| 151st Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
151st Distinctive Unit Insignia |
|
| Active | 1917-1919 1941-present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | Army National Guard |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Garrison/HQ | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Motto | Wide Awake! Wide Awake! |
| Engagements | Battle of Tippecanoe Mexican-American War American Civil War Spanish American War Mexican Border Campaign World War I World War II Vietnam War Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation |
The 151st Infantry Regiment is an infantry unit in the Indiana National Guard, under the 38th Infantry Division.
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The 151st Infantry Regiment traces its roots to the Indiana Territory Indiana Rangers militia. It was in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe that it earned its motto "Wide Awake! Wide Awake!"[1] In 1846, the 2d Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, Indiana Brigade was mustered into Federal Service for the Mexican-American War, and was again federalized in 1861 during the American Civil War.[2] It was reorganized in 1882 into the Indiana Legion, which was renamed the Indiana National Guard 5 March 1895.[2]
The Regiment was again federalized in 1898 for service in the Spanish-American War. In 1900, it was reorganized as the First Infantry, Indiana National Guard.[2] The First Infantry was mustered into Federal Service at Fort Benjamin Harrison in 1916 for service in the Mexican Border Campaign.
With the outbreak of World War I, the First Infantry was reorganized into the 151st Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade, 38th Infantry Division.[3] The Division was mobilized for Federal service in 1917 and demobilized in 1919.[2] The Division was again activated in 1941 in preparation for World War II. At The Philippines, the 151st Regiment helped earn the 38th Division earn the nickname "Avengers of Bataan."[4]
Elements of the 151st Regiment served in the Vietnam War. Company D (Rangers), "Delta Company," was the only National Guard unit to serve intact,[5] and earned more medals in 1969 than any other Army company during a 1-year period.[4]
In 1977, the regiment was organized into two battalions, elements of the 38th Infantry Division.[2] The 1st Battalion (1-151) is an element of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate),[6] while the 2nd Battalion (2-151) is an element of the 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.[7] The two battalions reunited in 2011 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Tippecanoe.[8]