Summary
The 53rd Infantry Regiment was an regiment of Infantry of the United States Army. It served as a part of the 7th Infantry Division for most of its history.
| 53rd Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
| Active | 1917−45 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Infantry regiment |
| Role | Light infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Motto(s) | "Courage Sans Peur" (Courage Without Fear) |
| Engagements | World War I World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Henning Linden |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia |  |
History edit
World War I edit
The 53rd Infantry Regiment, together with the 54th Infantry Regiment, served from November 1917 as 12th Infantry Brigade of the 6th Infantry Division.[1]
World War II edit
On 1 July 1940, Regiment was reactivated and assigned to the 7th Infantry Division at Camp Ord, California,[2] under the command of Major General Joseph W. Stilwell.[3] The 12th and 13th Infantry Brigade did not reactivate as part of an army-wide elimination of brigade commands within its divisions. The division was instead centered on three infantry regiments; the 17th Infantry Regiment,[4] the 32nd Infantry Regiment,[4] and the 53rd Infantry Regiment.[3] Most of the soldiers in the division were selective service soldiers, chosen as a part of the US Army's first peacetime military draft.[3]
The 7th Infantry Division was assigned to III Corps of the Fourth United States Army,[3] and that year it was sent to Oregon for tactical maneuvers. Division units also practiced boat loading at the Monterey Wharf and amphibious assault techniques at the Salinas River in California.[3] With the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, the division was sent to Camp San Luis Obispo to continue its training.[3] The 53rd Infantry Regiment was removed from the 7th Division and replaced with the 159th Infantry Regiment, newly deployed from the California Army National Guard.[3] The regiment then embarked to Alaska and garrisoned Adak Island.
The regiment's distinctive unit insignia (DUI) was redesignated for the 53d Infantry Battalion on 3 February 1947. According to Sawiecki's Infantry Regiments of the US Army, it was redesignated the 53rd Airborne Infantry Regiment and attached to the 101st Airborne Division on 15 September 1950. It was activated at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky on 29 September 1950 and inactivated at Camp Breckinridge on 1 December 1953. The DUI was redesignated for the 53rd Infantry Regiment on 24 March 1955.
References edit
- ^ McGrath, John J. (2004). The Brigade: A History: Its Organization and Employment in the US Army (PDF). Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-4404-4915-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
- ^ "Lineage and Honors Information: 7th Infantry Division". United States Army Center of Military History. 2009. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "7th Infantry Division Homepage: History". 7th Infantry Division. 2003. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ a b Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States. United States Government Printing Office. 1959. p. 592. ASIN B0006D8NKK.