Lineage and Honors - 141st Infantry Regiment

141st U.S. Infantry Regiment
("First Texas") 1917
"The Alamo Regiment"

MOTTO: "Remember the Alamo" Since some units of the 141st trace lineage to the Texas Revolution of 1836, the Regimental motto reflects those roots.

ORIGINS: The distinguished lineage of the 141st includes units tracing origins to the Texas Revolution, such as Company A, First Texas, 1836, and other infantry companies of the First Texas formed in the 1870s and 1880s. The Second Texas lineage included the Austin Greys, 1876; The Bryan Rifles, 1877; The Brenham Greys, 1877; The Calvert City Guards, 1897; The Jones Rifles, 1879, the Manning Rifles, 1879 and Company G, the Navasota Rifles, 1880. Companies from the First and Second Texas were part of the First Texas Volunteers in the Spanish American War, serving as part of the Army of Occupation of Cuba from December 26, 1898 to March 25, 1899, returning then to state service.

BEFORE WORLD WAR I: The First and Second Texas Infantry Regiments were reorganized in 1903, with the Second Texas remaining in state service throughout the entire period before the World War I mobilization. In May, 1916, the Second Texas was mobilized for Mexican border duty and went to the Rio Grande Valley of the border where it trained until March 23, 1917, when the units demobilized at home stations. A week later, the regiment was called back into service, and was again sent to the border.

FORMATION: The 141st U. S: Infantry was officially formed at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas, on October 15, 1917, from Texas troops drawn largely from the 1st and 2d Texas National Guard Infantry Regiments. The unit retained the "First Texas" designation as a reflection of its lineage. It is authorized to carry three historical streamers on the regimental colors including "Republic of Texas" in blue, "The Alamo" in white, and "San Jacinto" in red, reflecting the origins of the unit. It is authorized the campaign streamer "Meuse-Argonne" for service in World War I.

OVER THERE: The regiment sailed from New York on July 26, 1918, after intensive training at Camp Bowie. Arriving in France on August 6, it was assigned to the 13th Training area near Bar sur Aube. After moving into support positions in September, it was assigned to prepare to relieve the 2d U. S. Division in the Epernay-Chalons region. With the 142d Regiment, they took over the positions of the 9th and 23d U. S. Infantry regiments.

IN THE LINES: On October 8, 1918, the regiment began participation in one of the great chapters in its combat history, the Meuse-Argonne campaign. On that day, along a line extending four kilometers east to west, the 141st and 142d regiments attacked German positions, resulting in a "substantial gain of ground" but suffering casualties to sixty-six officers and 1,227 enlisted men. After being relieved by the 72d Brigade (143rd and 144 Inf), the unit side-stepped to take a place at the east end of the line of the 72d Brigade several days later. On October 27, the unit took part in the assault on "Foret (Forest?) Farm", and then was relieved on October 28th, taking no further combat action in the war. The unit returned to the United States after six additional months in France and was mustered out July 3, 1919.

BETWEEN THE WARS: Reorganized in late 1921 and early 1922, the regiment continued the lineage of the "First Texas", training at Camp Hulen, Palacios, from 1926-1937. Prior to World War II all of the 1st battalion was located in San Antonio. In 1938, the entire regiment participated in the Camp Bullis/3d Army maneuvers.

WORLD WAR II: The Regiment was inducted into federal service on 25 November 1940 and was assigned to the 36th Infantry Division. The 141st moved to Camp Bowie, Brownwood, Texas, the second location for the camp of that name, on 27 December, 1940. Training continued in Florida and North Carolina in 1942 and the regiment moved to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts, in August, 1942. The regiment sailed from New York on April 1, 1943, arriving in North Africa on 13 April.

Bloody Salerno: The first World War II amphibious assault in Europe by any American division was by the 36th Division near Salerno (Paestum area), Italy, on 9 September, 1943. Chaos on the beach led to terrible casualties to the 141st. Coordination with naval gunfire was poor, allowing German artillery and tanks to dominate the battlefield for the first hours. By September 18, the Germans had abandoned their positions and the 141st was put in reserve. But the fighting had been horrific.

San Pietro: In the fighting for Highway Six - the Road to Rome - in November, the 141st spent November and December, 1943, fighting to clear the Mignano Gap. The Regiment assaulted San Pietro on December 15th . The old Italian village was located on the slopes of a mountain, and, after three attempts at assault, the 141st finally took the village when the 142d outflanked the position. Soon they followed the First Special Service Force up Hill 730 after the capture of that position. The Germans called the 141st "wild men from Texas, skilled in fieldcraft and fighting".

Rapido River. It was foot by foot, yard by yard, in January and February, 1944, and then the 141st reached the River Rapido, a name that left a bloody page in the records of the 141st and 143d. Terrible casualties resulted as the Alamo Regiment attempted to force the stream, lacking boats, bridges and artillery support. The 48 hours at the Rapido River cost the Regiment dearly. And there still was fighting ahead, Monte Cassino. By the end of this campaign, February 27th, platoons were reduced to squads, companies to platoon strength and battalions to two hundred men.

Anzio and Velletri: The 141st reinforced the Fifth Army by landing at Anzio on May 22, 1944. After moving into the line, the 141st, reinforced as a regimental combat team, began a full scale assault at Velletri on June 1, 1944. By midnight it was a mop-up operation, but the town - in a shambles - will live as another hard fought battle in the Regiment's memory. And the capture of Velletri caused the German line south of Rome to crumble. The Germans began to retreat, turning into a rout by June 4th and the Regiment marched in triumph through Rome on the 5th. The Regiment had been in combat for a total of 137 days, with 3,000 casualties in killed, wounded and missing.

Southern France: The regiment made a third amphibious landing and second combat assault in Southern France, August 15, 1944, driving up the Loire Valley, outflanking Lyon. Hard fighting in the Vosges Mountains in the vicinity of Buyere included the ordeal of the "Lost Battalion" (1/141) in the Foret Domaniale de Champ, October 23-30, 1944. Two battalions of the 442d Regimental Combat Team (Nisei) broke through to the Texans after six days of encirclement. The stubborn German defenders were slowly rooted from their positions and the regiment gained the Alsatian Plain, November 25, 1944. After a campaign to clear the Colmar Pocket with the 143d, the 141st pushed through the Haguenau Forest in Germany in March 1945 against determined resistance. Moving toward the Danube from Landsberg in April, the 141st took Bad Toelz on the 1st of May. The141st ended the war in Austria in May, 1945. The regiment returned to the United States and was inactivated December 22, 1945.

"First to land in Europe", "first to land in Southern France", "first of the Seventh Army to cross the Moselle", and "first of the 36th Division to enter Germany". 1,126 killed, approximately 5,000 wounded (hospitalized), and over 500 missing in action. Three Medals of Honor, 31 Distinguished Service Crosses, 492 Silver Stars, 1,685 Bronze Stars.

WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGNS: Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe

POSTWAR SERVICE: The 141st Infantry Regiment was reactivated as a component of the 36th Infantry Division on 23 October 1946, with three battalions generally located in the south and central regions of the State. On 16 March 1959, during the Pentomic Army restructuring of the national military forces, elements of the of the 141st were organized as components of the First Battle Group, 141st Combat Arms Regiment. Also assigned to the 1st BG, 141, were 5th Med Tk Bn (112th Armor), and 1st Battalion, 133d Artillery. During these years, the three separate infantry battalions of the 141st were deactivated.

1 March 1963. Reorganization from the Pentomic concept to the traditional infantry division structure, with 1st and 2d Battalions of the 141 assigned to the 1st Brigade, 36th Division. The 3/141 was not reactivated.

1 November 1965. Formation of the 36th Brigade. The 1st and 2d Battalions of the 141 were relieved from assignment to the 36th Infantry Division and assigned as components of the 36th Infantry Brigade (Separate), along with the 3/143, the 4/133 FA, the 36th Spt Battalion and Troop E of the 124th Armored Cavalry Battalion.

30 July 1968 : With the retirement of the 36th Infantry Division in 1968, the 3/141 was reactivated and assigned to the 36th Infantry Brigade, replacing the 3/143, which was assigned to the 71st Abn Inf Bde. The 4th Battalion, 133d Artillery, the 36th Spt Bn, the 236th Engineer Company and Troop E of the 124th Armored Cavalry were also retained in the 36th infantry Brigade.

1973: In 1973, the 49th Armored Division was reactivated. The first and third battalions of the 141st Infantry were mechanized and assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 49th Armored Division. The 2/141 was mechanized and assigned to the 3d Brigade of the 49th Armored Divsion. By 1979, all three battalions of the 141st were assigned to the 1st Brigade, 49th Armored Division. In 1984, the 1/141 and 2/141 continued to be assigned to the 49th Armored, and 3d/141st was assigned to TxNG Troop Command. In 1995, 2/141 was demobilized and the 3/141 was assigned to the 36th Brigade - the 3d Brigade of the 49th Armored Division.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: 49th Armored Division, Texas National Guard

20Nov99