151st Infantry Regiment (United States)

151st Infantry Regiment
Coat of arms
Active	1817–1919 1941–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Indianapolis, Indiana
Motto	"Wide Awake! Wide Awake!"
Engagements	Battle of Tippecanoe Mexican–American War American Civil War Spanish–American War Mexican Border Campaign World War I World War II Vietnam War Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia	125px

U.S. Infantry Regiments
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150th Infantry Regiment	152nd Infantry Regiment

The 151st Infantry Regiment is an infantry unit in the Indiana National Guard, under the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate)

History

The 151st Infantry Regiment traces its roots to the Indiana Territory Indiana Rangers militia. It was in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe that it earned its motto "Wide Awake! Wide Awake!" In 1846, the 2d Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, Indiana Brigade was mustered into Federal Service for the Mexican–American War, and was again federalized in 1861 during the American Civil War. It was reorganized in 1882 into the Indiana Legion, which was renamed the Indiana National Guard 5 March 1895. The 151st Infantry Regiment is credited with 24 campaigns from the Civil War due to lineage traced to the 7th, 10th, and 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments.

The Regiment was again federalized in 1898 for service in the Spanish–American War. In 1900, it was reorganized as the First Infantry, Indiana National Guard. The First Infantry was mustered into federal service at Fort Benjamin Harrison in 1916 for service in the Mexican Border Campaign.

With the outbreak of World War I, the First Infantry was reorganized into the 151st Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade, 38th Infantry Division. The division was mobilized for Federal service in 1917 and demobilized in 1919. The division was again activated in 1941 in preparation for World War II. In the South Pacific, the 151st Regiment earned three battle streamers (New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon) helping the 38th Division win the nickname "Avengers of Bataan."

File:Indiana Rangers. The Army Guard in Vietnam. South Vietnam, 1969.jpg

Company D (Ranger), 151st Infantry Regiment on patrol in Vietnam (from United States Army Center of Military History

Elements of the 151st Regiment served in the Vietnam War. Company D (Ranger), "Delta Company," was the only National Guard unit to serve intact, and earned more medals in 1969 than any other Army infantry company during a 1-year period, and has been credited with reintegrating National Guard units with the United States Army after they were intentionally separated during the Vietnam War. The company was eventually assigned to II Field Force Vietnam with the mission of conducting long range patrols in War Zone D, in the III Corps Tactical Zone. After the company's arrival, the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) oversaw its initial administration and support.

In 1977, the regiment was organized into two battalions, elements of the 38th Infantry Division. Both the 1st Battalion (1-151 IN) and 2nd Battalion (2-151 IN) are elements of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate), Elements of the 151st have deployed to Bosnia (NATO SFOR), Iraq Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom. The two battalions reunited in 2011 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Tippecanoe.

See also

• Coats of arms of U.S. Infantry Regiments