141st Infantry Regiment (United States)

141st Infantry Regiment

Coat of arms
Active 1880–present
Country  United States
Allegiance TexasTexas
Branch United States Army
Type Infantry
Nickname(s) First Texas (special designation)[1]
Motto(s) "Remember the Alamo"
Engagements World War II
* Italian Campaign
War on Terror
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
U.S. Infantry Regiments
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140th Infantry Regiment 142nd Infantry Regiment

The 141st Infantry Regiment ("1st Texas Infantry"[1]) is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The lineage of the 141st includes units tracing origins to the Texas Revolution, such as Company A, First Texas, 1836, and other infantry companies of the First Texas formed in the 1870s and 1880s.[2]

History

World War II

During World War II a battalion assigned to the 36th Division was given the assignment to clear a ridge deep in the Vosges, but had been cut off by the Germans. This occurred because the flanking units received an order to withdraw that failed to reach this battalion. This unit, the 1st Battalion of the 141st, had been cut off since 24 October 1944. The other two battalions of the 141st were unable to break through. The 100th /442nd, was ordered to relieve the Lost Battalion[3] (More men were lost in the 100th/442nd in the rescue operation than there were to save in the 1st of the 141st.) In their efforts to annihilate the entrapped Americans, the Grenadier troops suffered catastrophic losses. This action, in concert with their earlier combat record, led Heinz Guderian to give the 141st the number 2 rating overall in his Order of Battle assessment among all Allied units to face the Wehrmacht.

Postwar - present

In 1973 the 49th Armored Division was reactivated, with the first and third battalions of the 141st Infantry (mechanized) assigned to the 1st Brigade. The 2/141 was mechanized and assigned to the 3d Brigade of the 49th Armored Division. By 1979, all three battalions of the 141st were assigned to the 1st Brigade, 49th Armored Division. In 1984, the 1/141 and 2/141 continued to be assigned to the 49th Armored, and 3d/141st was assigned to Texas National Guard Troop Command. In 1995, 2/141 was demobilized and the 3/141 was assigned to the 36th Brigade of the 49th Armored Division.

As part of the 2004 reorganization of the 49th Armored Division into the 36th Infantry Division the 141st Infantry is now part of the latter division as part of the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Lineage

Constituted 18 February 1823 in the Mexican National Militia as the Texas Regiment

(Republic of Texas annexed to the United States 29 December 1845)

While remaining in state service, the following units additionally organized for Confederate service:

Turner Rifles, Rough and Ready Company and the Houston Artillery mustered into Confederate service during the summer of 1861; concurrently, reorganized and redesignated as the 3d Texas Artillery Battalion, and assigned to the District of Texas,

Reorganized and redesignated 24 June 1874 as a Regiment of Reserve Militia

Elements reorganized and redesignated 10–12 May 1898 as the 1st Texas Volunteer Infantry and mustered into Federal service at Austin; mustered out of Federal service 18 April 1899 at Galveston

(36th Division reorganized and redesignated 1 February 1942 as the 36th Infantry Division)

Withdrawn 1 August 1987 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System with Headquarters at San Antonio

Annex 1

Former Companies B, D, and K, 1st Infantry Regiment, reorganized 1 January 1908 in the Texas National Guard from existing elements as a separate infantry battalion

Distinctive unit insignia

A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per pale Argent and Gules, a fleur-de-lis Azure and the badge of the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, during the Spanish–American War, Proper fimbriated of the first on a chief dancetté of the third a mullet of the fifth. Attached above the shield on a wreath Argent and Gules, a mullet Argent encircled by a garland of live oak and olive Proper. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Blue scroll inscribed "REMEMBER THE ALAMO" in Silver letters.

The colors of the shield are white, red and blue, and with the mullet allude to the flag of the Texas Republic, under which Company A, the oldest unit, was first organized. The badge on the sinister side of the shield represents the Cuban Occupation service of the 141st Infantry, Texas National Guard. The fleur-de-lis represents World War I service. The crest is that of the Texas Army National Guard.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was approved on 5 March 1931. It was amended to correct the blazon of the shield on 11 March 1931.

Campaign streamers

Texas Revolution

Mexican War

Civil War (Confederate Service)

World War I

World War II

War on Terrorism

Company B (Alice), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:

Headquarters Company (Weslaco), 3d Battalion, additionally entitled to:

Decorations

Headquarters Company (San Antonio), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:

Company A (San Antonio), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:

References

  1. 1 2 "Special Designation Listing". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  2. ↑ "1-141". Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  3. ↑ Peek, Clifford H., ed. (1945). Five Years, Five Countries, Five Campaigns. Munich: 141st Infantry Regiment Association. pp. 69–80.
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