151st Infantry Regiment (United States)

151st Infantry Regiment
Coat of arms
Active1817
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeInfantry
SizeRegiment
Garrison/HQIndianapolis, Indiana
Motto(s)"Wide Awake! Wide Awake!"
EngagementsBattle of Tippecanoe
Mexican–American War
American Civil War
Spanish–American War
Mexican Border Campaign
World War I
World War II
Vietnam War
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation

Valorous Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Citation
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
U.S. Infantry Regiments
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150th Infantry Regiment 152nd Infantry Regiment

The 151st Infantry Regiment is an infantry unit in the Indiana National Guard, part of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate).

History

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Territorial militia

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The 151st Infantry Regiment traces its roots to the Indiana Territory Indiana Rangers militia. It was in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe that it earned its motto "Wide Awake! Wide Awake!"[1]

Mexican-American War, Civil War and Spanish-American War

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In 1846, the 2nd Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, Indiana Brigade was mustered into federal ervice for the Mexican–American War, and was again federalized in 1861 during the American Civil War.[2] It was reorganized in 1882 as part of the Indiana Legion, which was renamed the Indiana National Guard on 5 March 1895.[2] The 151st Infantry Regiment is credited with 24 campaigns from the Civil War, from lineage traced to the 7th, 10th, and 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments.[3] The regiment was again federalized in 1898 for service in the Spanish–American War. In 1900, it was reorganized as the First Infantry, Indiana National Guard.[2] The First Infantry was mustered into federal service at Fort Benjamin Harrison in 1916 for service in the Mexican Border Campaign.

World War I

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With the outbreak of World War I, the First Infantry was reorganized into the 151st Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade, 38th Division.[4] The division was mobilized for federal service in 1917 and demobilized in 1919.[2]

Interwar period

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The 151st Infantry was demobilized on 8 March 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. Per the National Defense Act of 1920, the 151st Infantry was reconstituted in the National Guard in 1921, assigned to the 38th Division, and allotted to the state of Indiana. It was reorganized on 30 June 1921 with the regimental headquarters organized and federally recognized at Shelbyville, Indiana. The headquarters was successively relocated as follows: to Indianapolis, Indiana, 13 December 1932; to Jonesboro, Indiana, 1 June 1933; and back to Indianapolis on 23 September 1933. The regiment, or elements thereof, called up to perform the following state duties: riot control during a coal miners’ strike at Staunton—Jasonville, Indiana, 2–19 August 1922; 1st Battalion called up to perform riot control during labor troubles in Vanderburg and Warwick Counties, 22 February–23 March 1926; riot control during a coal miners’ strike at the Hoosier Mine in Sullivan County, 21–25 July 1931; entire regiment called up to perform riot control during a coal miners’ strike at the Dixie Bee Mine near Terre Haute, Indiana, 2 August–October 1932; riot control during a coal miners’ strike at the Starburn Mine, Sullivan County, 9–23 October 1933; six Indiana National Guard companies for guard and security duties in connection with the visit of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Vincennes, Indiana, 14 June 1936; entire regiment called up to perform flood relief along the Ohio River at Aurora, Indiana, in January–March 1937. Conducted annual summer training most years at Camp Knox, Kentucky, 1921–39.[5]

World War II

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The 38th Division was again activated in 1941 in preparation for World War II. In the South Pacific, the 151st Regiment earned three battle streamers (New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon) helping the 38th Infantry Division win the nickname "Avengers of Bataan."[6]

Vietnam War

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Company D (Ranger), 151st Infantry Regiment on patrol in Vietnam (from United States Army Center of Military History

Elements of the 151st Regiment served in the Vietnam War; Company D (Ranger), "Delta Company," was the only National Guard infantry unit to serve in Vietnam intact,[7] and earned more medals in 1969 than any other Army infantry company during a 1-year period,[6] and has been credited with reintegrating National Guard units with the United States Army after they were intentionally separated during the Vietnam War.[8] The company was eventually assigned to II Field Force Vietnam[9] with the mission of conducting long range patrols in War Zone D, in the III Corps Tactical Zone. After the company's arrival, the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) oversaw its initial administration and support.

In 1977, the regiment was organized into two battalions, elements of the 38th Infantry Division.[2] Both the 1st Battalion (1-151 IN) and 2nd Battalion (2-151 IN) are elements of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate),[10] Elements of the 151st have deployed to Bosnia (NATO SFOR), Iraq Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom. During deployment to Afghanistan in 2009-2010, Bravo company of 2nd Bn, 151st Inf received both the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Valorous Unit Award while attached to Task Force Yukon (4th IBCT (Airborne)) and Task Force Rakkasan (3d Bde, 101st Airborne Division), as a part of Regional Command East, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) conducting counterinsurgency operations in Khost province.[3] The two battalions reunited in 2011 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Tippecanoe.[11]

Lineage

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Organized and Federally recognized 9 December 1940 in the Indiana National Guard at Indianapolis as the Antitank Company, 151st Infantry, an element of the 38th Division (later redesignated as the 38th Infantry Division)

Inducted into active Federal service 17 January 1941 at Indianapolis

Inactivated 9 November 1945 at Camp Anza, California

Reorganized and Federally recognized 11 April 1949 at Greenfield as the Tank Company, 151st Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 February 1959 as the Combat Support Company, 1st Battle Group, 151st Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1963 as Company B, 2d Battalion, 151st Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 December 1967 as Company D, 151st Infantry, and relieved from assignment to the 38th Infantry Division

Ordered into active Federal service 13 May 1968 at Greenfield; released from active Federal service 26 November 1969 and reverted to state control

Consolidated 1 April 1971 with Company E, 151st Infantry (organized and Federally recognized 1 December 1967 at Muncie), and consolidated unit designated as Company D, 151st Infantry, at Muncie

Converted and redesignated 1 March 1977 as Troop A, 1st Squadron, 238th Cavalry, an element of the 38th Infantry Division

Reorganized and redesignated 3 October 1986 as the Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 1st Squadron, 238th Cavalry

Converted and redesignated 1 October 1989 as the 151st Infantry Detachment

Location changed 1 September 1990 to Indianapolis; on 1 September 1996 to Darlington 

                                              CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT 
                                                       World War II                                                        New Guinea                                                        Leyte                                                        Luzon (with arrowhead) 
                                                       Vietnam                                                        Counteroffensive, Phase VI                                                        Tet 69/Counteroffensive                                                        Summer–Fall 1969                                                        Winter–Spring 1970 


                                                         DECORATIONS 
                       Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945[12]

References

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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Lineage And Honors Information. United States Government.

  1. ^ "2-151 Infantry Battalion". Indiana Guardsman. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Lineage and Honors, 151st Infantry (First Indiana)" (PDF). Department of the Army. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b Skinner, Harold. "The Civil War Lineage of the 151st Infantry Regiment" (PDF). Indiana National Guard. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  4. ^ "76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team - History". Indiana Guardsman. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  5. ^ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations, 1919-41. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. pp. 430–431.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ a b "1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment "Warhawks"". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  7. ^ Ramey, Timothy. "History of the Indiana Rangers". Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  8. ^ Walsh, Steve (25 April 2015). "International Guard: How The Vietnam War Changed Guard Service". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Indiana Rangers: The Army Guard in Vietnam". National Guard Heritage Series. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Indiana National Guard Organizational Chart" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  11. ^ Newport, Les (10 November 2011). "Indiana National Guard Soldiers experience heritage". Indiana Guardsman.
  12. ^ "U.S. Army Center of Military History - Lineage and Honors Information".
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