116th Infantry Regiment (United States)

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116th Infantry Regiment
116th Infantry coa.png
Coat of arms
Active 1741
Country  United States
Branch United States Army
Type Infantry
Size Regiment
Nickname(s) Stonewall Brigade
Motto "Ever Forward"
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia 150px
U.S. Infantry Regiments
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115th Infantry Regiment 117th Infantry Regiment

The 116th infantry Regiment is an Infantry regiment in the Virginia Army National Guard.

History

World War 2

The 116th Infantry Regiment played a major role in the European Theater of Operations between 1941-1945. Soldiers from the regiment along with other elements of the 29th Infantry Division, and the 1st Infantry Division were the first troops ashore during the invasion of Europe known as Operation Overlord. Units within the 116th suffered heavy casualties during the landings. With 1st Battalion's Alpha Company taking 96% casualties in the first wave on Omaha Beach. Though the fighting was heavy, the 116th pushed through and enabled the invasion force to establish a foothold in France. Later the 116th paved the way and participated in the assault of Saint Lo.

Lineage

Organized 3 November 1741 in the Virginia Militia as the Augusta County Regiment with headquarters at Beverley's Mill Place (later named Staunton). Elements of the Augusta County Regiment called into active service at various times during the French and Indian War and Dunmore's War and provided the following elements of the Virginia provincial forces:

Augusta County Regiment expanded 31 December 1792 to form the 32d and 93d Regiments Elements of the 32d and 93d Regiments mustered into federal service at various times during the War of 1812

  • 32d and 93d Regiments expanded about 1839 to form the 32d, 93d, and 160th Regiments

Elements of the 32d and 160th Regiments mustered into federal service 6 January 1847 at Richmond as the Light Infantry Company, 1st Regiment, Virginia Volunteers (also known as the Augusta Volunteers); mustered out of federal service 27 July 1848 at Fort Monroe, Virginia

  • Augusta County volunteer infantry companies of the 32d, 93d, and 160th Regiments reorganized and redesignated 13 April 1861 as the 5th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers; mustered into Confederate service 1 July 1861 as the 5th Virginia Infantry, an element of the 1st Brigade, Army of the Shenandoah (later designated as the Stonewall Brigade) (organized 1 June - 15 July 1861 to consist of the 2d, 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33rd Virginia Infantry (organized from volunteer companies in the Shenandoah Valley))
  • Remainder of the 32d, 93d, and 160th Regiments, Virginia Militia, mustered into Confederate service 1 May 1862 as the 52nd Virginia Infantry.
  • Stonewall Brigade and the 52nd Virginia Infantry surrendered 9 April 1865 at Appomattox Court House with the Army of Northern Virginia
  • Former elements of the Stonewall Brigade and the 52nd Virginia Infantry reorganized 1871-1881 in the Virginia Volunteers as separate infantry companies in the Shenandoah Valley
  • Reorganized 2 May 1881 as the 2d Regiment of Infantry with headquarters at Staunton (Location of Headquarters changed 22 April 1886 to Harrisonburg)
  • Regiment disbanded 2 April 1887 and its elements reorganized as separate infantry companies
  • Reorganized 20 April 1889 in the Virginia Volunteers as the 2d Regiment of Infantry with headquarters at Winchester (Location of Headquarters changed 15 June 1893 to Woodstock)
  • Consolidated with elements of the 1st Regiment of Infantry (organized in 1851) and mustered into federal service 10–21 May 1898 as the 2d Virginia Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of federal service 13–20 December 1898 at home stations
  • Disbanded 29 April 1899
  • Elements of the former 2d Regiment of Infantry reorganized 1899-1902 in the Virginia Volunteers as separate infantry companies in western Virginia
  • Consolidated 19 May 1905 with elements of the former 3d Regiment of Infantry (see ANNEX); consolidated unit reorganized as the 72d Infantry with headquarters at Luray
  • Redesignated 1 September 1908 as the 2d Infantry (Virginia Volunteers redesignated 3 June 1916 as the Virginia National Guard)
  • Called into federal service 30 June 1916 at Camp Stuart, Virginia; mustered out of federal service 28 February 1917 at Richmond
  • Called into federal service 25 March 1917 and mustered in 25 March - 3 April 1917 at home stations.
  • Drafted into federal service 5 August 1917
  • Consolidated 4 October 1917 with the 1st Infantry (organized in 1851) and the 4th Infantry (organized in 1882);

consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as the 116th Infantry and assigned to the 29th Infantry Division (United States)

  • Demobilized 30 May 1919 at Camp Lee, Virginia
  • Former elements in western Virginia reorganized 12 October 1921 in the Virginia National Guard as the 2d Infantry
  • Redesigned 9 March 1922 as the 116th Infantry and assigned to the 29th Division (later redesignated as the 29th Infantry Division); Headquarters federally recognized 3 April 1922 at Staunton (Location of Headquarters changed 26 June 1933 to Lynchburg)
  • Inducted into federal service 3 February 1941 at home stations
  • Inactivated 6 January 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
  • Reorganized and federally recognized 24 March 1948 with headquarters at Staunton
  • Reorganized 1 June 1959 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System to consist of the 1st and 2d Battle Groups, elements of the 29th Infantry Division
  • Reorganized 22 March 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 29th Infantry Division
  • Reorganized 1 February 1968 to consist of the 1st, 2d and 3d Battalions, elements of the 28th Infantry Division
  • Reorganized 1 April 1975 to consist of the 1st, 2d and 3d Battalions, elements of the 116th Infantry Brigade (United States)

Annex

Organized 13 June 1881 in the Virginia Volunteers from existing companies in central Virginia as the 3rd Regiment of Infantry with headquarters at Charlottesville (Location of Headquarters changed 15 November 1888 to Culpeper; on 12 March 1898 to Warrenton)

  • Mustered into federal service 13–26 May 1898 at Richmond as the 3rd Virginia Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of federal service 5 November 1898 at Richmond
  • Disbanded 29 April 1899
  • Elements of the former 3d Regiment of Infantry reorganized 1899-1902 in the Virginia Volunteers as separate infantry companies in central Virginia

Distinctive unit insignia

  • Description

A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a saltire Argent voided throughout per saltire Gray and Azure per cross counterchanged, in chief a fleur-de-lis Or. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Gold bipartite scroll inscribed "EVER" to dexter and "FORWARD" to sinister in Black letters.

  • Symbolism

This regiment has the unique distinction of being composed of elements which served in the United States service in the Confederate service and again the federal service and also the units have worn both blue and gray in both the federal and Confederate service. The tradition of Artillery is also in the Regiment. The shield is red with the familiar saltire cross, blue and gray edged with white. The gold fleur-de-lis recalls the service of the regiment in France during World War I.

  • Background

The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 31 March 1925.

Coat of arms

Blazon

  • Shield

Gules, a saltire Argent voided throughout per saltire Gray and Azure per cross counterchanged, in chief a fleur-de-lis Or.

  • Crest

That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Virginia Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors Argent and Gules "Virtus, the genius of the Commonwealth, dressed as an Amazon, resting on a spear with one hand and holding a sword in the other, and treading on Tyranny, represented by a man prostrate, a crown falling from his head, a broken chain in his left hand and a scourge in his right" all Proper. Motto: EVER FORWARD.

Symbolism

  • Shield

This regiment has the unique distinction of being composed of elements which served in the United States service in the Confederate service and again the federal service and also the units have worn both blue and gray in both the federal and Confederate service. The tradition of artillery is also in the regiment. The shield is red with the familiar saltire cross, blue and gray edged with white. The gold fleur-de-lis recalls the service of the regiment in France during World War I.

  • Crest

The crest is that of the Virginia Army National Guard.

Background

The coat of arms was approved on 19 April 1924.

Campaign streamers

Revolutionary War

  • Brandywine
  • Germantown
  • Monmouth
  • Charleston
  • Cowpens
  • Guilford Court House
  • Yorktown
  • Virginia 1775
  • Virginia 1776
  • Virginia 1781
  • South Carolina 1781
  • North Carolina 1781

War of 1812

  • Maryland 1814

Civil War (Confederate service)

  • First Manassas
  • Peninsula
  • Valley
  • Second Manassas
  • Sharpsburg
  • Fredericksburg
  • Chancellorsville
  • Gettysburg
  • Wilderness
  • Spotsylvania
  • Cold Harbor
  • Petersburg
  • Appomattox
  • Virginia 1861
  • Virginia 1862
  • Virginia 1863
  • Virginia 1864
  • Maryland 1864

World War I

  • Meuse-Argonne
  • Alsace 1918

World War II

  • Normandy (with arrowhead)
  • Northern France
  • Rhineland
  • Central Europe

Headquarters Company (Lynchburg Home Guard), 2d Battalion, additionally entitled to: Civil War (Confederate service)

  • North Carolina 1863
  • North Carolina 1864

World War I

  • Champagne-Marne
  • Aisne-Marne
  • St. Mihiel
  • Lorraine 1918
  • Champagne 1918

Company A (Monticello Guard, Charlottesville) and Support Company (Farmville Guard), 2d Battalion, each additionally entitled to: Civil War (Confederate service)

  • North Carolina 1863

Companies A and B (Alexandria Light Infantry, Manassas), 3d Battalion, each additionally entitled to: Civil War (Confederate service)

  • Tennessee 1863

Decorations

Headquarters Company (Roanoke) and Company A (Bedford), 1st Battalion, and Headquarters Company (Lynchburg Home Guard), 2d Battalion, each additionally entitled to:

  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIRE
  • French Croix de Guerre with Silver-Gilt Star, World War II, Streamer embroidered VIRE
  • Meritorious Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered AFGHANISTAN

References

  • Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from ..., Volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitman [1]
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External links