15th Infantry Regiment ( United States ) The 15th United States Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment in the United States Army . It has a lineage tracing back to the American Civil War , having participated in many battles . Distinctive unit insignia and coat of arms . The Shield is of white and blue , the old and the new colors of the Infantry . The Red Acorn was the badge of XIV Army Corps under which the 15th Infantry fought during the Civil war . The acorn is repeated four times to commemorate the four major engagements in which the regiment participated : Murfreesboro , Chickamauga , Chattanooga , and Atlanta . The rock denotes the fact that the regiment was under the Command of General George Henry Thomas for the battle in which he earned his famous sobriquet : " The Rock of Chickamauga " . The Chinese dragon , in gold metal , is indicative of the regiment ' s service in China during the Boxer Rebellion from 1900 to 1938 , of which the period after 1912 was continuous . The sunburst , triangle , and devices atop the coat of arms is symbolic of the Katipunan flag of the Philippine Insurrection . Coat of Arms . The coat of arms was approved on 30 April 1923 . It was amended to correct the blazon of the shield and crest on 14 July 1924 . Previous 15th Regiments . The official Army history and lineage does not credit the current 15th Infantry with the honors or lineage of these earlier regiments . The first 15th Infantry in the U . S . Army was organized on 16 July 1798 for the " Quasi - War " with France . The regiment saw no war service and was deactivated in 1800 . A second 15th Infantry was activated in 1812 for service in Canada during the War of 1812 . The 15th fought in the capture of Toronto and Fort George in April and May 1813 , and covered the retreat of militia troops from Fort George in December 1813 . It was during this retreat that the 15th earned a reputation for not losing a single man through capture , despite taking heavy casualties . The 15th fought in the Champlain Valley campaign in autumn 1814 , and participated in General Dearborn ' s offensive in Ontario in October , and took part in many smaller battles that same year . the regiment vanished in the Army reorganization of 1815 . On 11 February 1847 , a new 15th Infantry was activated for service in Mexico . As companies of the 15th arrived at Vera Cruz , they moved inland to join General Winfield Scott ' s army advancing on Mexico City . The regiment fought with distinction in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco , as well as smaller engagements before storming the walls of Chapultepec in Mexico City itself . Following garrison duty in Mexico City and Cuernavaca , the regiment returned to the United States for deactivation in August 1848 . The current 15th Infantry was activated during the Civil War on 3 May 1861 by General Order No . 33 with its headquarters first in Wheeling , West Virginia then Cleveland , Ohio , then on to Newport Barracks , Kentucky and finally ending up in Fort Adams , Rhode Island . At the Battle of Shiloh on 7 April 1862 , the 15th Infantry earned the distinction of being the first new infantry regiment to engage in battle in the Civil War . In April – May 1862 , the regiment marched toward and fought in the First Battle of Corinth , Mississippi . By the end of the Civil War , the regiment had fought in 22 major engagements , including Chattanooga , Chickamauga , Murfreesboro , and Atlanta as a part of BG King ' s Brigade of Johnston ' s Division , XIV Army Corps of the Army of the Cumberland . The regiment was a key element of the only Regular Brigade in Sherman ' s Army . The regiment ' s crest includes the acorn , the symbol of the Major General George Thomas ' s XIV Corps , and the mountains of stone to symbolize the Corps ' firm stand as the " Rock of Chickamauga " . The four acorns represent the four major engagements . Following the Civil War , the 15th Infantry served on occupation duty in Alabama until 1869 . The regiment redeployed to the West , serving in Missouri , New Mexico , the Dakotas , and Colorado . The regiment remained in New Mexico for a little over 12 years . At the end of that time , the headquarters and six companies were sent to Ft . Lewis , Colorado ; three companies to Fort Lyon , Colorado ; with one company remaining in Santa Fe , New Mexico . In 1879 and 1880 the regiment was deeply involved in operations against the Mimbres Apaches under the warrior Victorio in New Mexico and received a campaign streamer for those operations . Lineage . In October and November 1882 , the regiment was transferred to the Department of Dakota : Headquarters , A , C , D , and H Companies took station at Fort Randall , South Dakota ; B and I Companies at Pembina , North Dakota ; G and K Companies at Fort Lincoln , North Dakota ; E and F Companies at Fort Stevenson , North Dakota . The 15th participated in campaigns against the Ute Tribe of Colorado and against the Mescalero Apaches . In May 1890 , four companies proceeded to new posts in the Department of the East : A and G Companies moved to Mount Vernon Barracks , Alabama ; D Company to Fort Barrancas , Florida ; and K Company to Jackson Barracks , Louisiana . In July 1890 Companies I and K were skeletonized . Also in July , the headquarters and the five companies remaining in the Department of Dakota were assigned to Fort Sheridan , Illinois . In August , Companies E and H proceeded to Fort Sheridan . The regimental headquarters moved to Fort Sheridan in January 1891 . The remaining companies from Dakota and the companies serving in the South completed their moves in May 1891 . The final reconsolidation of all 15th Infantry companies after 12 years of being scattered throughout the West and South was concluded on 29 May 1891 . While at Fort Sheridan the regiment played a vital role in containing the Chicago Railway Riots in July 1894 . The regiment remained as part of the Department of the Missouri until 15 October 1896 , then served in the Department of Colorado from 19 October 1896 to 6 October 1898 . With the outbreak of the Spanish - American War in 1898 , the regiment moved to Huntsville , Alabama , on 12 October for intensive training . On 27 November 1898 , it sailed from Savannah , Georgia for Nuevitas , Cuba , for occupation duty . On 5 January 1900 , the regiment sailed home to be posted throughout upper New York State and Vermont . The regimental headquarters , band , and First Battalion arrived in San Francisco on 16 July 1900 . They immediately boarded the Transport " Sumner " and sailed for Nagasaki , Japan on 17 July . Later in July , Companies I , K , and L left their stations for San Francisco and went into camp at the Presidio . M Company also came from Fort McPherson at the same time . The First Battalion arrived at Nagasaki on 10 August . There they transferred to the Transport " Indiana " , and sailed for Tientsin via Taku on 13 August . The Battalion arrived off of the Taku forts ( already captured by the allies ) on 16 August . During the latter part of the month , the Battalion reconnoitered and skirmished continuously over the same terrain where the 9th Infantry had lost 100 men killed in action ( including their Regimental Commander , Colonel Liscum ) . Despite the fact that the Boxers had been dispersed several months before , numerous small bands of fanatics were still operating in the country . About 1 September , Companies A , B , and D were assigned the duty of escorting junks carrying supplies up the Pei Ho River to Peking . After completing this mission , Company C took station at Tientsin Arsenal on 6 September , while A Company occupied Tongku on 22 September . Through the latter part of November the Battalion was engaged in almost daily expeditions against small bands of Boxers lurking in nearby villages . On 25 November the First Battalion was relieved from duty with the China Relief Expedition and on 28 November arrived at Tongku . There it boarded the Transport " Rosecrans " and arrived at Nagasaki on 4 December , then continuing on to Manila , arriving on 13 December . After lying at anchor in Manila Bay for eight days , the regiment sailed for Legaspi in the Province of Albay . On 24 December , Headquarters , the Band , and C and D Companies disembarked and took station at Legaspi . The transport continued to Tobacco , Albay , where B Company disembarked . Company A continued on to arrive at Mauban on 29 December . From then until 7 November 1901 , the company conducted patrols to track the movement of the insurgent General Cailles . On 7 November , A Company moved to Bulan , Sorsogon and remained there until 28 December . It then moved on to the town of Sorsogon , in Sorsogon Province . It departed there on 5 March 1902 and arrived at Santa Elena , Samar on 11 March . Company B remained at Tobacco until 30 July 1901 , conducting patrols throughout that period . On 30 July B Company proceeded to the Island of Catanduanes . After five months of heavy scout work the company left for San Jose de Lagamoy , where it was engaged in tracking down bands of headhunters . On 31 July 1902 B Company returned to the regiment . C Company remained at Legaspi until 28 January 1902 , when it left for the Island of Catanduanes . During the period 18 April to 31 July the company successively garrisoned Tabaco , Gubat , Santa Rita , Tones Island , Quentigean Island , and Balangigo . On 31 July it proceeded to Catbalogan and joined the regiment which was preparing to return to the United States . D Company remained on duty at Legaspi . Between 14 April and 31 July 1902 the company occupied Nueva Cacera ( now Naga ) , Sorsogon , Bulan , and Point Binatao . On 31 July it left for the regimental assembly point at Catbalogan . By April 1902 , the balance of the regiment joined the 3rd Battalion in the Philippines and saw considerable action against the insurgents . The 2nd Battalion , which had remained in New York , did not appear in the Philippines until February 1902 , just in time to turn around and return with its outfit in September to the United States . In September 1902 the regiment sailed for Monterey , California , where it built the current Presidio . The record of the next three years is uneventful , but it shows that the Fifteenth kept itself in good shape . The unit was outstanding in the Army ' s rifle competition , placing seven men on the team of ten men from the Pacific Division in the annual competition in 1905 . In November 1905 , the regiment was posted to Mindanao in the Philippines . When the 15th returned to the U . S . in 1907 , it was assigned to Fort Douglas , Utah . After 1907 the next change of station did not come for four years , but when it did come the 15th Infantry left the United States for twenty - six years . Before this removal , the regiment distinguished itself further in rifle competition . Its entrants won first , second and fourth honors in the individual competition , and five of its six contestants made the ten - man Army Rifle Team . This showing seems all the finer when it is known that the hitches of 500 men had expired during 1908 , and that green recruits had filled the regiment at its home station in Utah and took part in a banquet given in their honor by the officers . Elements of the regiment began to move to the Far East in November 1911 . By mid - 1912 , Headquarters , the Band , and the 1st and 3rd Battalions were established at Tientsin in China as part of the international peace - keeping mission designed to protect civilians during the Boxer Rebellion ; the 2nd in the Philippines . The latter never joined the rest , for the men were transferred from it to the 1st Battalion of the 31st Infantry in August 1916 . The 2nd Battalion was reorganized in Tientsin by transfer of personnel from the other two battalions . The mission of the regiment became difficult to define , and in the course of time the unit itself was transferred to the control of the State Department . In line with new doctrine on organization , three provisional companies , Headquarters , Supply , and Machine Gun , were formed during August 1914 , and in 1916 they were made permanent . That same year , World War I broke out in Europe , and most of the European nations withdrew their troops from China . Dutifully , the old " China Regiment " took over their patrolling . As a result , the regiment missed the fight in Europe , but it was often close to conflict in China . Armies of warlords roamed the land and sometimes threatened the American quarter . Christmas Day , 1925 was very tense , for 5 , 000 troops belonging to Feng , a warlord from the north , entered the area . Captain Tuttle with nine men went out to warn off this horde . As the tiny detachment approached , the advanced guard of the mass deployed and came on with fixed bayonets . Not flinching , the nine doughboys blocked the road while Tuttle proceeded alone toward the invaders . He ordered them to make a detour , and marvelous to say , they finally did . For reasons of state , the 1st Battalion went to the Philippines in August 1921 , where eight years later , it was deactivated . In 1932 , Companies G and L were also deactivated . This left six companies at their stations in Tientsin . Much of the tradition of the regiment comes from its twenty - six years stay in China . George C . Marshall , later General of the Armies , commanded it from 1924 to 1927 . Much of the 15th Infantry ' s tradition comes from the 26 years in China . The dragon on the regimental crest and the pidgin English motto " Can Do " symbolize its China service . Also many of the ceremonial properties of the 15th are from China , for example , the grand silver punch bowl with accessories . These are all found in the China Room at Fort Benning . The regiment left China for Fort Lewis , Washington , on 2 March 1938 . On 12 January 1940 , the regiment was assigned to the 3d Infantry Division . LTC Dwight D . Eisenhower served in the 15th from March to November 1940 , as commander of 1st Battalion . On 24 October 1942 , the 15th Infantry and the 3d Infantry Division sailed from Norfolk , Virginia , bound for French Morocco . For the next 31 months , the regiment fought with absolute distinction through French North Africa , Sicily , Italy , France , and Germany . By 9 May 1945 , the 15th Infantry had 16 recipients of the Medal of Honor , including Audie Murphy who was the most decorated soldier in US Army history and who commanded Company B of the 15th . World War II casualties included 1 , 633 killed , 5 , 812 wounded , and 419 missing in action . On 1 December 1948 , the 15th was transferred from occupation duty in Germany to Fort Benning , Georgia . As part of the 3d Infantry Division , the regiment sailed for Korea on 31 August 1950 . The regiment covered the withdrawal of X Corps from Chosin Reservoir in 1950 , fought north to the 38th parallel in 1951 , and fought in the Kumsong sector until the armistice was signed . At the time of the truce , the 15th had seen action in eight major campaigns and added three more Medal of Honor recipients , Emory L . Bennett ( 24 June 1951 ) , Ola L . Mize ( 10 June and 11 June 1953 ) and Charles F . Pendleton ( 16 July and 17 July 1953 ) . The Belgian Contingent that served alongside the 15th at the " Iron Triangle " , borrowed its motto ( " Can Do " ) , changing it to " Belgians Can Do Too ! " for its own use . On 3 December 1954 , the regiment returned to Fort Benning . In 1957 , the Army reorganized combat forces from regiments and battalions to battle groups . 1st and 2nd Battle Groups , 15th Infantry ( bearing the lineages of the former Companies A and B ) were assigned to Kitzingen and Wildflicken , West Germany , respectively , as part of the 3d Infantry Division . These units maintained their " battle skills " by several deployments to Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training centers as well as several REFORGER exercises . Another Army - wide force reorganization in 1963 eliminated battle groups in favor of brigades and battalions and , in December 1965 , the 3rd and 4th Battalions were deactivated . The 15th Infantry Regimental Headquarters and the 3rd Battalion were reactivated at Fort Stewart , Georgia , on 25 August 1989 , as part of the 24th Infantry Division . The 4th battalion was reactivated in May 1987 at Fort Knox , Kentucky , as part of the 194th Armored Brigade . The " Can Do " battalion , formerly the 4th Battalion , 54th Infantry , was the only infantry battalion at Fort Knox . The battalion served not only as a mechanized infantry battalion ( equipped with M113A1 / A2 Armored Personnel Carriers , APCs ) , but also in support of the United States Army Armor School during various training missions . From 20 August 1990 through 22 March 1991 , the 3rd Battalion participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm , to free Kuwait from Iraqi oppression . In 1993 , the 3rd Battalion deployed three companies to Mogadishu , Somalia , to conduct combat operations in Operations Restore and Continue Hope . In 1994 , the 2nd Battalion deployed to Macedonia to deter Serbian aggression . In 1994 the 3rd Battalion deployed one company to Haitito support Operation Uphold Democracy . The 1st Battalion colors were returned from Germany in 1996 . The 1 - 18 IN was reflagged as 1 - 15 IN on 15 February 1996 . The actual reflagging ceremony was held at Fort Stewart on 25 April 1996 . The 2nd Battalion was deactivated in 1996 . The 1st and 3rd Battalions deployed to Iraq with the 3d Infantry Division in 2003 and again in 2005 – 06 , with one battalion falling under the 42nd Infantry Division . The 1st Battalion deployed to Iraq for the third time in March 2007 . The 3rd Battalion was deactivated and reflagged the same year at Fort Stewart , Georgia . In 2009 the 3rd Battalion was reactivated at Fort Stewart . The 1st Battalion deployed to Iraq in 2009 assuming responsibility for operations in ad - Diwaniyah and an - Najaf for Operation Iraqi Freedom VII and . The history of the regiment is perpetuated through the 15th Infantry Regiment Association . The association is made up of former and current members of the regiment . Without inscription