INTRODUCTION
As the Civil War loomed the 14th Infantry Regiment was organized in 1861 as part of the expansion of the Regular Army. The 14th went on to compile a truly distinguished record during the Civil War. Its ranking Captain Paddy O'Connell who once said "I would take the 14th to the very gates of Hell, but I want the chance to whip the Devil when I get there" often led the 14th into battle.
When asked where the 14th should be placed in the Grand Review celebrating the Union victory, General George Meade, commander of the Army of the Potomac said, "To the right of the line. The 14th has always been to the front in battle and deserves the place of honor."
Continuing this tradition of gallantry in action was Musician Calvin P. Titus of Company E, who was first to scale the Peking Wall during the Boxer Rebellion, for which he received the Medal of Honor and an appointment to West Point.
Calvin P. Titus
(As a West Point Cadet)
During its long and gallant service to country the 14th Infantry continued to maintain the high standards set by men of the regiment such as Paddy O'Connell and Calvin Titus. The Regimental Color of the 14th Infantry carries 43 campaign streamers for action in the Civil War, Indian Wars, War With Spain, China Relief Expedition, Philippine Insurrection, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam. The Golden Dragons have been awarded a Navy Presidential Unit Citation, a Valorous Unit Award and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
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HISTORY OF THE 14TH INFANTRY
CIVIL WAR
As civil war loomed in May 1861, President Lincoln called for the constitution and organization of eight additional Regular Army infantry regiments (a ninth was shortly added). These regiments were designated the 11th through the 19th Infantry. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 14th Infantry was constituted on 3 May 1861 and organized at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut on 1 July 1861. Due to a lack of personnel the 3rd Battalion was not organized. On 30 April 1862, the 2nd Battalion from which the present 14th Infantry descends was redesignated the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry and the original 1st Battalion was redesignated the 2nd Battalion. On 17 March 1862 the 14th Infantry as part of the Army of the Potomac saw its first combat action in the Peninsula Campaign. The Regiment went on to see action in some of the most famous campaigns of the Civil War to include Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness and Petersburg.
The lack of an effective system of replacing casualties in infantry regiments resulted in the regiments becoming progressively smaller as the war continued. The small size of the units and the detailing of field-grade officers to higher staffs often resulted in a regiment being led by a company grade officer when in the field. Such was the case with the 14th which was often led into battle by its senior Captain Paddy O'Connell in whose honor O'Connell Field, Fort Davis, Panama Canal Zone was named.
In recognition of the regiment's heroic performance of duty during twelve of the bloodiest campaigns of the Civil War, General George Meade, awarded the 14th Infantry Regiment the place of honor at the "Right of the Line" in the Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac in Richmond, Virginia at the end of the war.
INDIAN WARS
The end of the Civil War saw the resumption of the Indian Wars as the tide of population flowed westward. Warring Indian nations and white lawlessness had to be suppressed and the task fell to the Regular Army. The 14th Infantry was sent to the Presidio of San Francisco in 1865 and from there the line companies were sent out to stations in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington.
To strengthen the Army for frontier service a major reorganization and expansion of the Regular Army infantry regiments took place in 1866 that increased the number of infantry regiments to forty-five. On 21 September 1866 the 1st Battalion was reorganized and expanded as the 14th Infantry Regiment. The 2nd Battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 23rd Infantry Regiment. It was also planned that each active infantry regiment's 3rd battalion would also cadre a new regiment. Consequently on 21 September 1865 the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry was organized and activated as the 32nd Infantry Regiment.
In 1869 Congress ordered a reduction in the number of infantry regiments to twenty-five. On 26 July 1869 the 45th Infantry, Veteran's Reserve Corps was consolidated with the 14th Infantry. From 9-31 August 1869, the 32nd Infantry (formally the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry) was consolidated with the 21st Infantry Regiment.
During the 1870's the 14th was assigned to Fort Randell in the Dakota Territory where for a period of ten years the Regiment fought the Sioux and other Indian tribes in the northwest. In 1880-1882 the 14th saw action in Utah, Colorado and Nebraska. In 1884 the Regiment was assigned to Vancouver Barracks, Washington were it remained for fourteen years. For its service in the Indian Wars the 14th received participation credit for four campaigns: Little Big Horn, Bannocks, Arizona 1866, and Wyoming 1874.
In 1898 the 14th deployed three rifle companies to the coast of southeastern Alaska to represent U.S. interests in a boundary dispute with Canada. An international commission subsequently ruled in favor of the United States
WAR WITH SPAIN AND THE PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION
With the declaration of war with Spain the 14th Infantry was ordered to the Philippines. On 2 July 1898, the 14th landed at Cavite Arsenal and a few days later participated in the siege and capture of Manila.
But the expected peace did not last. The Spanish-American War which ended on 12 August 1898, only marked the beginning of the 14th Infantry's real work. Aguinaldo, a leader in the Philippines Insurrection against Spain, had pronounced himself as the provincial head of the Filipino government and had begun active preparations to drive the Americans out. The first incident occurred on 4 February 1899 when the American troops defending Manila were attacked. The insurrection was to last nearly three years. Tropic heat, torrential rain, deep mud and jungle fever were the allies of the insurrectionists. Pitched battles were rare and except for the major engagements at Manila, Laguna de Bay, Zapote and Cavite, minor skirmishes, ambushes, long marches and reconnaissance occupied the 14th Infantry in 1899.
One of the 14th Infantry's most famous veterans, the distinguished author Peter B. Kyne, was then a member of Company L. His experiences while in the 14th Infantry afforded him an excellent opportunity to gather material for future stories. His entertaining and humorous stories of the hard-boiled company of "Right of the Liners" commanded by a captain known affectionately as "Auld-cut-the-daisies, have their origin and basis in the stern facts of the 14th Infantry's service during the Philippine Insurrection.
The 14th Infantry's service in the Philippines ended in November 1899 and the Regiment was reassigned to Fort Brady and Fort Wayne, Michigan.
CHINA RELIEF EXPEDITION
In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion broke out in China. Dissident Chinese who opposed the growing western influence in China attacked foreign missions. An international force responded to rescue the diplomats trapped in Peking. General Adna R. Chaffee led the American component that included the 14th Infantry. The Regiment reached China on July 28, and immediately struck out for Peking. On August 7 there was a sharp engagement in the village of Yang-tsun. The 14th, leading the international column, assaulted and captured the town. On 13 August the regiment reached the walls of Peking.
The Chinese firing from the top of the wall halted the advance and it was deemed necessary to silence it before attempting to storm the gates. To do so required getting soldiers on the wall which was some 30 feet high. However the regiment had no ropes or ladders to scale it. The Boxers had not physically occupied a section of the wall but it was covered by Chinese fire. There were many loose bricks in this section of the wall and it seemed possible for soldiers, by placing their hands and feet in the crevices, to scale the wall. Volunteers were called for. Musician Calvin P. Titus of Company E volunteered and was selected to make the first try. He struggled up the face of the wall and reached the top safely. Other soldiers followed Titus' courageous lead, and the 14th was soon topside in considerable force.
There was now some danger that the infantrymen on the wall might be mistaken for the enemy and be fired upon by other international troops. It was decided to place an American flag on the ramparts. A mounted messenger brought the Stars and Stripes through heavy fire to the foot of the wall, where it was quickly hauled to the top and unfurled with a loud American cheer.
The next day the regiment resumed its advance, supported by artillery fire from "Reilly's Battery", which blew down the gates to the Imperial City. The enemy was forced from three high walls and late in the afternoon from the sacred Forbidden City itself. Soon after, the Chinese rebels capitulated. The 14th was selected to lead the entry of allied troops into the fallen city.
For his heroic deed, Calvin P. Titus received an appointment to West Point and was awarded the Medal of Honor. The Chinese dubbed the Americans "Golden Dragons" for their fierce fighting spirit, and the Regiment continues to use that name today. The Chinese government, grateful to the American troops for helping to defeat the Boxer Rebellion, presented several bars of silver bullion to the 14th Infantry. There were molded into a regimental punch bowl, which was named the Calvin P. Titus Bowl.
REGIMENTAL ACTIVITIES 1901-1920
Back in Manila again a monotonous year was passed guarding warehouses and offices. Welcomed orders for the States came in June 1901, and the Regiment arrived in San Francisco 18 August. From here, the 1st Battalion left for its eastern station. Regimental headquarters and the 2nd Battalion went to Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The 3rd Battalion was split up between Fort Porter and Niagara, New York. It was while at Fort Porter that companies K and L stood guard over the house in which President McKinley lay dying from an assassin's bullet. After he died, Company I escorted the body to Canton, Ohio and stood guard as he lay in state.
Again in 1903, the regiment was ordered to the Philippines. After an uneventful trip, the 1st Battalion debarked to Camp Hartshore, Samar, while the remainder of the regiment proceeded to Camp Connell on the west coast of Samar. This brief uneventful stay in the islands was terminated in 1905, when orders assigned the regiment to its old home at Vancouver Barracks.
Ordinary garrison duty occupied the regiment until that fateful day in April 1906, when almost all the business section of San Francisco was razed by earthquake and the resulting fire. Practically the entire 14th Infantry was ordered to the stricken area. When the troops arrived four days later, the fires were still burning. Until the end of June, the regiment remained in San Francisco protecting property, issuing relief supplies, helping the police force and preventing the sale of liquor. Scarcely had the outfit settled down again to its duties at Vancouver Barracks, when in 1908 orders were received for a third Philippine tour.
This short stay in the Philippines also proved uneventful, and in 1910 the regiment was back in the States. The 1st Battalion went to Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, the 2nd to Fort Harrison, Montana, and the 3rd to Fort Missoula, Montana.
In 1913 the 1st Battalion was sent to Alaska and the remainder of the regiment was split between Forts Lawton and George Wright, Washington. The Mexican border troubles of 1916 drew the 2nd and 3rd battalions to Arizona. Operating from Fort Douglas and later Yuma the two battalions patrolled miles of the border from 11 May 1916 to 21 May 1917.
Upon the entrance of the United States into World War I in 1917, the regiment was ordered back to Vancouver Barracks to prepare for overseas service. However, before orders were received to sail, the Armistice was signed. The Regiment went through a number of moves beginning in November 1917 to camps in Washington, Iowa, Illinois ending up at Camp Custer, Michigan on 4 November 1919.
PANAMA
In 1920 the 14th Infantry was reassigned to the Panama Canal Zone. It arrived in Panama on 27 October 1920 and was stationed at Fort Davis with the mission of guarding the Gatun Locks. For the next 23 years the 14th remained in the Canal Zone where it acquired the unofficial nickname of "Jungleers". See photographs of the 14th Infantry in Panama at Ft. Davis and Atlantic Scenes - Panama Canal Zone in section 1, entitled "The Defenders".
WORLD WAR II
In June 1943 the Golden Dragons were ordered to Camp Carson Colorado where the Regiment was assigned to the 71st Light Division on 10 July 1943. The 14th along with the rest of the 71st Division underwent unit combat training at Camp Carson then at Camp Roberts, California and at Fort Benning Georgia. At Fort Benning the 71st was reorganized and redesignated as the 71st Infantry Division.
On 25 January the Golden Dragons sailed from New York, with the rest of the 71st Division arriving in Le Harve, France on 7 February 1945. The 14th then moved some 350 miles across France. At Ratzwiller the 71st Division relieved the 100th Division. On 21 March 1945 the 14th took part in the 71st Division's breaching the Siegfried Line and the capture of Piermasens. On 30 March the 71st crossed the Rhine and went into reserve near Frankfurt.
The 14th Infantry then participated along with its sister regiment the 5th Infantry in the elimination of bypassed German forces north of Hanau, Germany on 2 April 45. On 13 April 45 the Golden Dragons cut the main Berlin to Munich autobahn. On 14-16 April 45 the 14th participated in its heaviest combat as the 71st Division seized the town of Bayreuth, Germany. Bypassing German strongpoints the 71st Division sped south with the 14th Infantry crossing the Danube and participating in the seizure of the city of Regansburg on 27 April 45. From there the 14th made an assault crossing of the Isar River under fire and entered Austria on 2 May 45. The 71st Division linked up with advancing Soviet Army units east of Linz, Austria on 8 May 45 and hostilities ceased on 9 May 45.
REGIMENTAL ACTIVITIES 1945-1951
The 71st Division remained on occupation duty until 10 March 46 when it was returned to the US and inactivated. Both the 14th and the 5th Infantry Regiments were reassigned to U.S. Forces, European Theater and remained on occupation duty. The Golden Dragons were inactivated on 1 September 46 in Germany.
On 1 October 1948 the 14th Infantry Regiment was reactivated at Camp Carson Colorado as the main component of the 14th Regimental Combat Team assigned to the Fifth Army with the mission of mountain warfare.
KOREAN WAR
In responding to the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950 the
U.S. Army found itself desperately short of units to halt the Communist
advance. Continental U.S. (CONUS) units were stripped of personnel and equipment and sent to Korea on a priority basis. On 21 July 1950 the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry was reassigned to the Far East Command and then to the 1st Cavalry Division
where it was redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment. Unlike other units that had been cobbled together at the last minute, the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry was at full strength and due to its rigorous training in mountain warfare was in excellent shape to fight in the Korean mountains.
On 23 July 1951, the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry was transferred to Fort
Benning where it was assigned to and redesignated as a battalion in one of
the 3rd Infantry Division's regiments. The 3rd Division was initially sent
to Japan then to Korea. The remaining personnel and equipment of the 14th
Infantry at Camp Carson were reassigned to other CONUS units. On 1 August
1951 the 14th Infantry less personnel and equipment was assigned to the 25th
Infantry Division then fighting in Korea. To man and equip the 14th Infantry
the assets of the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Division, then
conducting infantry training in Japan, were used. The 14th Infantry moved to
Korea where it replaced the 24th Infantry Regiment, which was being
inactivated as part of the integration of the Army.
The next two years found the Regiment in almost constant combat along the 38th Parallel defending places like "The Punchbowl" and "Porkchop Hill". The 14th Infantry's service in Korea earned the Regiment five campaign streamers and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry at Munsan-Ni.
PACIFIC STRATEGIC RESERVE
On 10 September 54 the 25th Infantry Division was reassigned back to its birthplace at Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii. By 17 October all of the 14th Infantry had arrived at Schofield Barracks where the regiment settled into garrison duties and began an intensive jungle warfare training program in accordance with the Tropic Lightning's mission of being the Army's strategic reserve for the Pacific.
In 1957 the Army concluded that tactical infantry regiments would be obsolete on the atomic battlefield and decided to replace them with infantry battle groups. To preserve the lineage and honors of the historic combat arms regiments the Army instituted the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS). In the case of an infantry regiment the original companies of an historic regiment would be redesignated as the headquarters company of a battle group bearing the regimental designation with the battle group's organic companies being concurrently constituted and activated. If a separate infantry company were needed, one of the original line companies of the regiment would be activated. The 14th Infantry was selected as one of the historic regiments in CARS. Initially the 14th Infantry fielded three battle groups and two separate rifle companies.
The 1st Battle Group, 14th Infantry (descending from Company A), was activated at Schofield Barracks on 1 February 1957 and assigned to the 25th Division. Personnel and equipment of the 14th not used to form the 1st Battle Group were used to man and equip the 2nd Battle Group, 19th Infantry one of four other battle groups being activated at Schofield Barracks at that time.
In 1963, the Army decided that battle groups were not the answer and reorganized them into battalions using the CARS. Thus the 1st Battle Group, 14th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry on 26 August 1963. Also activated and assigned to the 25th on that date was the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry (descending from Company B) which had previously served as the 2nd Battle Group, 14th Infantry at Fort Benning Georgia from 1957-1960.
As part of the overall Division training program both battalions underwent tough realistic advanced unit training. This included participating in the Code of Conduct training to teach soldiers on how they should conduct themselves in response to propaganda and harassment if ever captured by the enemy. In addition the battalions went through the Division's Jungle Warfare Center where all aspects of fighting in jungle warfare were taught including helicopter operations and patrolling.
Since 1963 the Division, to include both battalions of the 14th Infantry, had been providing door gunners on temporary duty for helicopter units already in Vietnam. As the premier jungle warfare division of the Army it was only a matter of time before the Tropic Lightning would be ordered to Vietnam.
THE 14TH INFANTRY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR
1ST BATTALION
In the fall of 1965 the 25th Division received its expected orders to Vietnam. The initial brigade to go was the 3rd Brigade composed of the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 9th Artillery. The urgency of getting the 3rd Brigade to the Central Highlands of Vietnam led to the Army and Air Force undertaking Operation Blue Light, a massive airlift of the entire 3rd Brigade from Hawaii to Pleiku. The airlift began on 28 December 1965 and was successfully concluded on 17 January 1966.
Commanded by LTC Gilbert Procter, Jr., the 1/14th spent most of 1966 operating along the Cambodian border as part of the 3rd Brigade's mission of preventing the North Vietnamese from cutting South Vietnam in half. In November 1966, elements of the 1st Battalion engaged two battalions of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. Among the numerous Golden Dragons performing heroically during these engagements, two members of the 1st Battalion - 1st Lt. Joseph Grant and Sgt. Ted Belcher were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Addenda: 1st Battalion Operations Vietnam, 1966-1967.
The 1st Battalion was reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division on 1 August 1967 as part of the exchange of 3rd Brigades between the 25th and 4th Infantry Divisions. The 1st Battalion participated in a total of 12 Vietnam campaigns, receiving the Navy Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry in action at Chu Lai. Company A received the Valorous Unit Award for action in Quang Ngai Province. In addition the 1st Battalion received four awards of the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and one award of the Vietnam Civil Action Medal, First Class.
On 8 December 1970 the 1st Battalion was reduced to zero strength at An Khe, Vietnam with the exception of a battalion color guard which returned the battalion colors to Schofield Barracks. On 15 December 1970 the 1st Battalion was reassigned to the 25th Division and the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry was inactivated with its personnel and equipment reassigned to the 1st Battalion.
2ND BATTALION
The 1st Brigade of the 25th Division to which the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry was assigned was scheduled to be the last of the three maneuver brigades to deploy to Vietnam. The Brigade was shy two of its three infantry battalions. When the 25th was reorganized from battle groups to battalions in 1963 two of the nine authorized infantry battalions were not activated as a cost saving measure. Initially the plan was to activate and train two new battalions for the 1st Brigade but the timetable was too short. Adding to the problem was the need to heavily levy the 2nd Battalion for fillers for infantry battalions of the 3rd Brigade, which left in December 1965 and of the 2nd Brigade, which departed Schofield in January 1966. To round out the 1st Brigade two battalions assigned to Alaska -- the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry and the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry -- were reassigned to the 1st Brigade on 14 January 1966.
By February 1966 the 2nd Battalion began receiving large numbers of replacements, most directly out of Advanced Individual Training. This resulted in an accelerated unit training program to ready the battalion for deployment. To enhance developing unit cohesiveness and to create espirit-de-corps the 2nd Battalion took the informal nickname of Battle Dragons. A "Battle Dragon Chant" was also written and used in battalion formations.
In early April the 1st Brigade was alerted for movement to Vietnam. On 16 April 1966 the USNS Nelson M. Walker sailed from Pearl Harbor with the entire 1st Brigade aboard. The ship arrived at Vung Tau near Saigon on 28 April. The 2nd Battalion left the ship on 30 April and was moved by truck and aircraft to Cu Chi.
In their first two years in Vietnam the Battle Dragons of the 2nd Battalion made it clear to the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese that they were prepared to meet and defeat any attack on their unit. And they would take the offensive to seek out and destroy the enemy wherever he could be found.
In 1967 the 2nd Battalion conducted a variety of missions that took the Battalion from the Mekong Delta at the beginning of the year to War Zone C at the close. The Battle Dragons shifted their base camp from Cu Chi to Tay Ninh in conjunction with stepped-up operations in War Zone C.
The operations of 1967 ranged in scope from security missions near Bien Hoa during Operation Uniontown and at Dau Tieng during Junction City to civil action east of Cu Chi on Barking Sands, and finally, during Operation Yellowstone, a large-scale offensive operations in War Zone C at Katum.
In its over four years of combat in Vietnam, the 2nd Battalion received participation credit for 12 of the campaigns of the Vietnam War. The battalion received two awards of the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and one award of the Vietnam Civic Action Medal First Class. On 8 December 1970 the 2nd Battalion left Vietnam and returned to Schofield Barracks. The battalion was inactivated on 5 June 1972. Addenda: 2nd Battalion Operations Vietnam, 1966-1968.
3rd BATTALION
To provide for a Pacific area strategic reserve for contingencies other than the on going Vietnam War, the Army activated the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks on 6 December 1969. The 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry was activated as one of the 4th Brigade's three infantry battalions.
The 3rd Battalion (descending from Company C) was initially activated under CARS as the 3rd Battle Group, 14th Infantry on 1 June 1959 and assigned to the 102nd Infantry Division, U.S. Army Reserve at Kansas City, Missouri. The 3rd Battle Group was reorganized and redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry on 1 April 1963. On 31 December 1965 the 3rd Battalion was inactivated. It was allotted back to the Regular Army on 6 December1969 and activated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii as a component of the 4th Brigade, 25th Division.
As the 25th Division returned to Schofield Barracks from Vietnam to resume its traditional mission of being the strategic reserve for the Pacific area the 4th Brigade along with the 3rd Battalion 14th Infantry was inactivated on 15 December 1970. The personnel and equipment of the 3rd Battalion was used to re-man and re-equip the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry.
COMPANY E
Company E served in Vietnam from 30 June 1971 to 20 November 1972 as a separate rifle security company assigned to the U.S. Army Support Command with the mission of guarding the Long Binh support facility. Company E received campaign participation credit for the last four campaigns of the Vietnam War.
VIETNAM ADDENDA
OPERATION DATES CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM (1/14th)
KAMEHAMEHA I 29 January 1966
KAMEHAMEHA II January 1966
KAMEHAMEHA III January 1966
TAYLOR 5-8 February 1966
GARFIELD 25 February - 31 March 1966
LINCOLN 1-7 April 1966
PAUL REVERE 10 May - 5 December 1966
SAM HOUSTON 1 January - 5 April 1967
FRANCIS MARION 5 April - 15 April 1967
TASK FORCE OREGON 15 Apr - 31 July? 1967
to be added to later
OPERATION DATES CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM (2/14th)
AKRON 8-11 May 1966
JAGGERWALK 13 May 1966
WAHIAWA 16-27 May 1966
FARGO 12 June 1966
FORT SMITH 3 June - 3 July 1966
OPORD 6-7 June 1966
POAMOHO 9 July 1966
OPORD1 4-16 July 1966
MOKULEIA 19-21 July 1966
OPORD 24-27 July 1966
OAHU 1 August - 14 September 1966
KAMUELA 20 September - 3 October 1966
KALIHI 6 October - 8 November 1966
KAILUA 8-9 November 1966
ATTLEBORO 9-24 November 1966
LANIKAI 13 February 1967
JUNCTION CITY 19 February - 15 March 1967
BASE CAMP DEFENSE 15 March - 6 April 1967
MAKALAPA II 7-17 April 1967
MANHATTAN 23 April - 15 May 1967
BARKING SANDS 15 May - 8 December 1967
CLIP 15 May - 15 September 1967
AKUMU 8-25 July 1967
CORONADO II 30 July - 2 August 1967
WAIMEA 22-26 August 1967
THE IRON TRIANGLE 26-28 August 1967
KUNIA 15 September - 29 October 1967
UNIONTOWN 30 October - 17 November 1967
YELLOWSTONE 8 Dec. 1967 - 24 February 1968
CAMDEN 15-28 December 1967
QUYET THANG (Wilderness) 11 March - 7 April 1968
TOAN THANG I 12 April - 31 May 1968
TOAN THANG II 1 June - 1 October 1968
POST-VIETNAM
As part of the overall post-Vietnam draw-down of the Army only the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division remained active. The 1st Battalion 14th Infantry was assigned to the 1st Brigade and the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry was inactivated but remained assigned to the Tropic Lightning.
In 1981 the Army replaced the Combat Arms Regimental System with the US Army Regimental System (USARS) in conjunction with the decision to abandon the long established individual replacement system with a unit replacement system featuring like organized battalions of the same regiment assigned to both CONUS and overseas commands. The theory was that every soldier would be assigned to a regiment and would spend most of his service time rotating between battalions of his regiment.
Initially the Army planned to severely reduce the number of historic infantry regiments that furnish battalions to combat divisions from 59 to 26. As part of this reduction the 25th Division was to lose all its original regiments to the training base including the 14th Infantry. The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry was scheduled to be assigned to Fort Benning Georgia with a basic training mission and would be replaced in the Division by the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry. However cooler heads prevailed as Tropic Lightning and Golden Dragon alumni vociferously opposed the plan.
Instead, in 1986 the 14th Infantry was reorganized with four active light infantry battalions. Two battalions were assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and two battalions were assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. Both divisions had been reorganized as light infantry with the 10th having two active brigades and the 25th once again having three active brigades.
1ST BATTALION
In 1972, the 1st Battalion was transferred from the 1st Brigade to the 2nd Brigade where it has served ever since.
2ND BATTALION
Relieved from inactive assignment to 25th Division and assigned to the 10th Mountain Division on 17 January 1986 and reactivated at Fort Benning Georgia.
Battalion later reassigned to Fort Drum, New York. In 1993 the 2nd Battalion was deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Continue Hope. On 3 October 1993 the 2nd Battalion Quick Reaction Force fought a six hour battle with Somali militia to successfully rescue Rangers trapped in the capital of Mogadishu. For its gallantry the 2nd Battalion received a Valorous Unit Award. In 1997 the battalion was deployed to Haiti for several months and in 1997 it was deployed to Bosnia from March-to November 1997. It later deployed to Kosovo November 2001 to May 2002.
3RD BATTALION
The 3rd Battalion was activated on 6th November 1969, assigned to the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and was inactivated on 15 December 1970. On 17 January 1986 it was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and reactivated at Fort Benning. It was later transferred to Fort Drum. On 15 April 1996 the 3rd Battalion was inactivated.
5TH BATTALION
Company E redesignated on 16 September 1986 as Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 14th Infantry assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and activated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii (organic battalion elements concurrently constituted and activated). On 15 August 1995 the 5th Battalion was inactivated.
NOTE: Personnel of the 14th Infantry were to rotate between assignments with the battalions at Fort Drum and the battalions at Schofield Barracks. However the unit rotational plan was never fully implemented. By 1990 the Army belatedly recognized that with the large force draw down after Desert Storm and with the increasing requirements of peace keeping duties, a unit replacement system based on the Army's organization as of 1986 could not be sustained. The Army therefore decided to return to the individual replacement system.
In 1995 as part of the Army's plan to retain all of the historic infantry regiments in the active force and to restore the traditional ties between regiments and divisions, a massive reflagging of units took place. As a result the 3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry and the 5th Battalion, 14th Infantry were inactivated.
GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM
1ST BATTALION
In January 2004 as part of the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, the 1st Battalion,14th Infantry deployed to Iraq. Organized as a task force the 1st Battalion initially conducted security and stability operations in and around the city of Kirkuk. While attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division the 1st Battalion participated in the battle for the city of Samarra from 1 October to 1 November 2004. For its gallantry in that battle the battalion received a Valorous Unit Award. The 1st Battalion also served as a reaction force against insurgent activity in the cities of Tal Afar, Najaf and Mosul. In 2006-2005 the 1st Battalion was reorganized and reequipped as a Stryker-mounted infantry battalion. In December 2007 the battalion began its second tour of duty in Iraq with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team based in Taji, Iraq.
2ND BATTALION
The 2nd Battalion is assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY. It is organized as a light infantry battalion. The 2nd Battalion was first deployed to Iraq in March 2003 as a battalion task force that operated in northern Iraq alongside the 173rd Airborne Brigade. From June 2004-June 2005 the 2nd Battalion served with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in the Baghdad area for which the battalion was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation. The 2nd Battalion once again returned to Iraq serving with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from August 2006 to November 2007. More information on the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry.
Other 14th Infantry Regiment Resources
1st/14th Infantry "Golden Dragons" - Vietnam This site, contrary to its title, includes information on the 14th Infantry Regiment's history prior to Vietnam. Included are photos, maps, a Golden Dragon Alumni newsletter, articles about specific operations from Stars and Stripes, and more.
2/14th Golden Dragons - Vietnam Includes a Golden Dragons Vet Finder, Battalion Annual Reports, After Action Reports, Quarterly Evaluation Reports and "Lessons Learned". A personal narrative of one year with the 2/14th, "Tales of a War Far Away", is also on this site.
COAT OF ARMS
Motto: The Right of the Line
Symbolism: Service in the Civil War is shown by the white cross pattee, the badge of Sykes' Regular division of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Indian campaigns are indicated by the arrows. The 14th Infantry was at the capture of Manila during the War with Spain, symbolized by the castle, and in the fighting around the same city in 1899 during the Philippine Insurrection, indicated by the palm.
The dragon in the crest symbolizes service in the China Relief Expedition. The motto is the much prized remark made by General Meade directing the station of the regiment in the review just after the Civil War.
DISTINCTIVE INSIGNIA
The distinctive insignia is a gold imperial Chinese dragon placed against a red conventionalized Spanish castle with the motto "The Right of the Line" in gold letters on a blue ribbon scroll. The dragon is the crest of the coat of arms and the castle is one of the charges on the regimental shield.
COMMENT ON REGIMENT MOTTO
The significance of the position on the Right of the Line has two interpretations. Those holding this position as the troops passed before the dignitaries on the review stand enjoyed greater recognition and could bask in the accolades to a greater degree. In battle, though, the right flank's importance took on greater significance, dating from ancient times. '...Often an allied general or a favored subordinate was given command of this unshielded flank. Since the shields were worn on the left arm, the right-flank units had to be the strongest--they could not falter or the rest of the army would expose a shieldless flank to the enemy.' - From T.L. Gore's article 'Enemies Without--and Within,' MILITARY HISTORY/August 1989, page 14. Thanks to Bob Clements and Kirk Ramsey for this cite.
14TH INFANTRY REGIMENT LINEAGE AND HONORS
Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 2d Battalion, 14th
Infantry
Organized 1 July 1861 at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut
Reorganized and redesignated 30 April 1862 as the 1st Battalion, 14th
Infantry
Reorganized and redesignated 21 September 1866 as the 14th Infantry
Consolidated 26 July 1869 with the 45th Infantry, Veteran Reserve Corps
(constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated as the
14th Infantry
Assigned 27 July 1918 to the 19th Division
Relieved 14 February 1919 from assignment to the 19th Division
Assigned 10 July 1943 to the 71st Light Division (later redesignated
as the 71st Infantry Division)
Relieved 1 May 1946 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division
Inactivated 1 September 1946 in Germany
Activated 1 October 1948 at Camp Carson, Colorado
Assigned 1 August 1951 to the 25th Infantry Division
Relieved 1 February 1957 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division
and reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System
Withdrawn 1 March 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized
under the United States Army Regimental System
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Civil War
Peninsula
Manassas
Antietam
Fredericksburg
Chancellorsville
Gettysburg
Wilderness
Spotsylvania
Cold Harbor
Petersburg
Virginia 1862
Virginia 1863
Indian Wars
Little Big Horn
Bannocks
Arizona 1866
Wyoming 1874
War with Spain
Manila
China Relief Expedition
Yang-tsun
Peking
Philippine Insurrection
Manila
Laguna de Bay
Zapote River
Cavite
Luzon 1899
World War II
Rhineland
Central Europe
Korean War
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
Second Korean Winter
Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
Third Korean Winter
Korea, Summer 1953
Vietnam
Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase II
Counteroffensive, Phase III
Tet Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase IV
Counteroffensive, Phase V
Counteroffensive, Phase VI
Tet 69/Counteroffensive
Summer-Fall 1969
Winter-Spring 1970
Sanctuary Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase VII
Consolidation I
Consolidation II
Cease-Fire
War On Terrorism
* Counteroffensive
DECORATIONS
Presidential Unit Citation (Navy), Streamer embroidered CHU LAI
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered MOGADISHU
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered SAMARRA, IRAQ
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered MUNSAN-NI
1ST BATTALION, 14TH INFANTRY REGIMENT LINEAGE AND HONORS
Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Company A, 2d Battalion,
14th Infantry
Organized 8 July 1861 at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut
Reorganized and redesignated 30 April 1862 as Company A, 1st Battalion,
14th Infantry
Reorganized and redesignated 21 September 1866 as Company A, 14th Infantry
Consolidated 26 July 1869 with Company G, 45th Infantry, Veteran Reserve
Corps (constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated
as Company A, 14th Infantry
(14th Infantry assigned 27 July 1918 to the 19th Division; relieved
14 February 1919 from assignment to the 19th Division; assigned 10 July
1943 to the 71st Light Division [later redesignated as the 71st Infantry
Division]; relieved 1 May 1946 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 September 1946 in Germany
Activated 1 October 1948 at Camp Carson, Colorado
(14th Infantry assigned 1 August 1951 to the 25th Infantry Division)
Reorganized and redesignated 1 February 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 1st Battle Group, 14th Infantry, and remained assigned to the
25th Infantry Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
Reorganized and redesignated 26 August 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 14th
Infantry
Relieved 1 August 1967 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division
and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division
Relieved 15 December 1970 from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division
and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Civil War
* Peninsula
* Manassas
* Antietam
* Fredericksburg
* Chancellorsville
* Gettysburg
* Wilderness
* Spotsylvania
* Cold Harbor
* Petersburg
* Virginia 1862
* Virginia 1863
Indian Wars
Little Big Horn
Bannocks
Arizona 1866
Wyoming 1874
War with Spain
* Manila
China Relief Expedition
Yang-tsun
Peking
Philippine Insurrection
* Manila
* Laguna de Bay
* Zapote River
Cavite
* Luzon 1899
World War II
* Rhineland
* Central Europe
Korean War
* UN Summer-Fall Offensive
* Second Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
* Third Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer 1953
Vietnam
* Counteroffensive
* Counteroffensive, Phase II
* Counteroffensive, Phase III
* Tet Counteroffensive
* Counteroffensive, Phase IV
* Counteroffensive, Phase V
* Counteroffensive, Phase VI
* Tet 69/Counteroffensive
* Summer-Fall 1969
* Winter-Spring 1970
* Sanctuary Counteroffensive
* Counteroffensive, Phase VII
War On Terrorism
* Counteroffensive
DECORATIONS
* Presidential Unit Citation (Navy), Streamer embroidered CHU LAI
* Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered SAMARRA, IRAQ
* Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered
MUNSAN-NI
* Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered
VIETNAM 1966-1967
* Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered
VIETNAM 1967-1969
* Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered
VIETNAM 1969-1970
* Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer
embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1969
Company A additionally entitled to:
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered QUANG NGAI
PROVINCE
2ND BATTALION, 14TH INFANTRY REGIMENT LINEAGE AND HONORS
Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Company B, 2d Battalion,
14th Infantry
Organized 8 July 1861 at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut
Reorganized and redesignated 30 April 1862 as Company B, 1st Battalion,
14th Infantry
Reorganized and redesignated 21 September 1866 as Company B, 14th Infantry
Consolidated 26 July 1869 with Company A, 45th Infantry, Veteran Reserve
Corps (constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated
as Company B, 14th Infantry
(14th Infantry assigned 27 July 1918 to the 19th Division; relieved
14 February 1919 from assignment to the 19th Division; assigned 10 July
1943 to the 71st Light Division [later redesignated as the 71st Infantry
Division]; relieved 1 May 1946 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 September 1946 in Germany
Activated 1 October 1948 at Camp Carson, Colorado
(14th Infantry assigned 1 August 1951 to the 25th Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 February 1957 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and relieved
from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division
Redesignated 17 May 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d
Battle Group, 14th Infantry (organic elements concurrently constituted)
Battle Group activated 25 May 1957 at Fort Benning, Georgia
Assigned 1 July 1958 to the 1st Infantry Brigade
Inactivated 16 May 1960 at Fort Benning, Georgia
Relieved 25 June 1960 from assignment to the 1st Infantry Brigade
Redesignated 21 June 1963 as the 2d Battalion, 14th Infantry, and assigned
to the 25th Infantry Division
Activated 26 August 1963 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Inactivated 5 June 1972 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Relieved 17 January 1986 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division,
assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Benning,
Georgia
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Civil War
* Peninsula
* Manassas
* Antietam
* Fredericksburg
* Chancellorsville
* Gettysburg
* Wilderness
* Spotsylvania
* Cold Harbor
* Petersburg
* Virginia 1862
*Virginia 1863
Indian Wars
* Little Big Horn
Bannocks
* Arizona 1866
Wyoming 1874
War with Spain
Manila
China Relief Expedition
Yang-tsun
Peking
Philippine Insurrection
Manila
* Laguna de Bay
* Zapote River
Cavite
* Luzon 1899
World War II
* Rhineland
* Central Europe
Korean War
* UN Summer-Fall Offensive
* Second Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
* Third Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer 1953
Vietnam
* Counteroffensive
* Counteroffensive, Phase II
* Counteroffensive, Phase III
* Tet Counteroffensive
* Counteroffensive, Phase IV
* Counteroffensive, Phase V
* Counteroffensive, Phase VI
* Tet 69/Counteroffensive
* Summer-Fall 1969
* Winter-Spring 1970
* Sanctuary Counteroffensive
* Counteroffensive, Phase VII
War On Terrorism
* Counteroffensive
DECORATIONS
* Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered MOGADISHU
* Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2004-2005
* Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered
MUNSAN-NI
* Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered
VIETNAM 1966-1968
* Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered
VIETNAM 1968-1970
* Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer
embroidered VIETNAM 1966-1970
3D BATTALION, 14TH INFANTRY REGIMENT LINEAGE AND HONORS
Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Company F, 2d Battalion,
14th Infantry
Organized 8 July 1861 at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut
Reorganized and redesignated 30 April 1862 as Company F, 1st Battalion,
14th Infantry
Reorganized and redesignated 21 September 1866 as Company F, 14th Infantry
Consolidated 26 July 1869 with Company C, 45th Infantry, Veteran Reserve
Corps (constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated
as Company C, 14th Infantry
(14th Infantry assigned 27 July 1918 to the 19th Division; relieved
14 February 1919 from assignment to the 19th Division; assigned 10 July
1943 to the 71st Light Division [later redesignated as the 71st Infantry
Division]; relieved 1 May 1946 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 September 1946 in Germany
Activated 1 October 1948 at Camp Carson, Colorado
(14th Infantry assigned 1 August 1951 to the 25th Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 February 1957 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division; concurrently, redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battle Group, 14th Infantry
Withdrawn 11 May 1959 from the Regular Army, allotted to the Army Reserve, and assigned to the 102d Infantry Division (organic elements concurrently constituted)
Battle Group activated 1 June 1959 with Headquarters at Kansas City, Missouri (Headquarters and Headquarters Company concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 406th Infantry, and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battle Group, 14th Infantry
Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1963 as the 3d Battalion, 14th
Infantry
Inactivated 30 December 1965 at Kansas City, Missouri, and relieved from assignment to the 102d Infantry Division
Withdrawn 6 December 1969 from the Army Reserve, allotted to the Regular Army , assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, and activated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Inactivated 15 December 1970 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Relieved 2 March 1986 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division,
assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia
Inactivated 15 April 1996 at Fort Drum, New York, and relieved from assignment to the 10th Mountain Division
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Civil War
* Peninsula
* Manassas
* Antietam
* Fredericksburg
Chancellorsville
Gettysburg
* Wilderness
* Spotsylvania
* Cold Harbor
* Petersburg
* Virginia 1862
* Virginia 1863
Indian Wars
* Little Big Horn
* Bannocks
Arizona 1866
Wyoming 1874
War with Spain
* Manila
China Relief Expedition
Yang-tsun
Peking
Philippine Insurrection
* Manila
* Laguna de Bay
* Zapote River
Cavite
* Luzon 1899
World War II
* Rhineland
* Central Europe
Korean War
* UN Summer-Fall Offensive
* Second Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
* Third Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer 1953
DECORATIONS
* Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered
MUNSAN-NI
5TH BATTALION, 14TH INFANTRY REGIMENT LINEAGE AND HONORS
Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Company E, 2d Battalion,
14th Infantry
Organized 8 July 1861 at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut
Reorganized and redesignated 30 April 1862 as Company E, 1st Battalion,
14th Infantry
Reorganized and redesignated 21 September 1866 as Company E, 14th Infantry
Consolidated 26 July 1869 with Company D, 45th Infantry, Veteran Reserve
Corps (constituted 21 September 1866), and consolidated unit designated
as Company E, 14th Infantry
(14th Infantry assigned 27 July 1918 to the 19th Division; relieved
14 February 1919 from assignment to the 19th Division; assigned 10 July
1943 to the 71st Light Division [later redesignated as the 71st Infantry
Division]; relieved 1 May 1946 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 September 1946 in Germany
Activated 1 October 1948 at Camp Carson, Colorado
(14th Infantry assigned 1 August 1951 to the 25th Infantry Division)
Inactivated 1 February 1957 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division; concurrently, redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Battle Group, 14th Infantry
Redesignated 21 December 1960 as Company E, 14th Infantry
Activated 24 December 1960 in Korea
Inactivated 1 January 1966 in Korea
Activated 30 June 1971 in Vietnam
Inactivated 26 November 1972 in Vietnam
Redesignated 16 December 1986 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 14th Infantry, assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, and activated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
Battalion inactivated 15 August 1995 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Civil War
* Peninsula
* Manassas
* Antietam
* Fredericksburg
* Chancellorsville
* Gettysburg
* Wilderness
* Spotsylvania
* Cold Harbor
* Petersburg
* Virginia 1862
* Virginia 1863
Indian Wars
Little Big Horn
* Bannocks
Arizona 1866
Wyoming 1874
War with Spain
* Manila
China Relief Expedition
* Yang-tsun
* Peking
Philippine Insurrection
* Manila
* Laguna de Bay
* Zapote River
* Cavite
* Luzon 1899
World War II
* Rhineland
* Central Europe
Korean War
* UN Summer-Fall Offensive
* Second Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
* Third Korean Winter
* Korea, Summer 1953
Vietnam
* Counteroffensive, Phase VII
* Consolidation I
* Consolidation II
* Cease-Fire
DECORATIONS
* Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered
MUNSAN-NI
(Unofficial 5th Battalion patch not authorized for wear on the uniform)
-- History researched and organized by John Keliher. Lineage and Honors Statements furnished by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Additional information provided by Larry Weist and Thomas Jones.
