135th Infantry Regiment (United States)

1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry organized 27 April 1861 at Fort Snelling. (Company A Pioneer Guards organized 17 April 1856 at St. Paul).

• Mustered into Federal service 29 April 1861 for 3 years service.
• Reorganized April 1864 as 1st Battalion Minnesota Volunteer infantry
• Expanded and redesignated 1st Regiment Minnesota Volunteer infantry 23 February 1865
• Mustered out of Federal service 14 July 1865 at Jeffersonville, Ind.

reorganized in 1870 from Regimental Veteran Association as 1st Regiment Minnesota Enrolled Militia

• Reorganized in 1880 as 1st Battalion Minnesota National Guard from the following Companies
• Company A. from Minneapolis Light infantry organized 1879,
• Company B. from Minneapolis Zouave Corps organized 1879,
• Company C. from St. Paul Guards organized 1879
• Company D. from Allen Light Guards organized 1879.

Expanded and redesignated in 1883 as 1st Infantry Regiment Minnesota National Guard.

• Redesignated 13th Infantry Regiment Minnesota Volunteers 4 May 1898 and mustered into Federal service at Camp Ramsey, Minn.
• Mustered out of Federal service 3 October 1899 at San Francisco.
• Reorganized as 1st infantry Regiment Minnesota National Guard 27 March 1900
• Mustered into Federal service 30 June 1916 at Fort Snelling, for Mexican Border.
• Mustered out 14 March 1917 at Fort Snelling
• Called into Federal service 25 March 1917 and mustered in on 26 March 1917, Drafted on 5 August 1917.
• Redesignated 135th Infantry Regiment 1 October 1917 and assigned to the 34th Division.
• Demobilized 18 February 1919 at Camp Grant (Illinois).
• Reorganized as 1st Regiment Minnesota National Guard 31 January 1920.
• Redesignated 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Division, 21 November 1921.
• Inducted into Federal service 10 February 1941 at Minneapolis.
• Inactivated 3 November 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Va.
• Relieved from 34th Division and assigned to 47th Division 16 June 1946.
• Reorganized less former companies of 3rd Battalion, with headquarters at Mankato 23 September 1946

(3rd Battalion 135th Infantry hereafter separate lineage).

• ordered into active Federal service on 16 January 1951 at home stations. The 135th Infantry was organized and was Federally recognized on 16 January 1953 with headquarters at Mankato, Minnesota.
• released on 2 December 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control. Federal recognition was concurrently withdrawn from the 135th Infantry.
• reorganized on 22 February 1959 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System to consist of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battle Groups, elements of the 47th Infantry Division.
• reorganized on 1 April 1963 to consist of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions, elements of the 47th Infantry Division.
• 1 February 1968 it was reorganized again to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, elements of the 47th Infantry Division.
• withdrawn on 30 November 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.
• 1st and 2nd Battalions, 135th Infantry were relieved on 10 February 1991 from assignment to the 47th Infantry Division and assigned to the 34th Infantry Division.
• reorganized on 1 September 1992 to consist of the 2nd Battalion, an element of the 34th Infantry Division. and assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 34th Infantry Division as an air assault infantry battalion,
• reassigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.

• Description

A Silver color metal and enamel device 1+1⁄8 inches (2.9 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Argent, on a saltire Azure between in chief a fleur-de-lis Gules, in fess the Corps badge of the 2d Division, 8th Army Corps during the Spanish War Proper (two Silver circles overlapping each other one-third radius, resembling the figure "8") fringed of the third and two bolos saltirewise and in base a bull's skull of the like, the 2d Division, 2d Corps badge of the Civil War of the fourth (a Silver three-leaf clover with stem, voided). Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Silver scroll inscribed "TO THE LAST MAN" in Blue letters.

• Symbolism

The shield is white (silver), the old Infantry colors. The blue saltire is taken from the Confederate flag - for Civil War service. At the battle of Gettysburg the 1st Minnesota Infantry Volunteers were in the 2d Division, 2d Corps (Hancock's), whose badge was the three-leaf clover. The figure "8" represents the Spanish War service and the crossed bolos the Philippine Insurrection service, while the fleur-de-lis represents World War I service of the 135th Infantry. The bull's skull (shoulder sleeve insignia of the 34th Division) indicates service with this Division during the period of peace and through World War II.

• Background

The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 135th Infantry Regiment on 18 June 1926. It was amended to show additional war service on 19 December 1951.

• Blazon
  • Shield: Argent, on a saltire Azure between in chief a fleur-de-lis Gules, in fess the Corps badge of the 2d Division, 8th Army Corps during the Spanish War Proper (two White circles overlapping each other one-third radius, resembling the figure "8") fringed of the third and two bolos saltirewise and in base a bull's skull of the like, the 2d Division, 2d Corps badge of the Civil War of the fourth (a White three-leaf clover with stem, voided).
  • Crest: That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Minnesota Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors Argent and Azure, a sheaf of wheat Proper.
  • Motto: TO THE LAST MAN.
• Symbolism
  • Shield: The shield is white, the old Infantry colors. The blue saltire is taken from the Confederate flag - for Civil War service. At the battle of Gettysburg the 1st Minnesota Infantry Volunteers were in the 2d Division, 2d Corps (Hancock's), whose badge was the three-leaf clover. The figure "8" represents the Spanish War service and the crossed bolos the Philippine Insurrection service, while the fleur-de-lis represents World War I service of the 135th Infantry. The bull's skull (shoulder sleeve insignia of the 34th Division) indicates service with this Division during the period of peace and through World War II.
  • Crest: The crest is that of the Minnesota Army National Guard.
• Background: The coat of arms was approved on 23 June 1926. It was amended to show additional war service on 19 December 1951.

• French Croix De Guerre with palm streamer embroidered BELVEDERE

•  This article incorporates public domain material from 135th Infantry. United States Army Institute of Heraldry.
•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

• Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from ..., Volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitman
• Encyclopedia of United States Army insignia and uniforms By William K. Emerson (page 51).

• http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lh.html Archived 8 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine