1st Battalion - 112th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized)
The federal mission of the 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry (Mech), is to, upon mobilization, deploy to a forward area of operations; attack and defend in sector. On order, the unit conducts federal disaster or emergency assistance operations.
The state mission of the unit is to provide an Infantry Battalion organized, equipped and trained to function in the protection of life and property and the preservation of peace, order and public safety, under competent orders of state authorities.
The 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry (M) reorganized on 1 October 1995, combining units of the 2nd Battalion, 110th Infantry (M), which had transitioned to Mechanized Infantry the previous year and units of the 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry, which was organized as an Air Assault Infantry Battalion. Incidentally, two of the companies of the 2-110th (C and D) had been in the 112th Infantry Regiment prior to 1963. The 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry was formed from the 1st Battle Group Infantry on 1 April 1963. The origins of the 1st Battle Group are derived from the 112th Infantry Regiment in which it was reorganized on 1 June 1959. The unit retained the designation, awards, and decorations of the 112th Infantry Regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. Prior to becoming the 112th Infantry Regiment it was designated as the 16th Infantry Regiment. In 1921 the 16th Infantry Regiment reorganized to become the 112th Infantry Regiment. The 16th Infantry Regiment was formed from the 13th, 15th, and 17th Regiments on 22 November 1878. During the post Civil War years, 360,000 Pennsylvanians organized into 210 regiments. The 16th Regiment maintained the right to call the Silver Bands, earned by its former units during the Civil War (1861-1864), its own. The bands are still maintained by its descendant, the 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry (M).
The 112th Infantry has participated in five tours of active federal service: the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict. During times of peace it has been under state control, conducting training and preparing for both its state emergency mission and its federal wartime mission. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the regiment was mustered into service on 10 May 1898. It sailed to Puerto Rico in July and served with the 1st Division throughout the campaign. It mustered out of service in December 1898 and returned to being the 16th Infantry.
On 3 July 1916, the regiment was called to service for Mexican border duty. The 112th was transported to El Paso, Texas for training but never was utilized due to the ending of hostilities. During 1917 the 112th Infantry was mobilized and became part of the 28th Infantry Division and was the first war-strength National Guard regiment in the United States. The regiment reached France in May 1918 as part of the American Expeditionary Force. It went into the line 4 July 1918 in the Second Battle of Narne. From that day on, the names Fismes, Fismette, Fond de Mezieres and Argonne will never be forgotten. Company G and H lost a combined total of 200 men out of 230 when cut off at Fismette and fended off a frontal attack by a thousand German soldiers. The 112th Infantry Regiment returned home in April 1919 and was mustered out of service.
The regiment was again mobilized on 17 February 1941. After years of training, it first entered Normandy Beach following the invasion. Redesignated as a Combat Team, it plowed through France and Germany, participating in the capture of Paris and the bitter fighting in the Huertgen Forest. During December 1944, the 112th Infantry Combat Team was holding a 6 1/2 mile sector in which the Germans attacked with 9 Divisions. The Combat Team inflicted 1600 casualties and destroyed 18 tanks during 9 days of continuous actions, which later became known as the "Battle of the Bulge." The unit later received the Presidential Unit Citation for their actions.
The fifth tour of federal service began in September 1950 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana with the 28th Infantry Division. The 112th Infantry Regiment deployed to Germany in support of the Korean Conflict. During 1952 the soldiers rotated back to the United States, and the 112th Regiment was reorganized on 28 July 1953.
The 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry (M) is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. During times other than when federalized for national emergency or war, the Governor of Pennsylvania is the Commander in Chief. The units train for both a wartime mission and an emergency mission. Since the Korean Conflict, the 1-112th Infantry has seen numerous state activations.
The following events are only a sampling of the diverse types of state activations in which the battalion has participated: Soldiers of the battalion where utilized to assist communities on four different occasions during the winter and spring of 1996. The state activations were caused by the snow storms and subsequent flooding caused by a quick thaw. The soldiers assisted communities in western Pennsylvania by providing water, transportation and manpower. During 1985, tornadoes touched down in northwestern Pennsylvania; within hours Guardsmen where on location providing assistance and security to neighbors. In August 1980, while attending Annual Training at Fort Indiantown Gap, the battalion was utilized to control Cuban refugees who were demonstrating on post. After three days of increased security measures, the Cubans stood down and continued their processing. There have been many more state activations in which we have participated, among them: Pittsburgh oil spill of 1988, independent truckers' strike of 1974, Hurricane Agnes of 1972...
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