120th Infantry Regiment (United States)
| 120th Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms
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| Active | 1917-present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | North Carolina Army National Guard |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Mechanized infantry |
| Headquarters | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Nickname(s) | Third North Carolina (special designation) |
| Motto(s) | Virtus Incendit Vires (Virtues Kindles Strength) |
| Engagements |
American Civil War -Bethel -North Carolina 1862 -Gettysburg -Wilderness -Spotsylvania -Petersburg -Appomattox World War I -Ypres-Lys -Flanders World War II -Normandy -Northern France -Rhineland -Ardennes-Alsace -Central Europe Iraq Campaign |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia |  |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | |
|---|---|
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| 119th Infantry Regiment | 121st Infantry Regiment |
The 120th Infantry Regiment ("Third North Carolina") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army National Guard.
The unit is an organic element of the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the North Carolina Army National Guard. Currently, 1st Battalion is the only active battalion in the regiment and is organized as a combined arms battalion under the Brigade Unit of Action table of organization and equipment. The 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment (1/120th IN) is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment was most famous for its actions in the Battle of Mortain (German: Operation Lüttich), repelling a German advance and preserving an American breakout from 7-13 August 1944. The 2/120th's actions sustained the American initiative as Allied forces pushed through Northern France after the Normandy invasion.
The 120th Infantry Regiment's distinctive unit insignia, approved on 28 June 1928, consists of a gold metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height overall, consisting of a shield blazoned azure, in pale a prickly pear cactus and the entrance to the canal tunnel over the St. Quentin Canal. Attached below the shield is a blue scroll inscribed VIRTUS INCENDIT VIRES ("Virtue Kindles Strength") in gold.
The shield is blue for infantry. The cactus represents service on the Mexican border as the 3rd Infantry, North Carolina National Guard. The tunnel symbolizes the mouth of the tunnel in the Hindenburg Line at Bellicourt, France, captured by the 120th Infantry on 29 September 1918.
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