The Old Guard traces its history to the First American Regiment organized in 1784 under command of Lieutenant Colonel Josiah Harmar, a veteran of the American Revolution. The 1st Infantry saw its first combat in an unsuccessful campaign against the Miami tribe in modern-day Ohio in the 1790. This was followed by devastating losses at St. Clair’s Defeat in 1791.
Artists depiction of Anthony Wayne near the banks of the Maumee River in Ohio, August 1794.
In 1792 the United States Army was reorganized into the Legion of the United States, with the 1st Infantry forming the nucleus of the 1st Sub-Legion. (Sub-Legions were the remote ancestors of today’s Brigade Combat Teams, with organic Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery units.) On August 20, 1794, along with the most of the Legion’s units under the command of Major General Anthony Wayne, the 1st Sub-Legion was engaged at the decisive victory of the Legion over the Miamis at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
In 1795 the Legion was reorganized along more traditional lines and reverted to being called the United States Army. In the reorganization the 1st Sub-Legion was redesignated as the 1st Infantry Regiment.
As of 1805, six of the regiment’s ten companies were in St. Louis, Missouri, with the other four located at Fort Massac, Fort Dearborn, Fort Adams, Mississippi and Fort Wayne in Detroit.
War of 1812 and reorganization of the Army
During the War of 1812 the 1st Infantry served in Upper Canada and saw action at the battle’s of Chippewa and Lundy’s Lane.
After the end of the War of 1812 in early 1815, the Army had a total of 44 Infantry regiments which were consolidated into only eight regiments. Rather than preserving the existing designations of the Army’s oldest units, it was decided instead to consolidate units based on their geographic proximity rather than seniority. This is why the 3rd Infantry is the oldest Infantry unit in the active United States Army rather than the 1st Infantry.
1815 to 1861
As of November 30, 1819, the regiment was located on the northwestern frontier at Fort Howard in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As of November 9, 1822, the regiment had 6 companies in Green Bay, two in Sarnac and two in Chicago.
The annual report of the Army from 1826 showed that the regiment had been re-located to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
As of November 1837 the regiment’s headquarters and six companies were at Fort Jesup in Louisiana with the other four companies at Fort Towson in Arkansas.
From 1840 to 1843 the 3rd Infantry fought in the Seminole War in Florida.
During the Mexican War the regiment fought in most of the major battles of the war including Palo Alto, Monterey, the invasion and Siege of Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Churubusco and Chapultepec which led to the capture and occupation of Mexico City.
From 1856 to 1860 the regiment served in New Mexico where it fought the Navajo Indian tribe.
After serving in New Mexico, the regiment was spread out to various posts on the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas.
American Civil War
The 3rd Infantry saw extensive service during the American Civil War and was credited with 12 campaigns. Detachments from the regiment were serving at Fort Pickens in Florida and in Saluria on the Gulf Coast of Texas when the war began in April 1861. Three companies of the 3rd Infantry surrendered on April 25. Five of the regiment’s 10 companies were engaged at the Battle of Bull Run on July 20, 1861.
The regiment spent most of the war assigned to the Army of the Potomac and served mostly in Virginia. From May 1862 to March 1864 it served with 1st Brigade, 2nd Division of the 5th Corps. In March 1864 it was reassigned to the 4th Brigade, 1st Division of the 5th Corps. It participated in the Siege of Yorktown (part of the Peninsular Campaign), the Battle of Cold Harbor, the Battle of Malvern Hill, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Appomattox.
1865 to 1917
After the Civil War, the 3rd Infantry served in Kansas, Colorado and the Indian Territory (later the state of Oklahoma) from 1866 to 1874. It then served in Louisiana and Mississippi from 1874 to 1877 and Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota from 1877 to 1898.[14]
During the Spanish–American War, the regiment served in Cuba from June 14 to August 25, 1898, where it participated in the Santiago Campaign and fought at the Battle of San Juan Hill.[14]
After returning from Cuba, the 3rd Infantry was stationed at Fort Snelling in Minnesota. On October 5, 1898, a force of about 80 men—including soldiers of the 3rd Infantry, U.S. Marshals and Indian Police—fought in the Battle of Sugar Point against 17 members of the local Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians near the Leech Lake Reservation. The United States forces lost 6 soldiers and one Indian Police officer killed and another 14 wounded. There were no casualties among the Chippewa. Hospital Steward (later Major) Oscar Burkard received the Medal of Honor for rescuing casualties during the battle. The Battle of Sugar Point was the last battle fought between the United States Army and Native Americans.
The 3rd Infantry also served in the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection from February 3, 1899, to April 15, 1902. It then returned to the United States where it was stationed in Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois. It was then sent to Alaska were it served from July 1, 1904, to August 6, 1906, when it was sent to Washington state until it was sent back to the Philippines about 1909.[14]
As of August 1914 the Regiment’s headquarters, along with the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, were located at Madison Barracks, New York. The 1st Battalion was located at Fort Ontario, New York.[15]
Mexican Border and World War I
In 1916 the 3rd Infantry was sent, along with most of the U.S. Army, to the Mexican Border to guard against hostile insurgents as well as to deter a possible invasion by Mexico.
During World War I, the headquarters of the 3rd Infantry, along with the 3d Battalion, was posted at Camp Eagle Pass in Texas. The 1st Battalion was located at Del Rio, Texas and the 2nd Battalion was at Fort Sam Houston. Throughout the war the regiment was assigned to patrolling the Mexican Border and did not see action.
Interwar period (1919–39
Following the establishment of the United States Border Patrol, the 3rd Infantry was relocated to Camp Sherman in Ohio on 14 October 1920. The Regiment marched 941 miles from Camp Sherman to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, arriving on 17 November 1921. Upon arrival the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were inactivated on 18 November 1921 and the 1st Battalion assumed garrison duties. The regiment was re-organized as a combat regiment when the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were re-activated on 8 June 1922.
On 24 March 1923 regiment was assigned to the 7th Division. On 15 August 1927 the regiment was reassigned to the 6th Division.
On 1 October 1933 the regiment reverted to being assigned to the 7th Division. On 22 April 1939 the regiment conducted a review for Crown Prince Frederick and Princess Ingrid of Denmark.
World War II
During World War II, the 3rd Infantry served as an separate regiment and was not assigned to a combat division.
On 16 October 1939 it was relieved from assignment to the 7th Division and assigned to the 6th Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. In November 1940 the 1st Battalion was relocated to Fort Crook, Nebraska. The regiment was relieved from assignment to the 6th Division on 10 May 1941. The 3rd Battalion departed from New York on 20 January 1941 and was sent to St. Johns, Newfoundland before moving to Fort Pepperell in November 1941.
The 1st Battalion was inactivated 1 June 1941 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, with its soldiers being assigned to the 63rd Infantry and was re-activated 14 February 1942 in Newfoundland. The remainder of the regiment was sent to Camp Ripley, Minnesota, on 13 September 1941 and returned to Fort Snelling on 26 September.
When the United States declared war on Japan in December 1941 the regiment was stationed at Fort Snelling. The 2nd Battalion was inactivated 1 September 1942 at Fort Snelling.
The regiment arrived in Boston on 17 September 1943 and moved to Camp Butner, North Carolina, on 22 September 1943 where it was attached to the XII Corps. The 2nd Battalion was re-activated on 22 October 1943 at Camp Butner. The regiment was moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, on March 8, 1944, where it provided cadre for the Infantry School.
Late in the war, the regiment staged at Camp Myles Standish, near Taunton, Massachusetts, on February 27, 1945, and departed from Boston bound for France on March 8, 1945.
The regiment arrived in Le Havre, France on March 18, 1945, and was attached to the reconstituted 106th Infantry Division with the mission of containing the isolated German garrison at St. Nazaire. The regiment moved with the 106th Division into Germany on 26 April 1945 — twelve days before the surrender of Germany — and processed prisoners of war. The regiment was then assigned to duty in the occupation of Germany and was located at Babenhausen. The 3rd Infantry was inactivated on 20 November 1946 in Berlin.[16]
The 3rd Infantry was credited with the American Theater streamer for its defense of Newfoundland. For unknown reasons, it was also credited with the European Theater Northern France Campaign streamer, however, the Northern France Campaign ended on 14 September 1944 — six months before the regiment arrived in France. It appears that the regiment, instead, should have been credited with the Central Europe Campaign streamer as it was attached to the 106th Division when it entered Germany and briefly served in the campaign.
Post World War II
The 3rd Infantry Regiment (less the 2nd Battalion) was re-activated on 6 April 1948 at Fort Myer, Virginia. The 2nd Battalion was concurrently re-activated at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. This was when the unit assumed the role it is best known for today as the official ceremonial unit of the United States Army. Its duties include, but are not limited to, providing funeral details at Arlington National Cemetery, guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and supporting official ceremonies.
The Old Guard gained national attention for the support it provided to the state funeral of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. Aside from the Kennedy funeral the Old Guard has also supported state funerals for the unknown soldiers of World War II, Korea and Vietnam as well as presidents Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan and Gerald R. Ford. Other persons who have received state funerals the Old Guard has supported include General John J. Pershing, General Douglas MacArthur, Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Senator and Medal of Honor recipient Daniel Inouye.
The 4th Battalion in Vietnam (1967–68)
The 4th Battalion of The Old Guard was officially activated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on 1 July 1966, and commanded by LTC Harold J. Meyer. The battalion consisted initially of Headquarters and Headquarters Company and A Company, containing one officer/five enlisted men and twenty one enlisted men respectively. By 31 December 1966, the battalion strength had increased to 37 officers, two warrant officers and 492 enlisted men.
When the battalion was reactivated, it utilized facilities formerly occupied by elements of the 25th infantry Division. During the period of 1 July 1966 through 10 September 1966 the battalion conducted preparation for Basic Unit Training since most of the Old Guard’s lower enlisted personnel had never served with a regular unit. The non-commissioned officers, on the other hand, were greatly experienced with many recent returns from Vietnam.
During its preparation for service in Vietnam, the 4th Battalion was assigned to the 11th Infantry Brigade. On 15 August 1967 the 11th Infantry Brigade adopted the “light Infantry” concept. By selecting one rifle platoon and personnel from the weapons platoon from each line company, an additional line company, delta, was introduced to the battalion. Further by removing the 4.2″ mortar and reconnaissance platoons and the ground surveillance section from the former headquarters company, a combat support company, Echo, was created with these two changes to the battalion, the revised strength authorization totaled 44 officers, 1 warrant officer and 886 enlisted men.
On 7 July, the Old Guard conducted a farewell review for its departing commander, Lieutenant Colonel Meyer and simultaneously Major C. Hartsfield assumed interim command of the battalion. On 20 July, The Old Guard welcomed Lieutenant Colonel Alvin E. Adkins as its new commander. Adkins had previously served in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
On 25 December personnel of the advance party, including LTC Adkins, the company commanders and additional key staff members departed by aircraft for Vietnam. Shortly thereafter at 2330 hrs on 5 December the main body left Honolulu pier 40 on the USNS General Gordon. After 14 days at sea, the main body arrived at Qui Nhon harbor and proceeded by vehicle convoy north along highway 1 to Đức Phổ Base Camp and a base of operations known as Carentan.
In-country training and combat operations commenced immediately, throughout the remainder of 1967 the battalion conducted search and destroy (since relabeled “sweep and clear”, an important distinction when handling possibly unfriendly local non combatants) missions outside Carentan and to the west of Đức Phổ, sustaining light casualties and grasping a firm hold on the combat situation. Here Delta Company recorded the brigade’s first Purple Heart recipient SP/4 Bobby L. Godwin, who was wounded in the leg while on patrol.