143rd Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 143rd Infantry Regiment (Third Texas) is an airborne infantry formation in the Army National Guard and has one battalion active under the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team as part of the Associated Unit Program, aligning active and reserve units with one another for training and deployment.

Heraldic Information

Coat of Arms

Blazon

* Shield: Azure, a bend wavy argent between an oak tree eradicated and a key fesswise or.
* Crest: On a wreath of the colors argent and azure a mullet argent encircled by a garland of live oak and olive proper.
* Motto: ''Arms Secure Peace''

Symbolism

# The shield is blue for infantry.
# The bend wavy represents the regiment's service on the Mexican border, along the Rio Grande.
# It also represents the Aisne River in France, where the unit served in World War I.
# The oak tree symbolizes the Meuse-Argonne operation, also in World War I.
# The gold key represents service in the Spanish–American War.

Background

* The coat of arms was approved on 30 June 1926.

Lineage and honors

Lineage

* Organized 15 October 1917 in Camp Bowie, Texas, from the Third Texas Infantry and the Fifth Texas Infantry and assigned to the 72d Infantry Brigade, 36th Infantry Division
* Called to federal service, October 1917
* Returned to state control, June 1919
* Activated (state) for hurricane disaster relief, Nueces, San Patricio and Aransas Counties, September 1919
* Activated (state) for the New London School explosion, March 1937
* Mobilized (federal) at Brownwood, Texas, 25 November 1940
* Inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, 22 December 1945
* Reactivated under state control and assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, 23 October 1946
* Reorganized as 1st and 2d Battle Groups, 143d Infantry (under the Pentomic Division system), 1959
* Reorganized as the 143d Infantry, 1 March 1963, with the 2d and 3d Battalions assigned to the 3d Brigade, 36th Division; and the 1st Battalion inactivated
* 3d Battalion relieved from assignment to the 36th Division and assigned to the 36th Infantry Brigade (Separate), 1 November 1965
* 1st Battalion reactivated, 2d Battalion relieved from assignment to the 36th Division, 3d Battalion relieved from assignment to 36th Infantry Brigade (Separate); all battalions assigned to the 71st Airborne Brigade (Separate), 30 July 1968
* 1st and 2d Battalions assigned to the 36th Airborne Brigade (redesignated from the 71st); 3d Battalion inactivated and its personnel and equipment used to form the 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment in 1973
* 1st Battalion inactivated, 2d Battalion inactivated (less company A); assets from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 143d Infantry used to form Company G (Ranger) 143d Infantry, 21 April 1980.
* Company G (Ranger) 143d Infantry was redesignated as Company G (Long Range Surveillance), 143d Infantry in 1988.
* Company G (Long Range Surveillance), 143d Infantry, a corps-level unit, was inactivated in September 2001; the division-level 143d Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance), a separate unit with no lineage connection to the 143d Infantry Regiment, remained active.
* 143d Infantry Detachment (LRS) was inactivated in 2008; personnel and equipment were used to form Troop C (LRS), 3d Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment of the 71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
* 1st Battalion activated as 1st Battalion (Airborne), 143d Infantry Regiment, 2010. HHC, Company A, Company D, and Forward Support Company (FSC) activated in Texas; Company B activated in the Alaska Army National Guard; Company C activated in the Rhode Island Army National Guard from the personnel and equipment of the 173d Infantry Detachment (LRS). In 2016 Company B was inactivated and reflagged as a unit of the 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, AK ARNG.

The lineage of subordinate units is as follows:
* Headquarters Company, 143d Infantry Regiment (Waco)
* Heavy Mortar Company (Clifton)
* Medical Company (Houston)
* Service Company (Houston)
* Tank Company (Marlin)
* Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (College Station) – First formed in Clifton 6 June 1922 as part of the 141st Infantry. Transferred to the 143d Infantry 1924. World War II. "ALSACE" Distinguished Unit Streamer. Reformed in Palestine, Texas, on 12 May 1947; moved to College Station 10 January 1954.
* Company A (Rusk) – Originally formed as Company A, Seventh Cavalry (Confederate Army); Rusk Militia 1883–1895; Company F, Third Texas Infantry 1903–1914; World War II. "ALSACE" Distinguished Unit Streamer.
* Company B (Mexia) – Originally formed as Company B, Third Infantry, Texas Volunteer Guard, 1879; Company C, Second Texas, United States Volunteers (Spanish–American War); Mexican Border Service, 1916–1917; World War II. "ALSACE" Streamer.
* Company C (Beaumont) – Organized in 1926; World War II. "ALSACE" Streamer. Stationed in Palestine, Texas 1947.
* Company D (Corsicana) – Independent Blues Militia, 1859; Company K, First Texas Cavalry (Confederate Army); Company A, First Texas, United States Volunteers (Spanish–American War); World War II. "ALSACE" Distinguished Unit Streamer.
* Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion (Houston) – Originally formed in Moody, then moved to Hillsboro 18 February 1930. World War II. "COLMAR POCKET" Distinguished Unit Streamer. Reorganized in Houston, 2 December 1946.
* Company E (Caldwell) – Organized in 1939; assault unit at Salerno, Rapido River. "COLMAR POCKET" Streamer. Reorganized in Baytown, 1947.
* Company F (Huntsville) – Formed from volunteers in Hood's Brigade (Confederate Army) and the Tom Hamilton Guards of the 1870s. Company F, First Texas, United States Volunteers (Spanish–American War). World War II. "COLMAR POCKET" Distinguished Unit Streamer.
* Company G (Houston) – Formed from the Houston Light Guard. World War II. "COLMAR POCKET" Streamer. Reorganized into Company G (Ranger – later LRS), 143d Infantry in 1980.
* Company H (Beaumont) – First formed 22 February 1922 in Somerville. World War II. "COLMAR POCKET" Streamer. Reorganized and activated 3 October 1947 in Beaumont.
* Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion (Waco) – First formed in Itasca as Company K, 143d Infantry in 1922. Redesignated as Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion in 1924. World War II. "MAGRANON RIDGE," and "RIBBEAUVILLE" Distinguished Unit Streamers. Reformed in Waco on 5 February 1947.
* Company I (Belton) – Formed from the Miller Rifles (later Belton Rifles), 1886.
* Company K (Waco) – Formed as the Waco Greys, 1876. Company K, Second Texas Infantry, 1898. World War II. "MAGRANON RIDGE," "RIBBEAUVILLE," and "BITSCHOFFEN" Distinguished Unit Streamers. Pfc. Donald K. Kimbrough was awarded a Presidential Citation for Heroism, Gallantry in Action and Outstanding Achievement in Company K on 15 March 1945. Company K was assigned the mission of attacking at night over exposed terrain, to capture the town of Bitschoffen, France. The town was well defended and surrounded by extensive minefields. Company K attacked twice, each time suffering heavy losses from mines and defensive fires, though each time, reorganized for another assault. On the third assault, elements of the company attacking up and through a mine field succeeded in entering the town, overwhelming the German troops in the village. They then attacked from the rear, and engaged those enemy forces with the remainder of Company K. By dawn, Bittschoffen, France had fallen, an undetermined number of the enemy was killed and 66 prisoners were captured. Pfc. Donald K. Kimbrough retired from the Armed Forces as Master Sgt. in 1946.
* Company L (Hillsboro) – Originally Company M, Second Texas Infantry, 1900. World War II. "RIBBEAUVILLE" and "MAGRANON RIDGE" Distinguished Unit Streamers.
* Company M (Waco) – First formed in Killeen 1922, moved to Waco 1 July 1931. World War II. "RIBBEAUVILLE" and "MAGRANON RIDGE" Distinguished Unit Streamers.

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

* Mexican Border Service:
* World War I:
:#Meuse-Argonne
* World War II:
:#Naples-Foggia with Arrowhead;
:#Anzio;
:#Rome-Arno;
:#Southern France with Arrowhead (Liberation of Alps, Grenoble)
:#Rhineland;
:#Ardennes-Alsace;
:#Central Europe
* Global War on Terror:
:#Afghanistan

Unit Decorations

* Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for:
:#2–6 December 1944 (3d Battalion and Cannon Company) – COLMAR POCKET
:#6–9 December 1944 (2d Battalion) – COLMAR POCKET
:#26–29 August 1944 (3d Battalion) – SOUTHERN FRANCE
:#15 March 1945 (Company K, 2d Battalion) – CENTRAL EUROPE
:#15–17 March 1945 (1st Battalion) – CENTRAL EUROPE
* French Croix de Guerre with Palm for:
:#VOSGES
* Meritorious Unit Commendation for:
:#Italy, 1943
:#Italy-France, 1944
:#8 December 2011 – 1 October 2012 (Detachment, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment) – AFGHANISTAN

Service

Mexican Border Service

In February 1913, Mexico was in a state of turmoil between two rival factions for power and this prevented commanders in Mexican border towns from paying their soldiers. Concern over this caused County Judge and Sheriff of Cameron County, Texas, to appeal to the governor for assistance. In response, Governor Oscar Colquitt sent Texas militia, consisting of two companies of the Third Texas Infantry from Corpus Christi and Houston and two companies of cavalry. They remained until June 1913. The situation got worse, with American citizens being executed in Mexico and various factions conducting cross-border raids into Texas. Some Federal troops were stationed on the border and in August 1913, Colquitt sent the entire Third Texas Infantry to Fort Brown along with a battery of light artillery from Dallas. These were relieved by Federal troops in 1914. By 1916, the Third Texas was stationed at Harlingen while in Federal service.

World War I

In 1917, the 36th Infantry Division was formed from units in Texas and Oklahoma. The Third Texas and part of the Fifth Texas infantry regiments were organized as the 143d Infantry Regiment at Camp Bowie, Texas. The 143d was assigned to the 72d Infantry Brigade of the division. The 143d was then shipped to France in 1918 with the rest of the division for final combat training and then to the front. In September 1918, the 36th Division was attached to the French Fifth Army. The regiment participated in Meuse-Argonne Offensive from 7–28 October 1918.

World War II

The 36th Infantry Division was mobilized on 25 November 1940 at Camp Bowie, including the 143d Infantry. It was shipped to Algeria in early 1943.

Salerno & Liri Valley, Italy

The 143d participated in the landing at Salerno, Italy and continued to fight in Italy during the campaign in the Liri Valley from September 1943 to early 1944. Significant engagements included the Battle of San Pietro and the Rapido River crossing.

Anzio

The regiment, now commanded by Colonel Paul D. Adams

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