Instead, the Americans pressed the attack. Riall is assumed to have said. "Those are Regulars, By God!" (though the only source of this was opposing U.S. general Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
).
Overview
The regiment has participated in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, Indian Wars from 1823 to 1879, the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. The 6th IR was also part of IFORIFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
, Task Force Eagle, which was charged with implementing the military aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. In January 1994, the 1st Battalion, Sixth Infantry deployed to Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
for Operation Able Sentry as part of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force. In May 1998, Bravo Company was deployed again to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Joint Forge (OJE/OJF). In 2001 elements were deployed again to Macedonia and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. In March 2003, Charlie Company 2nd Battalion deployed with 5th Corps HQ to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and participated in the initial invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. The rest of the 2nd Battalion and 1st Battalion deployed to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in late April 2003 as part of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. The "Regulars" arrived in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in May 2003, and were the first to relieve elements of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad. The 1st & 2nd Battalions deployed again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2005 and April 2008. The 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn from May 2009 to May 2010.
Engagements
The regiment fought in the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
(1823–1879), the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War (1899–1913), the Pancho Villa Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
(1916–1917) World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The unit was also a part of the Implementation Force (“IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
”) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. Elements of the regiment were deployed to the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
in August 1997. Elements deployed to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Macedonia in 2001. Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-
The regiment is currently stationed in Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, as part of the 2nd brigade of the 1st Armored Division
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
.
Pre-World War I
LineageConstituted 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as the 11th Infantry Regiment.
Organized March–May 1812 in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Consolidated May–October 1815 with the 25th Infantry (constituted 26 June 1812) and the 27th, 29th, and 37th Infantry (all constituted 29 January 1813) to form the 6th Infantry Regiment.
Consolidated 1 May 1869 with the 42d Infantry Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps
Veteran Reserve Corps
The Veteran Reserve Corps was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwised infirmed soldiers to perform light duty, freeing able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines.-The Invalid Corps:The corps was...
(constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated as the 6th Infantry Regiment.
Narrative
The present 6th United States Infantry traces its lineage back to 11 January 1812, when the Congress authorized a strengthening of the regular Army in preparation for the threatening conflict that became known as the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The unit was first known as the 11th Infantry Regiment and served as such on the Canadian border throughout the War of 1812.
In 1831 and 1832, the regiment entered the series of actions to be known as the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
, against the Sac and Fox
Meskwaki
The Meskwaki are a Native American people often known to outsiders as the Fox tribe. They have often been closely linked to the Sauk people. In their own language, the Meskwaki call themselves Meshkwahkihaki, which means "the Red-Earths." Historically their homelands were in the Great Lakes region...
Indians. On 2 August 1832, the 6th Infantry caught the Indians at the junction of the Bad Axe River
Bad Axe River
The Bad Axe River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin in the United States. "Bad axe" is a translation from the French, "la mauvaise hache", but the origin of the name is unknown. The river's mouth at the Mississippi was the site of the Battle of Bad Axe, an 1832 U.S...
with the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
(in present-day Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
), and killed most of Black Hawk's band
Battle of Bad Axe
The Battle of Bad Axe, also known as the Bad Axe Massacre, occurred 1–2 August 1832, between Sauk and Fox Indians and United States Army regulars and militia. This final battle of the Black Hawk War took place near present-day Victory, Wisconsin in the United States...
(records say that 950 Sac were massacred), earning the campaign streamer BLACK HAWK. In 1837, the units of the regiment left Jefferson Barracks, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, for Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
via Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. As part of a force commanded by Colonel Zachary Taylor, the regiment entered the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
in eastern Florida in 1837. It was the first "guerrilla-style" war fought by US troops.
At the outset of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in April 1861, the regiment was directed to hurry eastward from northwest California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(Fort Humboldt) and join the Federal forces. According to one biographer of the time, "Several of the Regiment's best and bravest officers, honest in the mistaken construction of the Constitution and true to their convictions as to their duty, had tendered their resignations and given themselves to the Confederate cause." One of those officers was the regimental commander, Major Lewis Armistead. During the Civil War, the 6th U.S. Infantry Regiment lost during service 2 officers and 29 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 43 enlisted men by disease. Total lost: 75.
For six years after the Civil War, the regiment served at various stations in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It moved to Fort Hays
Fort Hays
Fort Hays was an important frontier outpost of the United States Army located in Hays, Kansas between 1865 and 1889. Fort Hays was the home of several well-known Indian wars regiments including the Seventh U.S. Cavalry, the Fifth U.S. Infantry, and the Tenth U.S. Cavalry, whose black troopers were...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, in October 1871. For the next several years, the regiment saw duty on the frontier in Kansas, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, the Dakotas
The Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term that refers to the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota together. The term has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is continued to be used to describe the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, the economy, and...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. In 1872, the regiment was in the Dakota Territory, fighting many engagements against hostile Indian forces. In 1872 and 1873, the regiment earned campaign streamers NORTH DAKOTA 1872 and NORTH DAKOTA 1873. The next several years saw much action for the regiment during the Indian Wars, and they were awarded campaign streamers MONTANA 1879, LITTLE BIG HORN, CHEYENNES, and UTES.
In 1880, the regiment moved to Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Fort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campbell County and it is officially part of the Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan...
, where it remained until called to action again in June 1898, in the Spanish–American War. On 1 July 1898, the 6th Regiment took the brunt of the fighting during the charge up San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
, but carried its standard high and bravely, and always forward, and won the battle.
The regiment sailed, in late July 1898, to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to help quell the insurgents in the Philippine–American War. The Moro tribe was one of the toughest enemies the 6th had ever faced—every one of them fought to the death, and preferred to do it in hand-to-hand style. The regiment fought over fifty engagements, and it left with campaign streamers for JOLO, NEGROS in 1899, and PANAY in 1900. In March 1905, the regiment returned to the Philippines to do battle with the Moros
Moro Rebellion
The Moro Rebellion was an armed military conflict between Moro revolutionary groups in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan and the United States military which took place in the Philippines as early as between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898...
again. For three days in 1906, elements of the regiment fought in the First Battle of Bud Dajo
First Battle of Bud Dajo
The First Battle of Bud Dajo, also known as the Battle of Mt. Dajo, was a counter insurgency action fought by the United States Army against native Moros in March 1906, during the Moro Rebellion phase of the Philippine-American War...
, one of the fiercest conflicts of the entire island campaign. The successful ending to the battle broke the Moro strength and ended the fighting in that part of the island.
One 6th Infantry soldier received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for service in the Philippines:
- Captain Bernard A. ByrneBernard A. ByrneBernard Albert Byrne was a United States Army Captain received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippine–American War. He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.-Early career:...
, 19 July 1899, Bobong, Negros
Following service in the Philippines, the 6th returned to the Presidio of San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, California. In May 1914, it entered into service on the Mexican border. In March 1916, it proceeded to San Antonio, Chihuahua, as part of the Punitive Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
under Brigadier General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
. In February 1917, Pershing's force withdrew from Mexico and the regiment moved to Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
. Because of their action, the regiment was awarded another campaign streamer - MEXICO 1916-1917.
World War I
LineageAssigned 18 November 1917 to the 5th Division
Narrative
In December 1917, the 6th Regiment was assigned to the 10th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division, and began training stateside. In the latter part of May 1917, the 6th Infantry Regiment was declared ready for introduction to combat and was placed at the disposal of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for service at the front. In July 1918, a strategic offensive plan was agreed upon by the Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
commanders, the immediate purpose of which was to reduce the salients which interfered with further offensive operations. One of these was the Saint-Mihiel
Saint-Mihiel
Saint-Mihiel is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-History:Saint-Mihiel was captured by the Germans in the first year of World War I, and was re-captured during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel from 12 September to 19 September 1918, during World War...
salient. The First U.S. Army was organized on 10 August and directed to launch an offensive on 12 September to reduce this salient. The 6th Regiment was destined to play an important role in this operation. On 1 December 1918 the 6th Regiment conducted a march from Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
to the city of Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, Germany, becoming the first American troops to enter that ancient city.
Inter-war period
LineageRelieved in August 1921 from assignment to the 5th Division
Assigned 24 March 1923 to the 6th Division
Relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 6th Division
Reorganized 15 July 1940 as the 6th Infantry Regiment (Armored) and assigned to the 1st Armored Division
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
Redesignated 1 January 1942 as the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment
Narrative
Between World War I and World War II, the regiment returned to the United States, where they continued to train to become one of the best regiments in the Army. In 1936, they were designated a mechanized
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
unit by the War Department.
In February 1941, the regiment was stationed at Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
, Kentucky, conducting routine training and activities under the command of Col. Harry B. Crea. In April, the regiment began supplying cadre for the 51st Infantry Regiment
51st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 51st Infantry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1917.-History:Company F is currently serving as the anti-tank element of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. Company F is operating the M1134 Anti-Tank variant of the basic Stryker system...
of the 4th Armored Division, which was to be stationed at Pine Camp
Fort Drum
Fort Drum is a United States Army base in New York near the Canadian border.Fort Drum may also refer to:*Fort Drum, Florida, a nearly-uninhabited town in the United States*Fort Drum , Philippines...
, New York. In May, the regiment continued to get replacements and conduct routine training. The regiment consisted of a regimental headquarters, an antitank company, the regimental band, and two battalions - each with a headquarters company and four line companies. In August, the regiment moved to Louisiana to conduct maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...
, then returned to Fort Knox in November. A few weeks later, on 7 December, war was declared; soldiers awaiting release were returned to their barracks.
World War II
The 6th staged at Fort Dix, New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on 8 April 1942, for a departure to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on 31 May from the Port of New York
Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port of New York and New Jersey comprises the waterways in the estuary of the New York-Newark metropolitan area with a port district encompassing an approximate area within a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument...
. They arrived on 11 June and then prepared for their entry into North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. They landed on North Africa on 21 December 1942, and landed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on 28 October 1943. The regiment remained there until it was reorganized on 20 July 1944 and its elements were redesignated as elements of the 1st Armored Division as follows:
- 6th Armored Infantry Regiment (less 2d and 3d Battalions) as the 6th Armored Infantry Battalion
- 2d Battalion as the 11th Armored Infantry Battalion
- 3d Battalion as the 14th Armored Infantry Battalion
One soldier of the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment and its successor battalions received the Medal of Honor for service during World War II;
- Private Nicholas MinueNicholas MinueNicholas Minue received the Medal of Honor for military service on behalf of the United States of America in World War II. He received this recognition for charging a group of German soldiers that had a machine-gun position near Medjez El Bab, Tunisia...
, Company A, 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, 28 April 1943, near Medjez el Bab, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
(posthumous)
After the war, the above units underwent changes as follows:
- 6th Armored Infantry Battalion converted and redesignated 1 May 1946 as the 12th ConstabularyUnited States ConstabularyThe United States Constabulary was a United States Army military Constabulary force. From 1946 to 1952, in the aftermath of World War II, it acted as an occupation and security force in the U.S...
Squadron; concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 1st ConstabularyUnited States ConstabularyThe United States Constabulary was a United States Army military Constabulary force. From 1946 to 1952, in the aftermath of World War II, it acted as an occupation and security force in the U.S...
Regiment. Inactivated 20 September 1947 in Germany. Converted and redesignated 10 October 1950 as the 6th Infantry (less 2d and 3d Battalions) and relieved from assignment to the 1st Constabulary Regiment - 11th Armored Infantry Battalion converted and redesignated 1 May 1946 as the 11th Constabulary Squadron; concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 1st Constabulary Regiment. Inactivated 20 September 1947 in Germany Converted and redesignated 7 April 1949 as the 11th Armored Infantry Battalion and relieved from assignment the 1st Constabulary Regiment. Redesignated 10 October 1950 as the 2d Battalion, 6th Infantry
- 14th Armored Infantry Battalion converted and redesignated 1 May 1946 as the 14th Constabulary Squadron; concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 15th Constabulary Regiment. Inactivated 20 December 1948 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 15th Constabulary Regiment; concurrently converted and redesignated as the 14th Armored Infantry Battalion and assigned to the 1st Armored Division Redesignated 10 December 1950 as the 3d Battalion, 6th Infantry, and relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division
Post World War II
Lineage6th Infantry activated 16 October 1950 in Germany.
Reorganized 1 June 1958 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
Withdrawn 16 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.
Narrative
In October 1950 the 6th Infantry was reconstituted as a regular infantry regiment forming the U.S. garrison in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, designated as Berlin Command. The existing garrison units, the 16th Constabulary
United States Constabulary
The United States Constabulary was a United States Army military Constabulary force. From 1946 to 1952, in the aftermath of World War II, it acted as an occupation and security force in the U.S...
Squadron and the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry
16th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-Formation:The 34th Infantry Regiment and 11th Infantry Regiment consolidated into the 16th Infantry Regiment on 3 March 1869. The 11th Infantry's history prior to the consolidation is normally included with the 16th's.-U.S...
, were reflagged as the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 6th Infantry. The 2nd Battalion was assembled from troops in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
In 1958 Berlin Command was reorganized as a Pentomic
Pentomic
Pentomic refers to a structure for infantry divisions adopted by the U.S. Army in 1957 in response to the perceived threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons use on the battlefield....
unit. The 6th Regiment was reorganized as the 2nd and 3rd Battle Groups, 6th Infantry. The 1st Battalion (1st Battle Group) was changed to 1st Armored Rifle Battalion. On 1 December 1961 the occupation forces were designated Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
. In 1964, Berlin Brigade was reorganized again. 2nd and 3rd Battle Groups were redesignated 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 6th Infantry, and 4th Battalion was also formed from cadre of the two battle groups.
On 17 May 1967, the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry was reorganized as a standard Infantry Battalion and was assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, in the Americal (23rd Infantry) Division. The 1-6th Infantry was the division's first element ashore, arriving at Chu Lai
Chu Lai
Chu Lai is a sea port, urban and industrial area in Dung Quat Bay, Núi Thành district, Quang Nam province of Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai Airport.-Vietnam War:...
in October to participate in its thirty-fifth campaign and ninth war. After a brief initial operation south of Duc Pho
Duc Pho
Đức Phổ is a rural district of Quang Ngai province in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 150,566. The district covers an area of 372 km². The district capital lies at Duc Pho.-References:...
, the battalion was assigned the mission of securing the installation at Chu Lai.
1-6th Infantry participated in Task Force Oregon, Task Force Miracle, Operation Wheeler/Wallowa, Operation Burlington Trail, and had the mission of protecting Americal Division Headquarters and Chu Lai Defense Command from enemy ground mortar and rocket attacks. The 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry was awarded the Valorous Unit Citation for its victory at the battle of Lo Giang, 7–11 February 1968. Task Force Miracle was formed in February 1968 during the enemy's Tet offensive when the city of Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
was threatened by the 60th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion. The 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry and 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry assisted the Marines in the fighting. After four days of fierce fighting, the threat to Da Nang was obliterated and the task force was deactivated and returned to the Americal area of operation. During the Vietnam War, the Sixth was awarded streamers - COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE III, TET COUNTEROFFENSIVE, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE IV, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE V, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE VI, TET 69 / COUNTEROFFENSIVE, SUMMER-FALL 1969, WINTER-SPRING 1970, SANCTUARY COUNTEROFFENSIVE, COUNTEROFFENSIVE PHASE VII, and CONSOLIDATION I.
On 15 February 1969, the battalion was released from the 198th Light Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division, Americal Division. On 13 September 1972 was reassigned to the 1st Armored Division, and was posted at Stork Barracks in Illesheim
Illesheim
Illesheim, founded 1283 AD, is a municipality in the district of Neustadt -Bad Windsheim in Bavaria in Germany. The earliest leader affiliated with Illesheim's foundation was Götz von Berlichingen, known as "the Knight with the Iron Hand." Also known locally as "Illesa"...
, West Germany.
In 1984, the regiment was split again, this time between Germany and the United States. The 1st Battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Illesheim, Germany. The three Berlin Brigade battalions were reflagged as the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions, 502nd Infantry. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
, Louisiana, where elements participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 1989, earning campaign streamer - PANAMA, and the Valorous Unit Award for Panama. In 1989, the unit also received the Army Superior Unit Award. The 5th Battalion was assigned to the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division. The 6th Battalion and 7th Battalion were assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, Germany. In 1990, the 6th and 7th Battalions were called on to participate in the regiment's tenth war, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. During that war in the Persian Gulf, the regiment earned campaign streamers - DEFENSE OF SAUDI ARABIA, LIBERATION AND DEFENSE OF KUWAIT, and CEASE-FIRE, as well as Valorous Unit Citations for Iraq and Iraq-Kuwait.
In 1993, the 5th Infantry Division was deactivated, and the 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions were re-flagged under the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood; the 1st Battalion moved from Illesheim
Illesheim
Illesheim, founded 1283 AD, is a municipality in the district of Neustadt -Bad Windsheim in Bavaria in Germany. The earliest leader affiliated with Illesheim's foundation was Götz von Berlichingen, known as "the Knight with the Iron Hand." Also known locally as "Illesa"...
to Vilseck
Vilseck
Vilseck is a town in the Oberpfalz region of northeastern Bavaria, Germany situated on the river Vils, a tributary of the Naab river.The town is geographically separate from a nearby large American military base known as the Rose Barracks but more commonly referred to as Vilseck...
, Germany, and came under the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; and the 6th and 7th Battalions were deactivated.
In 2009 the 4th Battalion, assigned to 4th HBCT, 1st Armored Division deployed in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. Following a successful deployment to Maysan Province the 4th Battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Award.
Campaign Participation Credit
War of 1812:- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- ChippawaBattle of ChippawaThe Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
- Lundy's LaneBattle of Lundy's LaneThe Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
Mexican-American War:
- Vera Cruz
- Cerro GordoBattle of Cerro GordoThe Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
- ChurubuscoBattle of ChurubuscoThe Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. After defeating the Mexican army at Churubusco, the U.S. Army was only 5 miles away from Mexico City, the capital of the nation...
- Molino del ReyBattle of Molino del ReyThe Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
- ChapultepecBattle of ChapultepecThe Battle of Chapultepec, in September 1847, was a United States victory over Mexican forces holding Chapultepec Castle west of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War.-Background:On September 13, 1847, in the costly Battle of Molino del Rey, U.S...
Civil War:
- PeninsulaPeninsula CampaignThe Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
- ManassasSecond Battle of Bull RunThe Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
- AntietamBattle of AntietamThe Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
- FredericksburgBattle of FredericksburgThe Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
- ChancellorsvilleBattle of ChancellorsvilleThe Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
- GettysburgBattle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
- Virginia 1862
Indian Wars:
- SeminolesSecond Seminole WarThe Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
- Black HawkBlack Hawk WarThe Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
- Little Big HornBattle of the Little BighornThe Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
- Cheyennes
- UtesUte TribeThe Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
- South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
1823 - KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
1829 - NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
1855 - KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
1857 - North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
1872 - North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
1873 - MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
1879
Spanish-American War:
- SantiagoSantiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
Philippine-American War:
- JoloJoloJolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
- Negros 1899
- PanayPanayPanay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
1900
Mexican Expedition:
- Mexico 1916-1917Pancho Villa ExpeditionThe Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
World War I:
- St. MihielBattle of Saint-MihielThe Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
- Meuse-ArgonneMeuse-Argonne OffensiveThe Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
- Alsace 1918
- Lorraine 1918
World War II:
- Algeria-French MoroccoOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
(with arrowhead) - TunisiaTunisia CampaignThe Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
- Naples-FoggiaAllied invasion of ItalyThe Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
- AnzioOperation ShingleOperation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
- Rome-Arno
- North Apennines
- Po ValleyPo ValleyThe Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
Vietnam:
- Counteroffensive, Phase III
- Tet Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase IV
- Counteroffensive, Phase V
- Counteroffensive, Phase VI
- Tet 69/Counteroffensive
- Summer-Fall 1969
- Winter-Spring 1970
- Sanctuary Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase VII
- Consolidation I
Armed Forces Expeditions:
- PanamaUnited States invasion of PanamaThe United States Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W...
- Republic of Macedonia Able Sentry (1-6 INF) 1994
Southwest Asia:
- Defense of Saudi Arabia
- Liberation and Defense of KuwaitGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
- Cease-Fire
Decorations
- Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Army) for ORAN, ALGERIA - Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for MT. PORCHIA
- Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
for LO GIANG - Valorous Unit Award for PANAMA
- Valorous Unit Award for IRAQ
- Valorous Unit Award for IRAQ-KUWAIT
- Army Superior Unit Award(4-6th) Operation Nimrod Dancer for 1989
- Joint Meritorious Unit AwardJoint Meritorious Unit AwardThe Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...
(1-6 INF) for 1994 - Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Army) for Operation Iraqi Freedom - Meritorious Unit Award(2-6 INF, Company HHC,A,and C) OIF 08-09
- Meritorious Unit Award(4-6 INF) OIF 09-10