109th Infantry Regiment (France)
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The 109th Infantry Regiment ("Thirteenth Pennsylvania") is a parent
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, represented in the
Pennsylvania Army National Guard The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylvan ...
by the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry, part of the
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the Army National Guard and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Department of Defense. Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pen ...
. Headquartered at
Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
for the duration of its existence, the regiment was formed as the Scranton City Guards Battalion of the
Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...
in 1877, and expanded into the 13th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard a year later. It was called up for the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
as the 13th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, but did not serve overseas, and again to guard the Mexican border in 1916. The 13th combined with another Pennsylvania regiment to form the new 109th Infantry in 1917 for service in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
with the 28th Division. Demobilized after the end of World War I, the 13th Infantry was briefly reorganized in the Pennsylvania National Guard before regaining its World War I designation in 1921, part of the reorganized 28th Division. As a result of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, it was again mobilized with the division in early 1941. After the end of the war, the 109th was reorganized at Scranton in 1946, being called up as a result of the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
to replace Regular Army units sent to Korea.


History


Origins

The 109th was organized on 14 August 1877 as the Scranton City Guards Battalion, a unit of the
Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...
based at
Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
. On 23 September 1878, it was expanded, reorganized, and redesignated to become the 13th Infantry Regiment. By 1898, it included eight companies: A, B, C, D, F, and H at Scranton, E at Honesdale, and G at Montrose. The regiment formed part of the Third Brigade of the Pennsylvania National Guard division. In response to President
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
's proclamation calling for volunteers to serve in the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
, the regiment encamped at Mount Gretna on 28 April, where it joined the rest of the Pennsylvania National Guard to be mustered into Federal service. At Mount Gretna, it accepted recruits to increase the strength of each company to three officers and 75 men. All companies except for Company A and the regimental headquarters were mustered into Federal service on 12 May, followed by the latter on the next day. In Federal service, the regiment was designated the 13th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 13th Pennsylvania departed Mount Gretna for
Camp Alger Camp Alger, near Falls Church, Virginia, was established May 18, 1898, for the Spanish–American War effort.''Report of the Commission Appointed by the President to Investigate the Conduct of the War Department in the War with Spain,'' 8 vols., S ...
in northern Virginia on 19 May and arrived there the next day. There, it was assigned to the Third Brigade of the First Division of the Second Army Corps, along with the 8th and 12th Pennsylvania. Colonel Henry A. Coursen, the 13th Pennsylvania regimental commander, temporarily served as brigade commander until 25 June. Meanwhile, on 1 June, the regiment expanded the enlisted strength of each company to 106 men through recruiting. The regiment moved its camp from Camp Alger to a location near
Dunn Loring station Dunn Loring is a Washington Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia, on the Orange Line. The station is in Merrifield, with a Vienna mailing address. The station is in the median of Interstate 66 at Gallows Road, just outside the Capital Bel ...
on 19 July, then relocated to Camp George G. Meade in Pennsylvania on 31 August. While stationed at the latter, the regiment participated in the 27 October Philadelphia Peace Jubilee celebration to commemorate the cessation of hostilities. The 13th Pennsylvania again relocated to Camp MacKenzie near
Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georgi ...
, on 14 November, where it was mustered out of Federal service on 11 March 1899. After mustering out, the regiment returned to Scranton two days later via Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg. The 13th was reorganized in northeastern Pennsylvania between 21 June and 20 August of that year. For service on the Mexican border, it was mustered into Federal service on 26 September 1916 at Mount Gretna. Returning from the border, the regiment was drafted into Federal service on 5 August 1917 after
American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
. It was consolidated with the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard on 11 October 1917 to become the 109th Infantry of the 28th Division.


World War I

In the First World War, the regiment arrived in France in May, 1918, and was engaged in combat during the
Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, supported by s ...
(14–18 July 1918) in the vicinity of Bois le Rois commune, in the Seine et Marne department, as well as during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the principal engagement of the
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...
during World War I, from September until the end of the war on 11 November 1918. Returning to the Port of New York aboard the USS ''Maui'' on 3 May 1919, it was demobilized at
Camp Dix Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force A ...
, New Jersey between 17 and 20 May.


Between the wars

The former 13th Infantry Regiment was reorganized between 1919 and 1920 as a Pennsylvania National Guard unit in northeastern Pennsylvania designated the 13th Infantry. It was redesignated as the 109th Infantry on 1 April 1921, joining the reorganized 28th Division as part of its 55th Infantry Brigade. Its headquarters was Federally recognized at
Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...
on 20 December of that year. The regimental headquarters relocated to Scranton in 1923. The regiment participated in summer training at Mount Gretna between 1921 and 1934. It participated in the Third Corps Area concentration of the First Army maneuver, held from 10 August to 3 September 1935 at Indiantown Gap and Mount Gretna, which involved 20,000 troops, mostly from the 28th and 29th Divisions. It was called up for relief duty in western Pennsylvania between 17 March and 9 April 1936 after the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers flooded, along with the rest of the division. Summer training was moved to Indiantown Gap between 1936 and 1938. Between 5 and 19 August 1939, the regiment participated in the Third Corps Area concentration of the First Army maneuvers at Manassas, involving 24,700 troops, mostly from the 28th and 29th Divisions. With the division, the 109th participated in the First Army maneuvers in western New York between 4 and 25 August 1940, which involved 81,000 troops from the entire army.


World War II

As a result of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the 109th was mobilized with the rest of the National Guard and inducted into Federal service at Scranton on 17 February 1941. It assembled with the division at Indiantown Gap, arriving there on 1 March. The regiment absorbed 194 draftees, mostly from New York and New Jersey with a small number of Southerners, in June. With the division, it participated in the
Carolina Maneuvers The Carolina Maneuvers were a series of United States Army exercises held around Southern North Carolina and Northern South Carolina in 1941. The exercises, which involved some 350,000 troops, was designed to evaluate United States training, logis ...
between 6 October and 1 November. The 28th Division was redesignated as the 28th Infantry Division on 17 February 1942. During its participation in the European Theater of Operations in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, the 109th Regiment served across France and through the Hurtgen Forest of Germany; elements of the Regiment led the Division into the Rhineland to become the first troops to invade German soil since Napoleon. The 109th Infantry won battle honors at Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, the Rhineland and Central Europe and they were honored with the Luxemburg Croix de Guerre and the French Croix de Guerre for action at the Colmar Pocket.
Eddie Slovik Edward Donald Slovik (February 18, 1920January 31, 1945) was a United States Army soldier during World War II and the only American soldier to be court-martialled and executed for desertion since the American Civil War. Although over 21,000 Am ...
, a member of this regiment was the only American soldier executed for desertion in the 20th century. After the end of the war, it was inactivated at
Camp Shelby Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate is located at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state-owned training site in the nation. During wartime, the camp's mission is to s ...
, Mississippi on 22 October 1945.


Cold War

The 109th Infantry Regiment was reorganized and Federally recognized with headquarters at Scranton on 16 December 1946. It was ordered into active Federal service 5 September 1950 to replace Regular Army units fighting in the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. While the 109th was on active duty, a replacement 109th Infantry was organized and Federally recognized on 6 July 1953 with headquarters at Scranton as a unit of the National Guard of the United States (NGUS). The 109th was released from active Federal service on 15 June 1954 and reverted to state control, with the NGUS 109th simultaneously dissolving. The infantry regiment was deemed too unwieldy for the Cold War battlefield by the United States Army, and the regiment was reorganized as a parent regiment of the
Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. ...
on 1 June 1959, eliminating the regimental headquarters. Under the
Pentomic Pentomic (cf. ''Greek pent(e)-'' +''-tome'' "of five parts") was a structure for infantry and airborne divisions adopted by the US Army between 1957 and 1963, in response to the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons, on future battlefields. ...
reorganization of the army, the 1st Battle Group, 109th Infantry remained as part of the 28th Infantry Division. Before the reorganization, the regiment included about 1,800 personnel, reduced to 914 after conversion to the 1st Battle Group (BG). The Headquarters and Headquarters Companies (HHC) of the regiment and the 1st Battalion and the Medical and Service Companies at Scranton were combined to form the HHC of the 1st BG. The Heavy Mortar Company of the 109th at Scranton and West Pittston became the Combat Support Company of the 1st BG. Companies F and G of the 109th combined to form Company A of the 1st BG at East Stroudsburg. Companies B and E of the 109th at Scranton and Carbondale, respectively, retained their letters with the 1st BG, while Companies A and C of the 109th became Company C of the 1st BG at Scranton, and the 2nd Battalion HHC and Company H of the 109th became Company D of the 1st BG at Carbondale and Honesdale. The 3rd Battalion, 109th Infantry at Milton, Berwick, and Williamsport became the 154th Transportation Battalion. Company D of the 109th at Plymouth became Company D of the 165th Military Police Battalion, while the Tank Company of the 109th at Nanticoke became Battery B (155mm), 2nd Howitzer Battalion, 109th Field Artillery. As a result of the
Reorganization Objective Army Division The history of the United States Army began in 1775. From its formation, the United States Army has been the primary land based part of the United States Armed Forces. The Army's main responsibility has been in fighting land battles and military ...
plan, battle groups were replaced by battalions and on 1 April 1963 the 1st Battle Group became the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry (1-109th Infantry) and the 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry was activated; both battalions were part of the 28th. A 3rd Battalion was activated on 24 March 1964 as a non-divisional unit, but was eliminated on 17 February 1968. The 3rd Battalion was reactivated as a 28th Division unit on 1 April 1975. The 109th was reorganized under the
United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...
on 5 April 1988.


1990s and 21st century

The 2nd Battalion was converted into the 2nd Battalion, 103rd Armor on 1 March 1992, and the 3rd Battalion similarly became the 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor on 1 October 1995, leaving only the 1-109th Infantry. The 1-109th was ordered into active Federal service between 28 and 31 May 2002 for duty in Bosnia with the
Stabilisation Force The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...
, along with the 28th Infantry Division headquarters, the 104th Infantry Detachment, and 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry. After two months of training at Indiantown Gap, the units conducted additional training at Fort Dix and Hohenfels before arriving in Bosnia at the end of August to take over responsibility for Multi-National Division (North). The 1-109th returned to Pennsylvania in March 2003, and was released from active Federal service on 20 May, reverting to state control. The 1-109th was ordered into active Federal service on 22 January 2005 for a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the Army National Guard and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Department of Defense. Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pen ...
, then the largest Pennsylvania National Guard combat deployment since World War II. Five soldiers of Company B were killed in
Ramadi Ramadi ( ar, ٱلرَّمَادِي ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate w ...
on 28 September when their M2A2 Bradley detonated an IED while providing security for the building of a railway bridge and was set on fire by rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. On 1 October, the army officially reintroduced the designation of regiment to parent regiments, with the 109th Infantry becoming the 109th Infantry Regiment. Returning to the United States after a year in Iraq with the brigade, the 1-109th was released from active Federal service on 20 July 2006, reverting to state control. As a result of the creation of modular combat brigades by the reorganization plan of United States Army, the 1-109th was assigned to the 55th Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division on 1 September 2007. The battalion was ordered into active Federal service on 6 October 2012 for a deployment to Kuwait, in which it provided security at Camp Buehring. Returning to the United States after eight months there, the 1-109th was released from active Federal service on 25 November 2013, reverting to state control. On 1 September 2016, the battalion was transferred back to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division again after the 55th became the
55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade The 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (55th MEB) is a maneuver enhancement unit aligned under the 28th Infantry Division (28th ID) of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The 55th MEB, like all MEBs, is a self-contained, modular, and multifun ...
.


Distinctive unit insignia

* Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure in fess, a sheathed Roman sword, point to base, and a giant cactus Or; on a chief of the last six fleurs-de-lis of the field. Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed "CIVES ARMA FERANT" in Blue letters. * Symbolism The shield is blue for Infantry. The sheathed Roman sword, taken from the Spanish War Service Medal, indicates the service during the Spanish–American War, the cactus denotes the service on the Mexican Border and the chief with the six fleurs-de-lis symbolizes the six battle honors during World War I. * Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 11 June 1929. It was amended to correct the description on 6 July 1929.


Coat of arms


Blazon

* Shield Azure, in fess a sheathed Roman sword, point to base, and a giant cactus Or; on a chief of the last six fleurs-de-lis of the field. * Crest That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors (Or and Azure) a lion rampant guardant Proper holding in dexter paw a naked scimitar Argent, hilted Or, and in sinister an escutcheon Argent on a fess Sable three plates. * Motto CIVES ARMA FERANT (Let the Citizens Bear Arms).


Symbolism

* Shield The shield is blue for Infantry. The sheathed Roman sword, taken from the Spanish War Service Medal, indicates the service during the Spanish–American War, the cactus denotes the service on the Mexican Border and the chief with the six fleurs-de-lis symbolizes the six battle honors during World War I. * Crest The crest is that of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.


Background

The coat of arms was approved on 2 July 1929.


Medal of Honor

One soldier, Technical Sergeant Francis J. Clark of Company K, earned the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
while serving with the 109th Infantry on 12 September 1944 during the Siegfried Line Campaign.


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * *{{cite book, title=Guard Wars: The 28th Infantry Division in World War II, last=Weaver, first=Michael E., date=2010, publisher=Indiana University Press, isbn=978-0-2533552-1-8, location=Bloomington


External links

* http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/military/28thDivision109thRegt/109thhistory.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20120302061416/http://www.hmisite.com/history_of_109th.htm * http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/1-109in.htm Infantry regiments of the United States Army National Guard 109 Military units and formations established in 1917 Infantry regiments of the United States Army in World War II United States Army regiments of World War I