15th Infantry Regiment (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=15th Infantry Regiment
dates=May 3, 1861-Present
country=USA
allegiance=
branch=Regular Army
type=
role=
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=Can Do
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=American Civil War
Indian Wars
China Relief Expedition
Philippine Insurrection
World War II
Korean War
War in Southwest Asia
notable_commanders=Matthew Ridgeway
anniversaries=US Regiments
previous=14th Infantry Regiment
next=16th Infantry RegimentThe 15th Infantry Regiment is currently a parent regiment in the United States Army. It has a lineage tracing back to the Civil War, having participated in many battles.

Lineage

The first 15th Infantry in the U.S. Army was organized on July 16, 1798 for the "Quasi-War" with France. The regiment saw no war service and was deactivated in 1800. A second 15th Infantry was activated in 1812 for service in Canada during the War of 1812. The 15th fought in the capture of Toronto and Fort George in April and May of 1813, and covered the retreat of militia troops from Fort George in December 1813. It was during this retreat that the 15th earned a reputation for not losing a single man through capture, despite taking heavy casualties. The 15th fought in the Champlain Valley campaign in autumn 1814, and participated in General Dearborn's offensive in Ontario in October, and took part in many smaller battles that same year. The Regiment vanished in the Army reorganization of 1815.

On February 11, 1847, a new 15th Infantry was activated for service in Mexico. As companies of the 15th arrived at Vera Cruz, they moved inland to join General Winfield Scott's army advancing on Mexico City. The Regiment fought with distinction in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco, as well as smaller engagements before storming the walls of Chapultepec in Mexico City itself. Following garrison duty in Mexico City and Cuernavaca, the regiment returned to the United States for deactivation in August 1848.

The Army Lineage Book does not credit the present 15th Infantry with the honors or lineage of these earlier regiments.

The present 15th Infantry was activated on May 3, 1861 with its headquarters in Newport Barracks, Kentucky. Before the end of the Civil War, the regiment fought 22 major engagements, including Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Murfreesboro, and Atlanta. The regiment's crest includes the acorn, the symbol of General Thomas's XIV Corps, and the mountains of stone to symbolize the Corps' firm stand as the "Rock of Chickamauga". The four acorns represent the four major engagements.

Following the Civil War, the 15th Infantry served on occupation duty in Alabama until 1869. The regiment redeployed to the West, serving in Missouri, New Mexico, the Dakotas, and Colorado. The 15th participated in campaigns against the Ute Tribe of Colorado and against the Mescalero Apaches before relocating to Fort Sheridan in January 1891.

With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, the regiment moved to Huntsville, Alabama, on 12 October for intensive training. On 27 November 1898, it sailed from Savannah, Georgia for Nuevitas, Cuba, for occupation duty. On 5 January 1900, the regiment sailed home to be posted throughout upper New York State and Vermont.

On 16 August 1900, most of the regiment arrived in Tientsin, China, for service against the Boxer Rebellion.

In September 1900, the 3rd Battalion was ordered to Manila to assist in suppressing the Filipino insurgents in the Philippine-American War. By April 1902, the balance of the regiment joined the 3rd Battalion in the Philippines and saw considerable action against the insurgents. In September 1902 the regiment sailed for Monterey, California, where it built the current Presidio.

In 1905, the regiment was again posted to the Philippines. When the 15th returned to the U.S. in 1907, it was assigned to Fort Douglas, Utah. In November 1911, however, the 2nd Battalion returned to Tientsin, China, as part of the international peace-keeping mission designed to protect civilians during the Boxer Rebellion. The remainder of the regiment followed in 1912. Much of the 15th Infantry's tradition comes from the 26 years in China. The dragon on the regimental crest and the pidgin English motto "Can Do" symbolize its China service.

The regiment left China for Fort Lewis, Washington, on March 2, 1938. On January 12 1940, the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower served in the 15th from March to November, 1940, as commander of 1st Battalion. On October 24, 1942, the 15th Infantry and the 3d Infantry Division sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, bound for French Morocco. For the next 31 months, the regiment fought with absolute distinction through French North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. By May 9, 1945, the 15th Infantry had 16 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, including Audie Murphy who was the most decorated soldier in US Army history and who commanded Company B of the 15th. World War II casualties included 1,633 killed, 5,812 wounded, and 419 missing in action.

On 1 December 1948, the 15th was transferred from occupation duty in Germany to Fort Benning, Georgia. As part of the 3rd Infantry Division, the regiment sailed for Korea on August 31, 1950. The regiment covered the withdrawal of X Corps from Chosin Reservoir in 1950, fought north to the 38th parallel in 1951, and fought in the Kumsong sector until the armistice was signed. At the time of the truce, the 15th had seen action in eight major campaigns and added three more Medal of Honor recipients, Emory L. Bennett (June 24, 1951), Ola L. Mize (June 10 and June 11, 1953) and Charles F. Pendleton (July 16 and July 17, 1953).

On 3 December 1954, the regiment returned to Fort Benning. In 1957, the 1st and 2d Battalions were assigned to Germany as part of the 3d Infantry Division. The 3d and 4th Battalions were deactivated in December 1965.

The 15th Infantry Regimental Headquarters and the 3d Battalion were reactivated at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on August 25, 1989, as part of the 24th Infantry Division. The 4th Battalion was reactivated at Fort Knox, Kentucky, as part of the 194th Armored Brigade. From August 20, 1990 through March 22, 1991, the 3d Battalion participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm to free Kuwait from Iraqi oppression. In 1993, the 3d Battalion deployed three companies to Mogadishu, Somalia, to conduct combat operations in Operations Restore and Continue Hope. In 1994, the 2d Battalion deployed to Macedonia to deter Serbian aggression while the 3d Battalion deployed one company to Haiti to support Operation Uphold Democracy.

The 1st and 3rd Battalions deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division in 2003 and again in 2005-6, with one battalion falling under the 42nd Infantry Division. Both battalions are expected to deploy to Iraq for the third time during 2007.

Honors

*American Civil War (West)
*Indian Wars
*Philippine-American War (after Spanish-American War)
*World War II (North Africa, Italy, France, Central Europe)
*Korean War
*Persian Gulf War
*Defense of Kosovo

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Plaza/7750/15thinf01.html {Reference only} Regimental history]

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=First 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment


caption=
dates=March, 1861-September 21, 1866
country=USA
allegiance=Federal
branch=Volunteer Army
type=
role=Reorganized to 33rd Infantry Regiment
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

First 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment

Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 3d Battalion, 15th Infantry

Organized by March 1864 at Fort Adams, Rhode Island

Reorganized and redesignated 21 September 1866 as the 33d Infantry

Consolidated in May 1869 with the 8th Infantry and consolidated unit designated as the U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment.