Lineage And Honors Information
Lineage and Honors Information as of 6 May 2015
181st Infantry Regiment
(Sixth Massachusetts)
- Organized 13 December 1636 in the Massachusetts Militia from existing train bands as the North Regiment
- Redesignated 7 September 1643 as the Middlesex Regiment
- Expanded 13 October 1680 to form the 1st (or Lower) Middlesex Regiment and the 2d (or Upper) Middlesex Regiment consisting of companies from Concord, Sudbury, Marlborough, Chelmsford, Billerica, Croton, Lancaster, and Dunstable (1st Middlesex Regiment-- hereafter separate lineage)
- While remaining in Massachusetts service during the Revolutionary War, the 2d Middlesex Regiment (expanded 19 February 1776 to form the 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Middlesex Regiments) additionally formed the following Continental Army units:
- Prescott's Regiment authorized 23 April 1775 and organized at Cambridge; redesignated 1 January 1776 as the 7th Continental Regiment; consolidated 1 January 1777 with the 23d Continental Regiment (see below) and consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as Bailey's Regiment; redesignated 1 August 1779 as the 2d Massachusetts Regiment; disbanded 3 November 1783 at West Point, New York
- Thomas' Regiment authorized 23 April 1775 and organized at Roxbury; redesignated 1 July 1775 as Bailey's Regiment; consolidated 1 January 1776 with Cotton's Regiment (authorized 23 April 1775 and organized at Roxbury) and consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as the 23d Continental Regiment
- Bridge's Regiment authorized 23 April 1775 and organized at Cambridge; disbanded 31 December 1775 at Cambridge
- Nixon's Regiment authorized 23 April 1775 and organized at Cambridge; redesignated 1 January 1776 as the 4th Continental Regiment; redesignated 1 January 1777 as Nixon's Regiment; redesignated 1 August 1779 as the 6th Massachusetts Regiment; disbanded 15 November 1783
- Jonathan Brewer's Regiment authorized 23 April 1775 and organized at Cambridge; redesignated 1 January 1776 as the 6th Continental Regiment; redesignated 1 January 1777 as Wigglesworth's Regiment; redesignated 1 August 1779 as the 13th Massachusetts Regiment; disbanded 1 January 1781 at West Point, New York
- 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Middlesex Regiments reorganized 29 November 1785 as the 2d Brigade, 3d Division
- (Flank [Volunteer Militia] companies in Federal service September-October 1814 as elements of the Elite Brigade)
- 2d Brigade, 3d Division, reorganized 1 July 1834 to consist of the Regiment of Light Infantry (Volunteer Militia) and the 1st, 2d, and 3d Regiments (Standing Militia)
- Regiment of Light Infantry reorganized and redesignated 17 April 1840 in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia as the 5th Regiment of Light Infantry (Standing Militia elements concurrently disbanded)
- Redesignated 26 February 1855 as the 6th Regiment of Infantry
- Mustered into Federal service 22 April 1861 at Washington, D. C., as the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment; mustered out of Federal service 2 August 1861 at Boston
- (While remaining in state service, the 6th Regiment of Infantry additionally formed the 26th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment; mustered into Federal service 26 August 1861 at Cambridge; mustered out of Federal service 26 August 1865 at Savannah, Georgia)
- Mustered into Federal service 31 August-8 September 1862 at Lowell; mustered out of Federal service 3 June 1863 at Boston
- Mustered into Federal service 14-20 July 1864 at Readville; mustered out of Federal service 27 October 1864 at Readville
- Reorganized 18 May 1866 in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia as the 6th Regiment of Infantry
- Mustered into Federal service 12-13 May 1898 at South Framingham as the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service 21 January 1899 at home stations and reorganized as the 6th Regiment of Infantry
- (Massachusetts Volunteer Militia redesignated 15 November 1907 as the Massachusetts National Guard)
- Ordered into Federal service 30 March 1917 at home stations; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
- Reorganized and redesignated 10 February 1918 as the 4th Pioneer Infantry
- Demobilized 19 February 1919 at Camp Hill, Virginia
- Reorganized 26 November 1920 in the Massachusetts National Guard as the 3d Field Artillery
- Converted and redesignated 1 August 1921 as the 3d Infantry
- Redesignated 20 November 1921 as the 181st Infantry; Headquarters Federally recognized 30 March 1922 at Natick
- Assigned 31 March 1923 to the 26th Division (later redesignated as the 26th Infantry Division)
- (Location of Headquarters changed 24 October 1930 to Worcester)
- Inducted into Federal service 16 January 1941 at home stations
- Relieved 27 January 1943 from assignment to the 26th Infantry Division
- Inactivated 8 February 1944 at Fort Dix, New Jersey
- Consolidated 8 July 1946 with the 328th Infantry (see ANNEX 1) and consolidated unit designated as the 181st Infantry; concurrently assigned to the 26th Infantry Division
- Reorganized and Federally recognized 3 January 1947 in the Massachusetts National Guard with Headquarters at Worcester
- Reorganized 1 May 1959 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System to consist of the 1st Battle Group, an element of the 26th Infantry Division
- Reorganized 1 March 1963 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 26th Infantry Division
- Reorganized 1 April 1975 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 26th Infantry Division
- Reorganized 1 February 1988 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 26th Infantry Division
- Withdrawn 1 May 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions
- Relieved 1 September 1993 from assignment to the 26th Infantry Division and assigned to the 26th Infantry Brigade
- Relieved 1 October 1995 from assignment to the 26th Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 29th Infantry Division
- (1st Battalion ordered into active Federal service 5 August 2003 at home stations; released from active Federal service 3 August 2004 and reverted to state control)
- Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 181st Infantry Regiment
- Consolidated 1 September 2006 with the 104th Infantry Regiment (see ANNEX 2) and consolidated unit designated as the 181st Infantry Regiment, to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, with Headquarters at Worcester
- (Elements ordered into active Federal service 1 May-6 July 2007 at home stations; released from active Federal service 3 June-8 August 2008 and reverted to state control)
- Relieved 1 September 2008 from assignment to the 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
- Ordered into active Federal service 31 July 2010 at home stations; released from active Federal service 3 September 2011 and reverted to state control
- ANNEX 1
- Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as the 328th Infantry and assigned to the 82d Division
- Organized in September 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia
- Demobilized 27-29 May 1919 at Camp Upton, New York
- Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 328th Infantry and assigned to the 82d Division
- Organized in January 1922 with Headquarters at Tampa, Florida
- Relieved 13 February 1942 from assignment to the 82d Division; concurrently allotted to the Army of the United States as an inactive unit
- Assigned 27 January 1943 to the 26th Infantry Division
- Activated 12 February 1943 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Inactivated 24 December 1945-3 January 1946 at Camp Myles Standish Massachusetts; Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia; Camp Shanks, New York; and Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
- ANNEX 2
- Constituted 7 May 1662 in the Massachusetts Militia as the Hampshire Regiment (upon the formation of Hampshire County)
- Organized about 1663 to include the following existing Train Bands:
- Springfield (organized December 1639)
- Northampton (organized August 1661)
- Hadley (organized 16 May 1661)
- Expanded 16 November 1748 to form the North and South Hampshire Regiments
- Berkshire Regiment formed 1 January 1763 (upon the formation of Berkshire County from the western portion of Hampshire County)
- (Western Massachusetts expanded 1771-1775 into six regimental areas)
- Expanded and reorganized 22 January 1776 to consist of the following:
- Hampshire County Brigade (Timothy Danielson commanding) consisting of the 1st- 6th Hampshire Regiments
- Berkshire County Brigade (John Fellows commanding) consisting of the 1st and 2d Berkshire Regiments
- (Elements of the Hampshire and Berkshire County militia called into active service at various times during the Revolutionary War and additionally provided the following elements of the Continental Army:
- Danielson’s, Fellow’s, Paterson’s, and Woodbridge’s Regiments of the Massachusetts Provincial Army organized 27 May-21 June 1775; adopted into the Continental Army 14 June 1775
Reorganized in part 1 January 1776 as the 15th (Paterson’s) Continental Regiment, and in part as elements of the 3d (Learned’s) and 21st (Ward’s) Continental Regiments
Reorganized 1 January 1777 as Vose’s Regiment; redesignated 1 August 1779 as the 1st Massachusetts Regiment; disbanded 3 November 1783 at West Point, New York - Colonel Elisha Porter’s Regiment constituted 21 January 1776 in the Continental Army and organized during the winter and spring of 1776 in Hampshire and Berkshire Counties for one year’s service in Canada; disbanded 31 December 1776 at Morristown, New Jersey)
- Hampshire and Berkshire County Brigades reorganized 31 August 1792 as the 4th Division (Hampshire County) and the 9th Division (Berkshire County); volunteer light infantry companies assigned as flank companies of enrolled militia regiment; volunteer artillery companies organized into divisional battalions
- Organized September-November 1814 for service at Boston as the following five regiments:
- Regiment of Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Salem Town, Jr.)
Regiment of Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Enos Foot)
Regiment of Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel William Edwards)
Regiment of Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Solomon K. Chamberlain)
Regiment of Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Longley) - Light Infantry and Rifle companies of the 1st Brigade, 4th Division, reorganized 1 July 1834 as the Regiment of Light Infantry
- Volunteer militia of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties reorganized 24 April 1840 as the 6th Brigade, 3d Division, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, to comprise the following units:
- 2d Regiment of Artillery
3d Regiment of Artillery
10th Regiment of Light Infantry
11th Regiment of Light Infantry
3d Battalion of Light Infantry - 6th Brigade reorganized 25 April 1842 to comprise:
- 3d Regiment of Artillery
4th Battalion of Artillery
10th Regiment of Light Infantry
11th Regiment of Light Infantry - 6th Brigade reorganized 26 February 1855 to comprise:
- 11th Regiment of Infantry
12th Regiment of Infantry
1st Battalion of Infantry - Above units consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated 25 May 1859 as the 10th Regiment of Infantry and the 1st Battalion of Infantry
- Above units consolidated and redesignated 20 June 1861 as the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment
- Mustered into Federal service 21 June 1861 at Springfield; mustered out of Federal service 1-6 July 1864 at Springfield (veterans and recruits transferred 20 June 1864 to the 37th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry [mustered into Federal service 30 August-4 September 1862 at Pittsfield])
- 37th Massachutetts Volunteer Infantry mustered out of Federal service 30 June 1865 at Readville
- Reorganized and redesignated 18 July 1867 as the 1st Battalion of Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
- Redesignated 11 November 1868 as the 2d Regiment of Infantry
- Redesignated 14 July 1876 as the 2d Battalion of Infantry
- Expanded 3 December 1878 and redesignated as the 2d Regiment of Infantry
- Mustered into Federal service 8-10 May 1898 at South Framingham as the 2d Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service 3 November 1898 at Springfield
- (Massachusetts Volunteer Militia redesignated 15 November 1907 as the Massachusetts National Guard)
- Mustered into Federal service 18 June 1916 at home stations; mustered out of Federal service 31 October 1916 at home stations
- Called into Federal service 25 July 1917; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
- Redesignated 22 August 1917 as the 104th Infantry and assigned to the 26th Division
- Demobilized 29 April 1919 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts
- Reorganized 31 March 1920 in the Massachusetts National Guard as the 104th Infantry with Headquarters at Springfield
- Redesignated 1 September 1920 as the 2d Infantry
- Redesignated 30 September 1921 as the 104th Infantry, an element of the 26th Division (later designated as the 26th Infantry Division)
- Inducted into Federal service 16 January 1941 at home stations
- Inactivated 29 December 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts
- Reorganized and Federally recognized 29 November 1946 in the Massachusetts National Guard as the 104th Infantry with Headquarters at Springfield
- Reorganized 1 May 1959 as the 104th Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battle Group, an element of the 26th Infantry Division
- Reorganized 1 March 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 26th Infantry Division; concurrently, location of Headquarters changed to Westfield
- Reorganized 1 February 1988 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 26th Infantry Division
- Withdrawn 1 May 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
- Relieved 1 September 1993 from assignment to the 26th Infantry Division, and assigned to the 26th Infantry Brigade
- Ordered into active Federal service 3 September 2002 at home stations; released from active Federal service 2 September 2003 and reverted to state control
- Location of Headquarters changed 1 September 2004 to Springfield
- Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 104th Infantry Regiment
Campaign Participation Credit
- Revolutionary War
- Lexington
- Boston
- Quebec
- Long Island
- Trenton
- Princeton
- Saratoga
- Monmouth
- New Jersey 1776
- New York 1776
- Rhode Island 1778
- New York 1780
- War of 1812
- Streamer without inscription
- Civil War
- Mississippi River
- Peninsula
- Antietam
- Fredericksburg
- Chancellorsville
- Gettysburg
- Wilderness
- Spotsylvania
- Cold Harbor
- Petersburg
- Shenandoah
- Appomattox
- District of Columbia 1864
- Virginia 1862
- Virginia 1863
- War with Spain
- Santiago
- Puerto Rico
- World War I
- Champagne-Marne
- Aisne-Marne
- St. Mihiel
- Meuse-Argonne
- Ile de France 1918
- Lorraine 1918
- World War II
- Northern France
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
- War on Terrorism
- Iraq:
- Iraqi Surge
- Afghanistan:
- Consolidation III
- Transition I
- (Additional campaigns to be determined)
Decorations
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered AFGHANISTAN 2010-2011
- French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star, World War I, Streamer embroidered LORRAINE
- French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered LORRAINE
- French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere
- Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes
- Headquarters Company (Wellington Rifles - Worcester), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered EUROPEAN THEATER
- Company A (Agawam), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
- Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered AUG 2006–SEP 2007
- Company B (Gardner), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) Streamer embroidered LUXEMBOURG
By Order of the Secretary of the Army:
RICHARD W. STEWART, PH.D.
Chief of Military History