187th Infantry Regiment
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The 187th Infantry Regiment (Rakkasans) is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) of the United States Army.
The regimental motto is "Ne Desit Virtus" ("Let Valor Not Fail"). The nickname "Rakkasan," from the Japanese word rakkasan (落下傘) which means "parachute," or literally "falling down umbrella," was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan following World War II.
The 187th was constituted on November 12, 1942 at Camp Mackall, North Carolina and activated on February 25, 1943. A two battalion regiment assigned to the 11th Airborne Division as a glider regiment, the men of the 187th trained both as glider and parachute troops.
Deploying to the southwest Pacific in 1944 with the 11th Airborne Division, the 187th fought in Leyte in the bloody battle of Purple Heart Hill during the invasion of the Philippines. In January of 1945 the 187th landed south of Manila at Nasubu Bay, blocking Japanese forces as part of the advance on Manila from the south. From then until April the 187th fought their way from Nichols Field, Fort McKinley, and Manila to Mount Macolod and Malepunyo.
In May the 187th moved into Lipa to refit, rebuild, and prepare for the invasion of Japan. At this time the 3d Battalion was formed and the regiment was redesignated a para-glider regiment.
At the end of World War II the 187th was assigned to the occupation of Japan and was the first foreign ground combat unit to enter that nation.
In April 1949 the regiment returned to the United States and was stationed at what was then Camp Campbell, Kentucky. In early 1950 the 187th participated in "Operation Swarmer," the largest peacetime airborne maneuver in history. As a result of its outstanding performance in this maneuver the 187th was selected as an airborne regimental combat team responding to the crisis in Korea.
The Rakkasans participated in Douglas McArthur's surprise landing at Inchon in September 1950 and assisted in the liberation of Seoul and the Kimpo Peninsula. In October the 187th made a parachute assault at Sukehon-sunchon, followed by battles at Suan, Wonja, Kaesong, Munsan-ni, and Inje. The 187th was also used to quell the mutiny at the Koje-do POW camp. During the Korean War, three members of the Regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor, Lester Hammond, Jr., Rodolfo P. Hernandez and Richard G. Wilson.
When the concept of the battle group was introduced in 1957 the companies of the 187th Infantry Regiment were redesignated the 1st, 2d, and 3d Airborne Battle Groups, 187th Infantry. These battle groups served in various units including the 101st Airborne Division, the 11th Airborne Division, and the 82d Airborne Division. The 187th's battle groups served in Germany, with the peacekeeping force in Lebanon in 1958, and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Another reorganization of the Army took place in February 1963 and the unit was redesignated the 3d Battalion, 187th Infantry, and assigned to the 11th Air Assault Division which tested new air assault tactics at Fort Benning, Georgia. Following successful testing and evaluation the Rakkasans were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division the following year.
As part of the 3d Brigade of the 101st Airborne the regiment deployed to Vietnam in 1967. The regiment fought in engagements in the A Shau Valley, the Iron Triangle, and elsewhere until the division returned to the United States in 1972.
In October 1983 the 1st, 2d, and 4th Battalions were activated, and on November 21, 1984 a 5th Battalion was activated.
During a realignment of the U.S. Army's combat forces in 1987 the 1st and 2d Battalions were deactivated and the 5th and 4th Battalions were redesignated as the 1st and 2d Battalions, respectively.
From September 1988 through March 1989, 1st Battalion reorganized as Task Force 1-187 and deployed to the Sinai Desert, Egypt as the United States' contingent of the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission.
In September 1990 the Rakkasans were deployed to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield. In February of 1991 two companies from the 1st Battalion captured 434 Iraqi soldiers during the air assault into Objective Weber and on February 25 the Rakkasans conducted the deepest and largest air assault operation in history. Striking 155 miles behind enemy lines into the Euphrates river valley, the assault led to the timely defeat of Iraqi forces and ensured a total allied victory.
In early 2002 the Rakkasans deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where they participated in Operation Anaconda in the eastern Shah-i-Khot region. The 2nd Battallion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during this period.
In 2003, the Rakkasans were deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 3rd Battalion was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division and accompanied them during the push into Baghdad, where the "Iron Rakkasans" assaulted and cleared the International Airport before moving north to Mosul. They returned in 2004 and were re-deployed to Iraq again in the Fall of 2005. During their second tour in Iraq, they were stationed in the Salah ad Din province. It was during this deployment that the 3rd Battalion conducted "Operation Swarmer", one of the largest combat operations in Iraq since the initial invasion. Iron Rakkasans worked with Iraqi Army soldiers in the area south east of Tikrit rooting out suspected insergent cells and uncovering numerous cahes of weapons and explosives.DefenseLINK press release</ref>.
The Rakkasans are the only airborne warfare regiment in the history of the Army to fight in every war since the development of airborne tactics. From glider to parachute to air landing to air assault by helicopter, the regiment has entered combat using every mode of airborne assault and has pioneered the tactics that govern these modes of assault.
The Rakkasans are portrayed in the 1987 movie Hamburger Hill.
