The 26th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. Its nickname is "Blue Spaders", taken from German soldiers in World War I who saw the spade-like device on the regiment's distinctive unit insignia and called the soldiers “Blauerspadern”. The 26th Infantry Regiment is part of the U.S. Army Regimental System; currently only the 1st Battalion is active and assigned to the 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

History At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States Army was sorely pressed to meet its overseas commitments in Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. As a result, in 1901 Congress authorized five additional Regular Army infantry regiments; the 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th Infantry. (These regiments should not be confused with United States volunteer regiments with the same numerical designations which served from 1899 to 1901.)

Philippines The 26th Infantry began its life overseas in the Philippines and spent its first 20 years of service on deployments to the Southwest Pacific, the Mexican and Indian frontier and in Europe. It earned its first battle streamer during the Philippine–American War within two years of its forming as a unit.

World War I

After returning to the same location for another tour of duty (a habit the Blue Spaders would keep for the entire century), the regiment fought off Mexican bandits and settled disputes in the Indian Territory, until it was selected as one of only four Regular Army infantry regiments deemed fit for immediate combat to form the 1st Expeditionary Division (later redesignated the 1st Division) in June 1917, shortly after the American entry into World War I. Thus began the regiment's long association with the "Big Red One".

As part of the first American soldiers to arrive in France, the regiment immediately left for the front. Along with its sister regiments of the division, it earned more campaign streamers than any other regiments during World War I. However, they came at a terrible cost. Over 900 Blue Spaders died in a six-month period. At Soissons alone, the regimental commander, executive officer, two of three battalion commanders and the regimental sergeant major were killed in action; sixty-two officers were killed or wounded; and of the 3,100 Blue Spaders that started the attack, over 1,500 had been killed or wounded. But the battle was won, and this turned the tide for the Allies at a crucial period during the summer of 1918. By the war's end, the soldiers had earned seven battle streamers and two foreign awards.

Interwar period

The 26th Infantry arrived at the port of New York on 3 September 1919 on the USS Finland. It participated in the 1st Division Victory Parades in New York City and Washington, D.C., on 10 and 17 September 1919, respectively. The regiment was transferred 4 October 1919 to Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky, on 10 September 1920 to Camp Dix, New Jersey, and on 1 July 1922 to Plattsburg Barracks, New York. It participated in the silent movie Janice Meredith in 1924 with actress Marion Davies presenting the regiment a Tiffany’s silver service in appreciation of their participation. The regiment was awarded the Chief of Infantry’s Marksmanship Trophy for 1938. Assigned Reserve officers conducted summer training with the regiment at Plattsburg Barracks. In October 1939, the regiment departed the New York Port of Embarkation on the USAT Republic and debarked at the port of Charleston, South Carolina, en route to maneuvers in the vicinity of Fort Benning, Georgia, to test the new "triangular" division concept. After maneuvers in Louisiana in May 1940, it returned to Plattsburg Barracks on 5 June 1940. The 2nd Battalion was transferred in August 1940 to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and the remainder of the regiment was transferred on 27 February 1941 to Fort Devens.

World War II

In 1941, the regiment once again stood with its sister regiments and prepared for war in Europe. The regiment was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division for the duration of World War II. In World War II, the 26th Infantry led America's first-ever amphibious assault in North Africa, fought at the Kasserine Pass, assaulted Sicily at the Amphibious Battle of Gela, invaded Normandy at Omaha Beach, conquered the first German city of the war at Aachen, held the line against heavy German attacks at Elsenborn Ridge during The Battle of the Bulge, vaulted the Rhine and attacked all the way to Czechoslovakia by war's end. The regiment, commanded by Colonel John F. R. Seitz, conducted three amphibious assaults, and earned seven battle streamers, a Presidential Unit Citation, and five foreign awards.

Beginning another occupation of Germany, the Blue Spaders bore the United States national colors at the Allied Victory in Europe parade and served as guards at Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. Thus began a lengthy stay in Germany, first as conquerors and later as friends and allies. Called again to serve in the United States after a reorganization of the army, the unit was redesignated 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry and had a very short stay in the United States.

Cold War In February 1963, the 2nd Battle Group, 26th Infantry was activated (with assets of 1st Battle Group, 5th Infantry) and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. The 2nd Battle Group, 26th Infantry participated in Operation Long Thrust VII, reinforcing the Berlin Brigade in the summer and autumn of 1963 before redeploying to Fort Riley, where it was inactivated in January 1964.

Vietnam War After serving as a battle group in Europe in the early 1960s, the battalion rejoined the 1st Infantry Division shortly before receiving orders to deploy as a part of the Army's first divisional-sized unit in Vietnam in 1965. The Blue Spaders served longer in Vietnam with their Big Red One units than any other division. After five continuous years of combat, the Blue Spaders received orders to return home in 1970 with eleven battle streamers, a Valorous Unit Award and two foreign awards for its colors.

Service in Germany At the conclusion of Vietnam, the battalion returned to Germany as part of a forward-deployed brigade of the Big Red One.

Training recruits The 26th Infantry was reassigned to TRADOC in April 1987. All three Spader battalions spent several years training recruits at Fort Dix, New Jersey and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, until reassigned to the First Infantry Division in January 1996.

Balkan Wars In 1996, the battalion rejoined the Big Red One in Germany only to send Delta company to Bosnia as part of the first American forces to enter the Balkans from February to September 1996. The entire battalion followed its initial deployment from October 1996 to April 1997. In March 1998, the unit deployed to the Balkans, this time to the Republic of Macedonia. Returning briefly in September 1998, the battalion was one of the first unit alerted for deployment to Kosovo in June 1999. It returned in December 1999. During this period, the unit earned the Superior Unit Award streamer and the Defense of Kosovo streamer. Three of the Task Force 1-26 Infantry soldiers died in Kosovo. PFC McGill. 1 Aug 1999. Cco 1- 26inf 1st ID.

Operation Iraqi Freedom II In February 2004 the "Blue Spaders" deployed to Iraq as part of OIF II. The unit primarily bore responsibility for Sammara, the capital of Salahuddin Province, a major part of the so-called Sunni Triangle. The battalion returned to Schweinfurt, Germany in February 2005.

Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08

Deployment in 2006 to Iraq On 5 August 2006 Task Force "Blue Spader" deployed to Eastern Baghdad. The battalion's B Company was cross attached to TF 1-77 Armor, in return TF 1-26 Infantry received B Company, 1-77 Armor, B Company, 9th Engineers, a fire support team from 1-7 Field Artillery, and a maintenance support team from 299th Forward Support Battalion. Task Force 1-26 Infantry operated as the primary maneuver element in the Eastern Baghdad area.

Return to Germany in December 2007 and total casualties The unit returned to Schweinfurt, Germany, in December 2007. Thirty-one soldiers from the battalion died during the deployment.

Operation Enduring Freedom

July 2008 Deployment In July 2008 the battalion deployed to Kunar Province of Afghanistan. Most of the unit was scattered in small combat outposts throughout the province to include the Kunar Valley, Pech Valley, Watapor Valley, Chapadara, and the Korengal Valley. The unit fell under CJTF-101 and later CJTF-82 during OEF 8 and 9.

Ambushing the Taliban on April 10, 2009 A platoon of American soldiers of 2nd Platoon of 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry patrolled into the wilderness of the landscape of Afghanistan. The Americans set an ambush. The Americans placed claymore mines and set up firing positions. It became dark and the Americans hidden in the dark activated their night vision goggles. Soon, a large column of Taliban fighters came by not suspecting an American ambush. When the Taliban column entered the kill zone, the Americans sprang their ambush and detonated their claymore mines. The claymore mines send thousands of steel ball shrapnel into the ranks of the Taliban fighters. The Americans opened heavy fire with machine guns, assault rifles, 40mm grenades from m203 grenade launchers, and other small arms. The Americans also called in F-15 Strike Eagles to launch aerial attacks on the Taliban. The Americans killed 15 Taliban fighters while suffering 2 injured from spraining their legs while tripping. U.S. helicopters evacuated the 2 injured U.S. soldiers. The rest of the U.S. soldiers confiscated 10 AK47 assault rifles, a RPG launcher, 30 AK magazines, and 2 grenades from the dead fighters. Then the Americans withdrew safely back to base with Apache gunships providing air cover."Vanguard of Valor: Small unit Actions in Afghanistan" by Donald P Wright pg. 27-44.

Return to Fort Hood in July 2009 The unit returned to Fort Hood, Texas in July 2009. They were quickly moved again from Fort Hood, Texas to Fort Knox, Kentucky, having only months to get ready for another deployment in January 2011 and one more after from 2013-2014 under CJSOTF command.

Medal of Honor recipients Private James W. Reese. World War II. On 5 August 1943, at Mt. Vassillio, Sicily, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life. above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy. When the enemy launched a counterattack which threatened the position of his company, Pvt. Reese, as the acting squad leader of a 60-mm. mortar squad, displaying superior leadership on his own initiative, maneuvered his squad forward to a favorable position, from which, by skillfully directing the fire of his weapon, he caused many casualties in the enemy ranks, and aided materially in repulsing the counterattack. When the enemy fire became so severe as to make his position untenable, he ordered the other members of his squad to withdraw to a safer position, but declined to seek safety for himself. So as to bring more effective fire upon the enemy, Pvt. Reese, without assistance, moved his mortar to a new position and attacked an enemy machinegun nest. He had only 3 rounds of ammunition but secured a direct hit with his last round, completely destroying the nest and killing the occupants. Ammunition being exhausted, he abandoned the mortar. seized a rifle and continued to advance, moving into an exposed position overlooking the enemy. Despite a heavy concentration of machinegun, mortar, and artillery fire, the heaviest experienced by his unit throughout the entire Sicilian campaign, he remained at this position and continued to inflict casualties upon the enemy until he was killed. His bravery, coupled with his gallant and unswerving determination to close with the enemy, regardless of consequences and obstacles which he faced, are a priceless inspiration to our armed forces.