5th Infantry Regiment (United States)

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5th Infantry Regiment
5th Infantry Regiment coat of arms
Active
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Battles/wars	Korean War
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 5th Infantry Regiment was deactivated following World War II, but was reactivated in Korea on January 1, 1949 with personnel and support units from the departing 7th Infantry Division with the mission to provide security while all U.S. troops were withdrawn from the country. The 5th Infantry Regiment also left Korea effective June 31, 1949 and was transferred to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where it was when the Korean War began.

[edit] World War II

[edit] Korean War

It deployed to Korea on July 25, 1950 and was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division but as a "regimental combat team (RCT)" instead of as a regular regiment. The following month — Aug 1950 — was reassigned, still as an RCT, to the 1st Cavalry Division and the next month (September 1950) to the 24th Infantry Division where it replaced the division’s 34th Infantry Regiment. It remained with the 24th Infantry Division until January 1952 when it officially became a separate RCT again and was assigned to IX Corps.

The 5th Regimental Combat Team consisted of:

5th Infantry Regiment 555 Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) (Known as "The Triple-Nickel) 72nd Engineer Company

Fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.^[1]

On October 11, 1953, the unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, for its actions in the vicinity of Songnae-dong, Korea on June 12, 1953.

James Garner (The Rockford Files) served in the 5th RCT during the Korean Conflict, when he was awarded two Purple Hearts.