The 48th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army first formed in 1917.
History
The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 48th Infantry, were mechanized infantry units assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in West Germany during the Cold War. The battalions had overlapping assignments in the 3AD within the time frame 1957 to 1983. 2lt Colin Powell served in 2nd Bn 48th at Gelnhausen c. 1959. James S. Voss served as a platoon leader, intelligence officer, and C company commander from 1975 to 1978. Following the 1963 ROAD reorganization, and along with the 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor Regiment which had been at Gelnhausen since the Spring of 1956, they comprised the maneuver elements of the Division's 2d Brigade, stationed at Coleman Kaserne, in the city of Gelnhausen, Federal Republic of Germany. The Battalions served as part of NATO forces guarding the Inner-German Border against the Warsaw Pact. The unit crest of the 48th Infantry designated the unit as Dragoons. They are descended from National Guard units which trained for the First World War, and armored infantry battalions which served with the U.S. 7th Armored Division during World War II. The 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, along with 1st Battalion, 40th Armor, in particular, fought a tough battle in Vielsalm, Belgium, holding off the German V Panzer Corps for three days at the crossing of the Salm River, during the German Ardennes Offensive. The 2d Battalion, 48th Infantry was inactivated at Gelnhausen on 15 October 1983. On 16 June 1989 the 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry was inactivated at Gelnhausen and its personnel were re-designated and continued there as 4th Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment. On June 16, 2017, the 48th Infantry's 2nd Battalion was reactivated in a ceremony at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, joining the 15 April 1996 reactivated 48th Infantry's 1st Battalion, to train Basic Combat Training. The reactivated 48th Infantry's 2nd Battalion initially consisted solely of United States Army Reserves Drill Sergeants.
Lineage
Constituted 15 May 1917 in the Regular Army as the 48th Infantry Organized 1 June 1917 at Syracuse, New York Assigned 31 July 1918 to the 20th Infantry Division Relieved 28 February 1919 from assignment to the 20th Division Inactivated 14 October 1921 at Camp Travis, Texas Demobilized 31 July 1922 Reconstituted 27 February 1942 in the Regular Army as the 48th Armored Infantry and assigned to the 7th Armored Division Activated 2 March 1942 at Camp Polk, Louisiana Regiment broken up 20 September 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as elements of the 7th Armored Division as follows:
48th Armored Infantry as the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion
*1st Battalion as the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion
*2d Battalion as the 23d Armored Infantry Battalion
After 20 September 1943 the above units underwent changes as follows:
A Gold color metal and enamel device in height consisting of a shield blazoned: Per pale Azure and Sable a lion rampant Or, on a canton Argent a chevron wavy of the first. Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed "DRAGOONS" in Black letters.
Symbolism
The colors blue and white are used for Infantry. Black and gold are the colors of the Belgian coat of arms from which the Belgian lion is adapted. The wavy chevron on the canton is for descent from the 9th Infantry. The Belgian lion represents the organization’s action at Ardennes and St. Vith, for which it was awarded two unit decorations by the Belgian government.
*Shield- Per pale Azure and Sable a lion rampant Or, on a canton Argent a chevron wavy of the first.
*Crest- On a wreath Or and Azure two hunting horns in saltire Or, inserts Argent, mouthpieces Gules and straps interlaced Sable buckled of the first. Motto: DRAGOONS.
Symbolism
* Shield- The colors blue and white are used for Infantry. Black and gold are the colors of the Belgian coat of arms from which the Belgian lion is adapted. The wavy chevron on the canton is for descent from the 9th Infantry. The Belgian lion represents the organization’s action at Ardennes and St. Vith, for which it was awarded two unit decorations by the Belgian government.
*Crest- The crest, consisting of Teutonic hunting horns, alludes to the German battle honors of World War II.
Background- The coat of arms was originally approved for the 48th Infantry Regiment on 3 February 1921. It was redesignated for the 48th Armored Infantry Regiment on 19 May 1942. The insignia was redesignated for the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion on 30 November 1943. It was redesignated for the 48th Infantry Regiment and amended by the addition of a charge to and modification of the shield and a crest on 14 October 1958.
