28th Infantry Regiment (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 28th Infantry Regiment


caption=28th Infantry Regiment coat of arms
dates=From:1901-02-01
To:1933-09-30
From:1940-10-10
To:1945-11-01
From:1950-08-17
2nd Bn. To:1963-02-01
2nd Bn. From:1964-01-13
2nd Bn. To:1970-04-15
2nd Bn. From:1973-08-31
1st Bn. To:1983-02-28
2nd Bn. To:1984-08-01
From:1987-02-27
2nd Bn. To:1994-09-30
2nd Bn. From:1996-09-16
To:2005-11-16
1st Bn. From:2006-01-16
2nd Bn From:2008-03-16
country= United States
allegiance= Regular Army
branch= United States Army
type= Infantry Regiment
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison=Grafenwoehr, Germany
garrison_label=
equipment=
equipment_label=
nickname=Black Lions
patron=
motto="Vincit amor patriae" (Love of Country Conquers).
colors=Blue and White
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
battles=Philippine Insurrection
World War I
World War II
*Battle of the Bulge
Vietnam War
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=
current_commander=
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief= Brigadier General (Ret.) James E. Shelton
ceremonial_chief_label=Honorary Commander
colonel_of_the_regiment=Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) John Terry
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=Honorary CSM
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Distinctive Unit Insignia
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=US Regiments
previous=27th Infantry Regiment
next=29th Infantry RegimentSince the establishment of the United States Army in 1775, three regiments have held the designation 28th Infantry Regiment. The first was a Provisional unit that was constituted on January 29, 1813 and served during The War of 1812. The second was a reorganization and redesignation of 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment on October 1, 1866 for the Indian Wars. This incarnation of the 28th Infantry Regiment lasted until March 15, 1869, when it was consolidated back into the 19th Infantry Regiment. The third version of the 28th Infantry Regiment is the one that has the permanent designation and history, and is the one this article is about.

History

The regiment first saw combat service from December 1901 to January 1904 during the Philippine Insurrection where the regiment was heavily involved in counter-guerilla operations. During the years 1906-1908, the regiment, minus one battalion, performed guard and police duty as part of the American forces of Cuban Occupation.

In 1913, the 28th Infantry was ordered to Texas to assist in guarding the Mexican border against raids by Pancho Villa. Following the entry of the US into World War I, the regiment was assigned on 1917-06-08 to the First Expeditionary Division which later became the First Infantry Division. On 1917-06-29 June 29, the men of Company K became the first American combat unit to set foot on European soil at St. Nazair, France.

The 28th Infantry again distinguished itself in combat during World War II as part of the 8th Infantry Division. After landing on Utah Beach on 1944-07-04, its first action was an attack to the south to establish a critical bridgehead over the Ay River so that armored divisions could launch a breakout and then attack into Brittany and Northern France. During its ten months of combat, the regiment played a major part in four allied campaigns - winning three Presidential Unit Citations embroidered Normandy, Bergstein and Stockheim. It captured over 115,000 prisoners of war and vast stores of enemy material.

In 1963, Operation Long Thrust VI deployed 1st Battle Group, 28th Infantry from Fort Riley, Kansas to West Germany from where it advanced through Communist East Germany to Berlin, "front line of the Cold War." 1st Battle Group Black Lions were present during President Kennedy's memorable "Ich bin ein Berliner" visit and returned to Fort Riley that year. In 1965, the 1st and 2nd Battalions were deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division. Early 1970 saw the end of the participation of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 28th Infantry in this war.

After almost 5 years of combat in South Vietnam, the colors of both battalions were re-deployed to Fort Riley. Two members of the 1st Battalion, 1LT Gary L. Miller of Co A and CPT Euripides Rubio of Headquarter and Headquarters Company (HHC) were awarded the Medal of Honor, both posthumously, for their heroism.

Lineage

*28th Infantry Regiment was Constituted in the Regular Army on 1901-02-02 as an expansion unit for service in the Philippines as follows::1st Battalion Constituted in the Regular Army as Company A, 28th Infantry Regiment.:2nd Battalion Constituted in the Regular Army as Company B, 28th Infantry Regiment.
*28th Infantry Regiment Organized at Vancouver Barracks, Washington as follows::1st Battalion Organized 1901-06-10.:2nd Battalion Organized 1901-06-17.
*Regiment Assigned 1917-06-08 to the 1st Expeditionary Division, which was later redesignated as the 1st Infantry Division.
*Regiment Inactivated 1933-09-30 at Fort Hayes, Ohio due to a budgetary Reduction In Force.
*Regiment relieved from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division 1939-10-16.
*Regiment Assigned 1940-06-22 to the 8th Infantry Division.
*Regiment Activated 1940-10-10 at Fort Niagara, New York.
*Regiment moved on 1940-12-02 to Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
*Regiment reorganized on 1942-04-09 as 28th Infantry Regiment (Motorized).
*Regiment participated in the September-November 1942 Tennessee Maneuvers.
*Regiment transferred to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri on 1942-11-28
*Regiment Staged at Camp Young, California for Deployment from San Francisco Port of Embarkation 1943-03-20, where the unit was stripped of its Motorized Assets, and redesignated as the 28th Infantry Retiment.
*Regiment’s deployment assignment was changed to the European Theater on 1943-05-01.
*Regiment moved from Camp Young to Camp Forest, Tennessee on 1943-08-17, where it re-trained for European service.
*Regiment Staged at Camp Kilmer on 1943-11-23.
*28th Infantry Regiment deployed from New York Port of Embarkation on 1943-12-05
*Arrived in England on 1942-12-16.
*Deployed forward to France on 1944-07-03.
*Regiment attached to 6th Armored Division from 1944-08-18.
*Regiment released from attachment to 6th Armored Division on 1944-08-21.
*Regiment crossed into Luxembourg on 1944-09-30.
*Regiment entered Germany on 1944-11-19.
*Regiment was Redeployed to Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation 1945-07-06 enroute to assignment to the Pacific Theater] .
*Regiment moved to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to begin training for invasion of Japanese Home Islands on 1945-07-09.
*Regiment was located at Fort Leonard Wood on 1945-08-14, which is when Japan agreed to surrender.
*Regiment Inactivated 1945-11-01 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
*Regiment Activated 1950-08-17 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
*Regiment Reorganized and redesignated 1957-08-01 as follows::HHC, 1st Battalion became Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battle Group, 28th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 8th Infantry Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated):HHC, 2nd Battalion became Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battle Group, 28th Infantry, relieved from assignment to the 8th Infantry Division, and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
*HHC, 2nd Battle Group Relieved 1958-12-26 from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division and assigned to the 24th Infantry Division
*HHC, 1st Battle Group Relieved 1959-05-01 from assignment to the 8th Infantry Division and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division
*HHC, 2nd Battle Group Inactivated 1963-02-01 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 24th Infantry Division
*HHC, 2nd Battle Group Redesignated 1963-10-23 as the HHC, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division.
*On 1964-01-13, The Regiment was affected at Fort Riley as follows::HHC, 1st Battle Group Reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment.:HHC, 2nd Battalion was Activated.
*The Regiment arrived in Vietnam as follows::2nd Battalion:1965-10-02:1st Battalion 1965-10-10
*Regiment returned from Vietnam on 1970-04-08.
*2nd Battalion Inactivated 1970-04-15 at Fort Riley, Kansas, and relieved from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division
*2nd Battalion Assigned 1973-02-21 to the 8th Infantry Division
*2nd Battalion Activated 1973-08-31 in Germany.
*HHC, 1st Battalion Inactivated 1983-02-28 at Fort Riley, Kansas, and relieved from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division
*2nd Battalion Inactivated 1984-08-01 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 8th Infantry Division
*Regimental and Battalion Headquarters reassigned 1987-02-27 to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and activated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
*HHC, 2nd Battalion Inactivated 1994-09-30 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
*HHC, 2nd Battalion Activated 1996-09-16 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
*Regiment redesignated 2005-10-01 as follows::HHC, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment became Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment:HHC, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment became Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment.
*Regimental Hqs. and Battalion Hqs. inactivated 2005-11-16 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and withdrawn from the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.
*1st Battalion assigned 2006-01-16 to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas.
*2nd Battalion Activated 2008-03-16 in Germany.

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

*Philippine Insurrection:

# Mindanao

*World War I:

#Montdidier-Noyon;
#Aisne-Marne;
#St. Mihiel;
#Meuse-Argonne;
#Lorraine 1917;
#Lorraine 1918;
#Picardy 1918

*World War II:

#Normandy;
#Northern France;
#Rhineland;
#Central Europe

*Vietnam:

#Defense;
#Counteroffensive;
#Counteroffensive, Phase II;
#Counteroffensive, Phase III;
#Tet Counteroffensive;
#Counteroffensive, Phase IV;
#Counteroffensive, Phase V;
#Counteroffensive, Phase VI;
#Tet 69/Counteroffensive;
#Summer-Fall 1969;
#Winter-Spring 1970

Decorations

*PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (ARMY)
#Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for NORMANDY
#Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BERGSTEIN
#Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for STOCKHEIM
#Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for TAY NINH PROVINCE (1st Battalion Only)
*Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered LO KE RUBBER PLANTATION (2nd Battalion Only).
*French Croix de Guerre
#French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I for PICARDY
#French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I for AISNE-MARNE
#French Croix de Guerre, World War I, Fourragere
*Luxembourg Croix de Guerre for LUXEMBOURG
*Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
#Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965-1968
#Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969-1970
* Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1965-1970

References