366th Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 366th Infantry Regiment was an all Colored (segregated) unit of the United States Army that served in both World War I and World War II.^[1] In the latter war, the unit was exceptional for having all black officers as well as troops. The U.S. military did not desegregate until after World War II.^[2] During the war, for most of the segregated units, all field grade (majors and above) and most of the company grade officers (second lieutenants, first lieutenants, and captains) were white.

366th Infantry Regiment
Active	November 1917–25 March 1919 10 February 1941–28 March 1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Fort Devens, Massachusetts
Motto(s)	"Labor Conquers All Things."
Engagements	World War I, World War II
Battle honours	Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Rome-Arno Campaign

World War I

Officers of the United States Army's segregated 366th Infantry Regiment on board the RMS Aquitania, en route home from World War I service. Left to right: Lieutenant Cleveland L. Abbott, Yankton, South Dakota; Captain Joseph L. Lowe, Pacific Grove, California; Lieutenant Aaron R. Fisher, Lyles, Indiana, recipient of Distinguished Service Cross; Captain E. White, Pine Bluff, Arkansas

The 366th Infantry was constituted 16 August 1917 in the National Army as the 366th Infantry, assigned to the 92nd Division, and organized at Camp Dodge, Iowa, in November 1917.

In World War I the regiment served overseas as a part of the 92nd Division, National Army and earned credit for battle participation as follows:

• St. Die Sector (Lorraine), 23 August 1918 – 20 September 1918
• Meuse-Argonne Sector, 26 September 1918 – 5 October 1918
• Marbach Sector (Lorraine) 8 October 1918 – November 1918

The 366th Infantry was demobilized 25 March 1919 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

World War II

The 366th Infantry was constituted on 16 December 1940 and activated on 10 February 1941 as a separate regiment at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. On 26 July 1941, the World War I 366th Infantry was reconstituted and consolidated with the second 366th, allowing the latter to inherit the former's battle honors. The 366th was assigned to the Eastern Defense Command on 30 April 1942, attached to the 1st Service Command on 1 May 1943, and to the XIII Corps on 1 September 1943. It moved to A. P. Hill Military Reservation, Virginia on 14 October 1943 and to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, 23 November 1943, under XX Corps.

The 366th Infantry initially had been earmarked for service in the European Theater of Operations with a sailing date of February 1944, but that theater's requirement for separate infantry regiments was cancelled in October 1943. The unit remained unallotted until the 15th Air Force Service Command in Italy requested more air base security battalions; since no unassigned battalions were available, it was decided to use the 366th Infantry for this duty in November 1943. It was assigned to the XXII Corps on 21 January 1944, and staged at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, from 22 March 1944 until it departed the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on 28 March 1944. The 366th arrived in North Africa on 6 April 1944 and was attached to the Fifteenth Air Force, guarding bases from Sardinia to the Adriatic Sea. The Fifth Army was in need of additional strength for the assault on Rome, and Ira C. Eaker offered the 366th to Fifth Army commander Jacob L. Devers, but he initially refused, citing that the regiment was in need of additional training before entering combat, and he needed the troops immediately.

The 366th continued on guard duty. Colonel Howard D. Queen was the commanding officer at the time of the regiment's embarkation in March 1944. Although the 366th Infantry had been at a "combat readiness" status when it sailed, after a prolonged period which was devoted only to guard duty Queen felt that his men needed at least three months of re-preparation to actually be "combat ready." Queen wrote a significant request for withdrawal from active command and included his guarded reservations in regard to his deeply held tenets. Despite this, on 28 October 1944, the 366th was relieved from the Fifteenth Air Force and assigned to the Fifth Army on 4 November 1944. It arrived at Livorno, Italy, on 21 November 1944, and soon after, was attached to the 92nd Infantry Division.^[3][4]

Combat chronicle

After continuing poor combat performance, including many instances of unauthorized withdrawals upon meeting the enemy, low morale, and malingering, the 92nd Infantry Division was believed by both German and American commands to be fit for only defensive roles. In February 1945, it was decided to completely withdraw the division from the front and rebuild its infantry forces from the ground up with minimal publicity regarding transfers in and out of the unit, conversions, or inactivations. In addition, African American infantry replacements were not expected to be available to replace casualties from the planned Allied offensive that spring if the 92nd was used in sustained combat, but continued limited operations were deemed acceptable. Two of the 366th Infantry's three battalions were recommended "not be used again for offensive action unless urgent military necessity required it;" 92nd Infantry Division commanders proposed that as part of the reorganization, the "366th be removed from the front lines and disposed of as higher headquarters might direct," which was accepted.^[5] The 366th Infantry Regiment was disbanded on 28 March 1945, with personnel transferred to the 224th and 226th Engineer General Service Regiments.^[6]

Notable veterans

John R. Fox, Medal of Honor recipient

• West A. Hamilton, commander who later served on the D.C. School Board and advocated for a National Memorial building for African Americans in D.C.
• Edward W. Brooke III: First African American after Reconstruction elected to the United States Senate. (World War II veteran)
• Frederic E. Davison: first African American US Army Major General and division commander (World War II veteran)
• William L. Dawson: First African American to chair a committee of the United States Congress (1949) (World War I veteran)
• Aaron R. Fisher: Distinguished Service Cross recipient, World War I
• John R. Fox: Medal of Honor (posthumous) recipient, World War II
• James F. Hamlet: second African American US Army Major General (World War II veteran)
• Charles A. Pratt First African American Judge of Kalamazoo County Michigan World War II

General

The 366th Infantry Regiment was awarded two campaign streamers for the Colors; the first for Meuse-Argonne Lorraine (September 1918 to November 1918), and the second for Rome-Arno (January 1944 to September 1944).

The Regimental Shield incorporated the Cross of Lorraine. The Regimental Motto was, "Labor Conquers All Things."

See also

• Military history of African Americans
• Winter Line
• United States Colored Troops