28th Infantry Regiment ( United States ) Since the establishment of the United States Army in 1775 , three regiments have held the designation 28th Infantry Regiment . The first was a provisional unit that was constituted on 29 January 1813 and served during The War of 1812 . The second was a reorganization and redesignation of 2nd Battalion , 19th Infantry Regiment on 1 October 1866 for the American Indian Wars . This incarnation of the 28th Infantry Regiment lasted until 15 March 1869 , when it was consolidated back into the 19th Infantry Regiment . The third version of the 28th Infantry Regiment is the one that has the permanent designation and history , and is the one this article is about . The regiment first saw combat service from December 1901 to January 1904 during the Philippine – American War where the regiment was heavily involved in counter - guerrilla operations . During the years 1906 – 1908 , the regiment , minus one battalion , performed guard and police duty as part of the American forces of Cuban Occupation . In 1913 , the 28th Infantry was ordered to Texas to assist in guarding the Mexican border against raids by Pancho Villa . Following the entry of the US into World War I , the regiment was assigned on 8 June 1917 to the First Expeditionary Division which later became the First Infantry Division . On 29 June 1917 , the men of Company K became the first American combat unit to set foot on European soil at St . Nazair , France . The 28th Infantry again distinguished itself in combat during World War II as part of the 8th Infantry Division . After landing on Utah Beach on 4 July 1944 , its first action was an attack to the south to establish a critical bridgehead over the Ay River so that armored divisions could launch a breakout and then attack into Brittany and Northern France . During its ten months of combat , the regiment played a major part in four allied campaigns – winning three Presidential Unit Citations embroidered Normandy , Bergstein and Stockheim . It captured over 115 , 000 prisoners and vast stores of enemy material . In 1963 , Operation Long Thrust VI deployed 1st Battle Group , 28th Infantry from Fort Riley , Kansas to West Germany , where it proceeded through Communist East Germany to Berlin , " front line of the Cold War . " 1st Battle Group Black Lions were present during President Kennedy ' s memorable " Ich bin ein Berliner " visit and returned to Fort Riley later that year . In 1965 , the 1st and 2nd Battalions were deployed to South Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division . Early 1970 saw the end of the participation of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 28th Infantry in this war . After almost 5 years of combat in South Vietnam , the colors of both battalions were re - deployed to Fort Riley . Two members of the 1st Battalion , First Lieutenant Gary L . Miller of Company A and Captain Euripides Rubio of Headquarters and Headquarters Company ( HHC ) were awarded the Medal of Honor , both posthumously , for their heroism . 1st Battalion deployed in support of " The Surge " , to Baghdad , Iraq , in February 2007 . During their service in the Rashid district of Baghdad , Shia / Sunni violence in the area ceased . The cessation of violence in Baghdad led to the " reconciliation " that would help to ensure peace in the capital . 1st Battalion returned to Ft Riley , KS in April 2008 .