188th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 188th Glider Infantry Regiment was a regiment in the United States Army that was active during World War II. It was a part of the 11th Airborne Division during its entire existence.
| 188th Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
188th Infantry Regiment coat of arms | |
| Active | 1942–58, 1963-1965 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Parachute infantry |
| Motto(s) | "Winged Attack" |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Colonel Robert H. Soule |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia | |
| 188th's Airborne Background Trimming | |
| The Glider Badge: Worn by U.S. Army airborne soldiers who rode gliders into combat | |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | ||||
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The 188th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 12 November 1942 at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. On 25 February 1943, the 188th was activated under the command of Colonel Robert H. Soule. It was designated a glider regiment, and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division. A two battalion regiment, the 188th trained and prepared for combat with its men trained at the end of the war both as gliderists and parachutists. Subsequently, on 4 July 1945 the regiment was redesignated as the 188th Parachute Infantry.
In April, 1944 the 11th was moved to Camp Stoneman, 30 miles (48 km) east of San Francisco, California. The camp processed units for movement overseas. The 11th spent 6 days at the camp being fed extremely well and provided with as much entertainment as possible. One of the tasks at Stoneman was to learn what to do on a ship in case of an attack, and the need to abandon ship. By 11 May the division had sailed on several ships from the port of San Francisco for a 28-day voyage to New Guinea.