| 58th Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 coat of arms | |
| Active | 1917- |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Infantry Branch (United States) |
| Type | Infantry |
| Motto(s) | Love of Country |
| Branch color | Light Blue |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia |
 |
The 58th Infantry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1917.
The regiment was organized in 1917 from the Fourth Infantry shown on the small shield. The field is blue for Infantry. The regiment served in France in the Fourth Division shown by the ivy leaf from the shoulder insignia. The torpedo commemorates the first losses of the regiment when the troopship RMS Moldavia carrying some of the regiment was torpedoed on May 23, 1918. The broken chevron commemorates the piercing of the German line between Soissons and Rheims, which are represented by the silver and golden fleurs-de-lis taken from the coat of arms of those cities respectively.
Currently the regiment may have two battalions. Since 1962, the 1st Battalion, 58th Infantry served with the 197th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning. However, D, E, and F Companies served briefly in Vietnam, from 1967 to 1969, with the 4th Infantry Division. These companies performed long range reconnaissance missions and were later redesignated as ranger companies of the 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne). The battalion appears to have been reflagged as the 4th Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment in the mid 1980s.[1] The First Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment was reactivated on May 16, 1987. It took over the personnel and mission of the 4th Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Brigade. The 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry is tasked to provide trained and ready soldiers for the Army[2] as part of the 198th Infantry Brigade.
History[]
The 58th Infantry was constituted on 15 May 1917 in the regular army as the 58th Infantry. Organized 5 June 1917 at Gettysburg National Park, Pennsylvania, from personnel of the 4th Infantry Regiment. Assigned to the 4th Infantry Division 19 November 1917. Inactivated 21 June 1922 at Fort George Wright, Washington, Disbanded 31 July 1922.
- Reconstituted 8 April 1942 in the regular army as the 58th Infantry Regiment. Activated 24 April 1942 at Fort Lewis, Washington. Regiment broken up 26 January 1944 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows-
- Headquarters disbanded.
- 1st Battalion as the 203rd Infantry battalion.
- 2nd Battalion as the 204th Infantry battalion.
- 3rd Battalion as the 205th Infantry battalion.
Headquarters 58th Infantry reconstituted 10 July 1951 in the regular army and consolidated with the 203rd Infantry Battalion (Inactivated 2 March 1945 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi) and with the 58th Armored Infantry Battalion (constituted 15 May 1917 in the regular army as the 1st Battalion 49th Infantry) and consolidated unit designated as the 58th Armored Infantry Battalion, an element of the 8th Armored Division. Relieved from the 8th Armored Division 23 July 1956. Activated 15 August 1956 in Germany; inactivated 9 August 1957 in Germany.
- 204th Infantry Battalion inactivated 8 March 1945 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Redesignated 30 September 1948 as the 43rd Armored Infantry Battalion. Activated 28 January 1949 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma as an element of the 2nd Armored Division. Relieved from the 2nd Armored Division and inactivated 1 July 1957 in Germany.
- 205th Infantry Battalion Inactivated 6 March 1945 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi Redesignated 18 June 1948 as the 45th Armored Infantry Battalion. and assigned to the 5th Armored Division. Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. Inactivated 1 February 1950 at Camp chaffee. Relieved from the 5th Armored Division 15 February 1957.
- 58th, 43rd, and 45th Armored Infantry Battalions consolidated 1 July 1959 to form the 58th Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 58th Infantry Regiment on 18 Jun 1921. It was amended on 20 Mar 1924 to correct the shield. On 15 Aug 1942 it was redesignated for the 58th Infantry Regiment (Reinforced). The coat of arms was redesignated for the 58th Infantry on 26 November 1958.
Campaign Streamers[]
World War I
- Aisne-Marne
- St. Mihiel
- Meuse-Argonne
- Champagne 1918
- Lorraine
World War II
- Aleutian Islands
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
Vietnam
- Counteroffensive Phase II
- Counteroffensive Phase III
- Tet Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive Phase IV
- Counteroffensive Phase V
- Counteroffensive Phase VI
- Tet69 Counteroffensive
- Summer-Fall 1969
- Winter-Spring 1970
- Sanctuary Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive Phase VII
- Consolidation I
- Consolidation II
- Cease-Fire
Decorations[]
Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1968, Company D cited
References[]
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document "58th Infantry Regiment".
External links[]
- Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from ..., Volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitman [2]
- Encyclopedia of United States Army insignia and uniforms By William K. Emerson (page 51).[3]
- http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/default.htm
- http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0058in002bn.htm
The original article can be found at 58th Infantry Regiment (United States) and the edit history here.