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366th Infantry Regiment (United States)

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366th Infantry Regiment
File:366 cres.gif
Active1917 - 1945
CountryUnited States of America
BranchArmy
TypeInfantry
SizeRegiment
Garrison/HQFort Devens, Massachusetts
Motto(s)"Labor Conquers All Things."
EngagementsWorld War I,
World War II
Battle honoursMeuse-Argonne Offensive,
Rome-Arno Campaign
Commanders
Colonel of
the Regiment		Edmund R. Andrews,
Howard D. Queen,
Alonzo Ferguson

The 366th Infantry Regiment was an all African American (segregated) unit of the United States Army that served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. The unit was unique because it was one of the few Negro units with all its own officers and personnel; the U.S. military did not desegregate until after World War II, and in most of the segregated units, all of the officers were white. During World War II, the unit saw combat in Italy as part of the 92nd Infantry Division (colored), 5th Army.

World War I

The 366th Infantry was constituted 16 August 1917 in the National Army as the 366th Infantry and assigned to the 92nd Division and organized at Camp Dodge, Iowa, in November 1917.

In WW I the regiment served overseas as a part of the 92nd Divison, National Army and earned credit for battle participation as follows:

  • St. Die Sector (Lorraine), August 23-September 20, 1918
  • Meuse-Argonne Sector, September 26-October 5, 1918
  • Marbach Sector (Lorraine) October 8-November 1918

The 366th Infantry was demobilized 25 March 1919 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, and reconstitued 16 December 1940 in the Regular Army.

World War II

It unit was activated 10 February 1941 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts and assigned to the Eastern Defense Command on 30 April 1942.

  • Attached to the 1st Service Command on 1 May 1943 and to the XIII Corps oon 1 September 1943.
  • Assigned XXII Corps 21 January 1944 and staged at Camp Patrick Henry, Virgina 22 March 1944 until it departed Hampton Roads P/E (Point of Embarcation) 28 March 1944.
  • Assigned to Fifth Army 4 November 1944 and arrived Livorno, Italy 21 November 1944 for attachment to the 92nd Infantry Division until 25 February 1945.
  • Disbanded in Italy on 28 March 1945 and personnel transferred into the 224th and 226th Engineer General Service Regiments.

Combat chronicle

Colonel Edmund R. Andrews was the first Commanding Officer (CO) when the 366th Infantry was reactivated at Fort Devens. Colonel West A. Hamilton (initially commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in WW-I) was assigned as the Executive Officer (XO) on March 3, 1941.

Colonel Howard Donovan Queen was the CO at the time of embarcation in March 1944. Although the 366th Infantry had been at "Combat Readiness", after a prolonged period which was devoted only to guard duty, Colonel Queen felt that they needed at least three months for preparation to be "Combat Ready". Colonel Queen wrote a significant request for withdrawl from Active Command and included his guarded reservations in regard to his deeply held tenets. In spite of this it was decided in November 1944 to attach the 366th Infantry to the 92nd Infantry Division.

They saw action at the Battle of Monte Cassino, and were in the vanguard of the 5th Army's liberation of Rome as one of the first units to reach the city, two days before the Normandy Invasion. (As a gesture of thanks, they received a papal blessing at a special ceremony in Saint Peter's Square.) Colonel Alonzo Ferguson was the final CO of the 366th Infantry.

Notable veterans

  • Alston Burleigh - Choirmaster, St. Luke's Episcopal Church[1], Washington, DC; son of Harry Thacker Burleigh (famed composer, soloist, St. George's Episcopal Church[2], New York, NY.)
  • Charles Fisher - Regimental Chaplain.
John R. Fox, Medal of Honor recipient
  • Lorenzo Raymond Sylvanus Nelson - Regimental Surgeon.

General

The 366th Infantry Regiment was awarded two campaign streamers for the Colours; the first for Meuse-Argonne Lorraine (September, 1918 to November, 1918), and the second for Rome-Arno (January, 1944 to September, 1944).

The Regimental Shield incorporated the Cross of Lorraine. The Regimental Motto was, "Labor Conquers All Things." In one of history's ironies, the slogan, "Arbeit macht frei" (a German phrase meaning "work brings freedom") was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps.

See also

References

  • Edward Brooke (2006). Bridging The Divide. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-3905-6.
  • Elliott V. Converse III (1997). The Exclusion of Black Soldiers from the Medal of Honor in World War II. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-7864-0277-6.
  • Hondon B. Hargrove (1985). Buffalo Soldiers in Italy: Black Americans in World War II. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-89950-116-8.
  • Ulysses Lee (1966). "XIX - Mountain and Plain". The Employment of Negro Troops. Center of Military History, United States Army. LCC 66-60003. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  • James A. Sawicki (1981). Infantry Regiments of the U.S. Army. Wyvern. p. 522. ISBN 0-96024-043-8.
  • Shelby L. Stanton (1984). Order of Battle, U. S. Army, World War II. California Presidio Press. p. 252. ISBN 0-88365-775-9.


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