332nd Infantry Regiment ( United States ) The 332nd Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army , active during World War I . It was part of the 83rd Infantry Division and served on the Italian front during the war , taking part in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto . It was disbanded in May 1919 . History . Formation . The 332nd Infantry Regiment was formed on August 30 , 1917 at Camp Sherman in Ohio as part of the 83rd Division . Following a number of months of training in the United States , the regiment , under the command of Colonel William Wallace , embarked upon the troopship RMS " Aquitania " at New York and departed for Europe on June 8 , 1918 . They arrived in Liverpool , England on June 15 and entrained for Southampton from where they embarked again for the trip across the English Channel to France . Service in Italy . Shortly after the regiment ' s arrival in France , they were informed that they would be sent to serve in Italy instead . They arrived there in July 1918 in response from an urgent request from the Italian Government . In addition to the American infantry force , 30 American ambulance sections , a base hospital and 54 airplane pilots also served with the Italian Army . The American pilots , as members of the Italian bombardment squadrons , engaged in bombing raids behind Austrian lines , being especially active during the progress of the Vittorio - Veneto offensive . Its principal missions were to build up Italian morale and to depress that of the enemy by creating the impression that a large force of Americans had reached the front and was preparing to enter that battle line and take an active part in the fighting . The regiment was first stationed near Lake Garda , where it trained in methods of warfare suitable for the difficult mountain terrain which comprised the greater part of the Italian Theater of Operations . Early in October it moved to Treviso , behind the Piave River Front , where it was assigned to the Italian 31st Division . From there , for the purposes of deceiving the enemy , it staged a series of marches in which each battalion , with different articles of uniform and equipment , left the city by different road , circulated during daylight hours in exposed positions for both the Italians and Austrians to see , and returned after nightfall to its station at Treviso in as inconspicuous a manner as possible . On October 24 , the opening day of the Vittorio - Veneto offensive , the Italian 31st Division with the 332nd Infantry attached , was in reserve . It joined the pursuit of the fleeing Austrians on October 29 as part of the British XIV Corps of the Italian Tenth Army , the American regiment forming the advance guard of the corps . On November 3 , after several hard marches , the 332nd Infantry established contact with an enemy rear - guard battalion which was defending the crossings of the Tagliamento River near the village of Ponte - della - Delizia . Early on November 4 , the 2nd Battalion crossed the river on a narrow foot bridge and after a brief fight captured the Austrian position on the far side . Continuing to move forward along the Treviso - Udine railroad , the 2nd battalion occupied the town of Codroipo where it took possession of large stores of munitions and supplies . At 3 : 00 p . m . , November 4 , when the armistice between Italy and Austria – Hungary became effective , the leading American elements were at Villaorba . After the Armistice the American troops formed part of the Allied forces stationed in Austria and along the Dalmatian coast . The 1st and 3rd Battalions were at Cormons near Gorizia , Austria . Later in November the 1st Battalion was ordered to go to Treviso and the 3rd Battalion to Fiume , Austria . The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Cattaro , Dalmatia , and a detachment from it was sent to Cetinje , Montenegro . During this time the regiment undertook peacekeeping duties . Shoulder sleeve insignia . The 332nd Infantry Regiment insignia was perhaps the most envied in the entire American Expeditionary Force . The insignia was selected to reflect their unique service in Italy . It consisted of a beautifully bullion embroidered winged Lion of St . Mark with one paw resting on an open bible with the numbers " 332 " inscribed . Disbandment . In February 1919 the 332nd Infantry Regiment received orders to return to the United States . As the regiment ' s three battalions had been spread out around the theatre it was not until March 29 , 1919 that the regiment embarked upon the SS " Duca d ' Aosta " . They arrived at New York on April 14 and the following week paraded through the city . Shortly afterwards the regiment was moved back to Camp Sherman , Ohio , where on April 26 the regiment marched through Cleveland . The process of demobilization began after this and over the course of a couple of weeks its various sub units were disbanded as personnel were discharged . On May 5 , 1919 , the regiment itself was finally disbanded .