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182nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 182nd Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest regiment in the United States Army
. The regiment traces its history more than 370 years, when it was a colonial regiment of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution
, with Union forces in the American Civil War
, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during World War I
and World War II
. For many years the regiment was a mechanized unit, and in 2006 the regiment was converted into the 182nd Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Melrose Armory in Melrose, Massachusetts
. The only active element of the regiment is the 1st Squadron (RSTA), 182nd Cavalry Regiment.
An online article by the Massachusetts Army National Guard dated August 3, 2009 stated that the unit would soon revert back to an infantry configuration.http://states.ng.mil/sites/MA/News/Pages/Cavalry%20Unit%20Hosts%20Tactical%20Demonstration%20for%20Family%20and%20Friends.aspx
and other conflicts, requiring each militiaman to own a modern flintlock
musket
prior to 1675, a quarter of a century ahead of European armies. The unit was divided into two regiments on 13 October 1680, one designated as the Lower Regiment of Middlesex, to include the town of Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Woburn, Malden and Reading. It was redesignated prior to 1733 as the 1st Regiment of Militia of Middlesex. (2nd Middlesex Regiment – hereafter separate lineage (see 181st Infantry Regiment (United States)
).
, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, meeting as a shadow government
, ordered the activation of the 1st Middlesex County Regiment on 19 April 1775. It was reorganized and entered the Massachusetts Army as Gardner's Regiment on 23 April 1775 (elements of the Regiment remained with the 1st Middlesex County Regiment for depot guards and for local defense). It was redesignated as Bond's Regiment upon the death of Colonel Gardner
, on 3 July 1775. The unit was again redesignated on 1 January 1776 as the 25th Continental Regiment
of the Continental Army
, and on 1 January 1777 as the 7th Massachusetts Regiment, Continental Line. The Regiment was mustered out of Continental service on 12 June 1783.
.
the 182nd was mustered into Federal Service but did not go oversees.
On November 15, 1907, the 182nd, as part of the Land Forces of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia was redesignated as a regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard.
The 182nd was mustered into federal service on 25 June 1916 at Framingham, MA for duty on the Mexican Border while stationed at El Paso, TX. The regiment mustered out between 10–15 November 1916. It was re-activated on 25 July 1917 and drafted into federal service on 5 August 1917. The 182nd was redesignated on 11 February 1918 as the 3rd Pioneer Infantry Regiment, and served in the U.S. First Army sector in France before being demobilized between 25–31 July 1919 at Camp Devens, MA.
The unit reorganized on 12 July 1920 as the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard. On 21 March 1923, it was redesignated as the 182nd Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 51st Infantry Brigade along with the 101st Infantry Regiment. The 51st Infantry Brigade seems to have been assigned to the 26th Infantry Division
. It was subsequently reorganized and federally recognized on 11 April 1923 with headquarters at Charlestown, MA.
On 6 March 1942 the men of the 182nd broke camp outside Melbourne and boarded troop trains for the docks in Melbourne. With the rest of the Task Force, the 182nd traveled to a classified destination which turned out to be New Caledonia, where they arrived on 12 March 1942. On 27 May 1942, Task Force 6814 was redesignated the Americal Division
, one of only two American infantry divisions to be assigned a name instead of a number (Americal is a combination of the words American and Caledonia).
As part of a piecemeal transfer of the Americal Division, the 182nd was deployed to combat in the Battle of Guadalcanal on 12 November 1942, where the Regiment's 3d Battalion participated in an operation to capture the Japanese defensive works atop the Sea Horse
, a prominent terrain feature on the island. Maintaining contact with elements of other U.S. Army regiments in the assault, the 3rd Battalion began its ascent, and by 30 December was in action against Japanese forces atop the Sea Horse. The fighting was so intense that some of the Americans could not be removed after being killed, and were buried where they fell. In 2008, the remains of Lt. Raymond S. Woods of the 182nd Infantry Regiment, who was killed in action on 30 December 1942 in fighting atop the Sea Horse Ridge, were located and transferred to JPAC. The 182nd later fought in the Bougainville campaign, the Northern Solomons
, and later in the Battle of Leyte
.
On 26 March 1945, during Operation Victor II
, the 182nd landed at Talisay
Beach, four miles (6.5 km) west of Cebu City, taking Cebu City
the next day. Moving into the jungled hills of the interior, the 182nd fought the Battle of Go Chan Hill 28–29 March 1945 and then battled to clear the other hills in the area. They were heavily counterattacked by fanatical Japanese defenders on Bolo Ridge. After eliminating Japanese resistance on Cebu, the 182nd rested and reequipped, later boarding ship from Cebu for occupation duty in Japan.
Near the end of the war, the Americal Division was renamed the 23rd Infantry Division, though it retained its original designation in both official documents and informal usage throughout the war.
The unit was relieved from the 182nd Regimental Combat Team on 1 May 1959 and reorganized as the 182nd Infantry (Mechanized) under the Combat Arms Regimental System. In 2006, the Regiment was reorganized and redesignated the 182nd Cavalry Regiment, ending 370 years of history as an infantry regiment.
From August 2006 to November of 2007 the 1st Squadron 182nd Cavalry served as Task Force Patriot in Kosovo. They were responsible for a large portion of southern Kosovo in the turbulent year that preceded final status and independence for Kosovo from Serbia.
Effective 13 December 2010, the 1-182nd Cav was yet again redesignated to the 1-182nd Infantry Regiment.
In March of 2011, the 1st Battalion 182nd Infantry mobilized for service in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In July of 2011, the 182nd Infantry relieved the 181st Infantry in Afghanistan.
As of 2007, the squadron had detached elements serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan
. In 2008, the squadron completed a 15-month tour of active duty in Kosovo
supporting the NATO efforts there as part of Task Force Patriot. One notable contribution of the Task Force was the collection of school supplies and textbooks for children in remote areas of the country through its civil affairs program.
Policy in September of 2011.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The regiment traces its history more than 370 years, when it was a colonial regiment of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, with Union forces in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. For many years the regiment was a mechanized unit, and in 2006 the regiment was converted into the 182nd Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Melrose Armory in Melrose, Massachusetts
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
. The only active element of the regiment is the 1st Squadron (RSTA), 182nd Cavalry Regiment.
An online article by the Massachusetts Army National Guard dated August 3, 2009 stated that the unit would soon revert back to an infantry configuration.http://states.ng.mil/sites/MA/News/Pages/Cavalry%20Unit%20Hosts%20Tactical%20Demonstration%20for%20Family%20and%20Friends.aspx
Formation and colonial operations
The 182nd Infantry Regiment traces its origins to the North Regiment which was constituted and organized on 7 October 1636 from existing training bands at Charlestown, New Town, Watertown, Concord, and Dedham. When these training bands, or militia companies, were incorporated into the North Regiment, Massachusetts became the first English-speaking government to adopt permanent army regiments (standing regiments appeared in the English Army only in the 1640s). The Regiment was redesignated on 10 March 1643 as the Regiment of Middlesex. As a colonial regiment operating in the American wilderness, the Regiment was quick to incorporate changes in tactical doctrine based on conditions encountered in fighting Native Americans in King Philip's WarKing Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
and other conflicts, requiring each militiaman to own a modern flintlock
Flintlock
Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. The term may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock...
musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
prior to 1675, a quarter of a century ahead of European armies. The unit was divided into two regiments on 13 October 1680, one designated as the Lower Regiment of Middlesex, to include the town of Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Woburn, Malden and Reading. It was redesignated prior to 1733 as the 1st Regiment of Militia of Middlesex. (2nd Middlesex Regiment – hereafter separate lineage (see 181st Infantry Regiment (United States)
181st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment in the United States Army. The regiment traces its history to 13 December, 1636, when it was one of four colonial regiment of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts...
).
Massachusetts Army and the American Revolution
At the onset of the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, meeting as a shadow government
Shadow government
Shadow government may refer to:*An opposition government in a parliamentary system, see Shadow Cabinet*A term for plans for an emergency government that takes over in the event of a disaster, see continuity of government...
, ordered the activation of the 1st Middlesex County Regiment on 19 April 1775. It was reorganized and entered the Massachusetts Army as Gardner's Regiment on 23 April 1775 (elements of the Regiment remained with the 1st Middlesex County Regiment for depot guards and for local defense). It was redesignated as Bond's Regiment upon the death of Colonel Gardner
Thomas Gardner
Col. Thomas Gardner was an American political figure and soldier.Gardner was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a descendant of Thomas Gardner of Roxbury...
, on 3 July 1775. The unit was again redesignated on 1 January 1776 as the 25th Continental Regiment
25th Continental Regiment
The 25th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel William Bond. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, Invasion of Canada and the Battle of...
of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, and on 1 January 1777 as the 7th Massachusetts Regiment, Continental Line. The Regiment was mustered out of Continental service on 12 June 1783.
War of 1812
The 182nd Infanty is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812
Nineteen current units of the Army National Guard perpetuate the lineages of militia units mustered into federal service during the War of 1812. Militia units from nine states that were part of the Union by the end of the War of 1812 , plus the District of Columbia, are the predecessors...
.
Civil War
The unit was ordered into active service for the defense of Washington on 19 April 1861 with attached companies from the 1st and 7th Regiments of Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, and Major Cook's Light Artillery Company. It was mustered into federal service on 1 May 1861 at Washington, D.C., for three months service, and assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division. It participated in the first battle of Bull Run before being mustered out on 1 August 1861 at Boston. The unit was again mustered into federal service between 16 September - 8 October 1862 at Wenham for nine months service; during which time it served in the Department of North Carolina and with the XVIII Corp. It was mustered out on 2 July 1863 at Wenham. It was mustered into federal service at Camp Meigs, Readville, MA, in July 1864 for 100 days service and served with the VIII Corp in the Middle Military Division (Baltimore and vicinity) before being mustered out on 16 November 1864 at Readville and resumed state militia status as the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.National Guard and overseas service
During the 1898 Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
the 182nd was mustered into Federal Service but did not go oversees.
On November 15, 1907, the 182nd, as part of the Land Forces of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia was redesignated as a regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard.
The 182nd was mustered into federal service on 25 June 1916 at Framingham, MA for duty on the Mexican Border while stationed at El Paso, TX. The regiment mustered out between 10–15 November 1916. It was re-activated on 25 July 1917 and drafted into federal service on 5 August 1917. The 182nd was redesignated on 11 February 1918 as the 3rd Pioneer Infantry Regiment, and served in the U.S. First Army sector in France before being demobilized between 25–31 July 1919 at Camp Devens, MA.
The unit reorganized on 12 July 1920 as the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard. On 21 March 1923, it was redesignated as the 182nd Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 51st Infantry Brigade along with the 101st Infantry Regiment. The 51st Infantry Brigade seems to have been assigned to the 26th Infantry Division
26th Infantry Division (United States)
The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. As a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history...
. It was subsequently reorganized and federally recognized on 11 April 1923 with headquarters at Charlestown, MA.
World War II
The unit reorganized on 12 July 1920 as the 5th Infantry Massachusetts National Guard. It was redesignated as the 182nd Infantry and assigned to the 26th Division on 21 March 1923. It was subsequently reorganized and federally recognized on 11 April 1923 with headquarters at Charlestown, Massachusetts. The unit was inducted into federal service on 16 January 1941 at Charlestown. It was relieved from the 26th Division and assigned to the Task Force 6814, on 14 January 1942, which was sent to Melbourne, Australia.On 6 March 1942 the men of the 182nd broke camp outside Melbourne and boarded troop trains for the docks in Melbourne. With the rest of the Task Force, the 182nd traveled to a classified destination which turned out to be New Caledonia, where they arrived on 12 March 1942. On 27 May 1942, Task Force 6814 was redesignated the Americal Division
Americal Division
The 23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent three individual regiments to defend New Caledonia...
, one of only two American infantry divisions to be assigned a name instead of a number (Americal is a combination of the words American and Caledonia).
As part of a piecemeal transfer of the Americal Division, the 182nd was deployed to combat in the Battle of Guadalcanal on 12 November 1942, where the Regiment's 3d Battalion participated in an operation to capture the Japanese defensive works atop the Sea Horse
Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse
The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from 15 December 1942 to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau River...
, a prominent terrain feature on the island. Maintaining contact with elements of other U.S. Army regiments in the assault, the 3rd Battalion began its ascent, and by 30 December was in action against Japanese forces atop the Sea Horse. The fighting was so intense that some of the Americans could not be removed after being killed, and were buried where they fell. In 2008, the remains of Lt. Raymond S. Woods of the 182nd Infantry Regiment, who was killed in action on 30 December 1942 in fighting atop the Sea Horse Ridge, were located and transferred to JPAC. The 182nd later fought in the Bougainville campaign, the Northern Solomons
Solomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
, and later in the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
.
On 26 March 1945, during Operation Victor II
Battle of the Visayas
right|thumb|250px|Map of U.S. operations in Southern Philippines, 1945thumb|250px|right|Japanese troops surrender to 40th Division, September 1945The Battle of the Visayas was fought by U.S...
, the 182nd landed at Talisay
Talisay City, Cebu
Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 179,359 people....
Beach, four miles (6.5 km) west of Cebu City, taking Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
the next day. Moving into the jungled hills of the interior, the 182nd fought the Battle of Go Chan Hill 28–29 March 1945 and then battled to clear the other hills in the area. They were heavily counterattacked by fanatical Japanese defenders on Bolo Ridge. After eliminating Japanese resistance on Cebu, the 182nd rested and reequipped, later boarding ship from Cebu for occupation duty in Japan.
Near the end of the war, the Americal Division was renamed the 23rd Infantry Division, though it retained its original designation in both official documents and informal usage throughout the war.
Later service
The 2nd Battalion inactivated on 29 November 1945 at Fort Lewis, WA. The regiment (less 2nd Battalion which inactivated on 2 December 1945 at Fort Lawton staging area, WA) was relieved from the Americal Division and assigned to the 182nd Regimental Combat Team on 8 July 1946. It reorganized and was federally recognized on 5 December 1946 with headquarters at Charlestown. Its Headquarters relocated to Melrose on 30 September 1955.The unit was relieved from the 182nd Regimental Combat Team on 1 May 1959 and reorganized as the 182nd Infantry (Mechanized) under the Combat Arms Regimental System. In 2006, the Regiment was reorganized and redesignated the 182nd Cavalry Regiment, ending 370 years of history as an infantry regiment.
From August 2006 to November of 2007 the 1st Squadron 182nd Cavalry served as Task Force Patriot in Kosovo. They were responsible for a large portion of southern Kosovo in the turbulent year that preceded final status and independence for Kosovo from Serbia.
Effective 13 December 2010, the 1-182nd Cav was yet again redesignated to the 1-182nd Infantry Regiment.
In March of 2011, the 1st Battalion 182nd Infantry mobilized for service in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In July of 2011, the 182nd Infantry relieved the 181st Infantry in Afghanistan.
182nd Cavalry Regiment
As part of the RSTA force (for Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition), the 1st Squadron, 182nd Cavalry Regiment today serves as a fast-moving armored reconnaissance unit of the U.S. Army.As of 2007, the squadron had detached elements serving in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. In 2008, the squadron completed a 15-month tour of active duty in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
supporting the NATO efforts there as part of Task Force Patriot. One notable contribution of the Task Force was the collection of school supplies and textbooks for children in remote areas of the country through its civil affairs program.
Notable Soldiers
Adding to the long history of this famous unit, SPC Corey Joseph Belliveau became their first openly gay soldier after the repeal of the Military's Don't Ask, Don't TellDon't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
Policy in September of 2011.
See also
- Bedford FlagBedford FlagThe Bedford Flag is the oldest known flag in the United States. It was supposedly borne by the Bedford Minuteman Company and might have flown at the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. Its history is controversial...
- Massachusetts LineMassachusetts LineThe Massachusetts Line was a formation within the Continental Army. The term "Massachusetts Line" referred to the quota of numbered infantry regiments assigned to Massachusetts at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states,...
- 182nd Cavalry Regiment (RSTA)