2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment
The 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry, "Wolfhounds," was first constituted on 2 February 1901 in the Regular Army as Company F, 26th Infantry. The unit was organized on 18 March 1901 at Fort McPherson, Georgia and redesignated on 29 May 1901 as Company B, 27th Infantry.
In December 1901, the 27th Infantry Regiment as a whole deployed to the Philippines to defeat Moro insurgents on the island of Mindanao. After the Moro's defeat, the 27th Infantry deployed to Camp Sheridan, Illinois in 1904.
After additional service in Cuba, Texas, and again in the Philippines, the 27th Infantry sailed to Vladivostok, Siberia in 1918 as part of the Allied Expeditionary Force. One of their missions was to guard the Trans-Siberian Railroad, which often resulted in combat with communist Bolsheviks. While in Russia, the 27th Infantry earned its nickname, "The Wolfhounds," because of its aggressive pursuit of retreating Bolshevik forces.
On 1 March 1921, the 27th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the Hawaiian Division (later redesignated as the 24th Infantry Division). It served proudly in the Hawaiian Division for over 20 years until it was relieved on 26 August 1941, and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. After seeing extensive action in the Pacific theater during the Second World War and the ensuing occupation of Japan, the 27th Infantry Regiment earned the nickname "Gentle Wolfhounds" for their loving support of the Holy Family Orphanage.
Occupation duties were cut short in July 1950 when the 27th Infantry departed for Pusan, Korea, to assist in holding the Pusan perimeter at the onset of the Korean conflict. The unit saw heavy action throughout the Korean conflict, earning 10 Campaign Streamers and 3 Presidential Unit Citations. Upon conclusion of hostilities in Korea, the unit returned to Schofield Barracks.
The 27th Infantry Regiment was relieved on 1 February 1957 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division and reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. Company B, 27th Infantry was conrruently inactivated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division. At the same time it was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battle Group, 27th Infantry. The unit was redesignated on 22 June 1960 as Company B, 27th Infantry and activated on 24 June 1960 in Korea. It was inactivated on 26 March 1962 in Korea.
Company B, 27th Infantry was redesignated on 21 June 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry, and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, with its organic elements concurrently constituted. The Battalion was activated on 26 August 1963 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry entered the Vietnam conflict in January 1966. During their 5 year stay in Vietnam, the unit earned 2 valorous unit citations, and proved to be one of the last 25th Infantry Division units to return home. 2-27th Infantry did finally return to Hawaii in April 1971. The Battalion was inactivated on 5 June 1972 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
On 10 June 1987, the 2-27th Infantry was relieved from their assignment to the 25th Infantry Division, and assigned to the 7th Infantry Division, and reactivated at Fort Ord, California. During their tour at Fort Ord, the Battalion deployed to Panama in support of Operation Just Cause. On 15 September 1993, the Battalion was inactivated and relieved from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division.
The 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry was again activated on 16 August 1995. It was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and activated at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. At the time, the unit carried 30 battle streamers and 12 unit citations on its colors. Its motto, "Nec Aspera Terrent," translated to "No Fear on Earth."
In 1999, both active battalions (the 1st and 2nd Battalions) of the 27th Infantry entered the 50th year of the Regiment's relationship with the children and staff of the Holy Family Home Orphanage, Osaka, Japan. During Christmas 1949, Wolfhounds visited the orphanage to deliver gifts and hold a Christmas party for the children. Recognizing the needs of the children, and the then-limited capacity for self-help in postwar Japan, the Regiment turned what was to have been a one-time occurrence into flow of supplies, food, building materials, medical assistance, and most importantly, love from American soldiers and their families to the orphans. Soldiers from 1st and 2nd Battalions returned to Japan every Christmas, and 2 children from the orphanage had visited Schofield Barracks annually since 1957. The relationship was recognized by Hollywood in 1956 when members of the Regiment were profiled in the movie, "Three Stripes In The Sun," starring Aldo Ray.
In 2006, as part of the transformation of 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry was reorganized and reassigned to the reorganized and redesignated 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
|Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list|