127th Infantry Regiment (United States)

127th Infantry Regiment
127th Infantry Regiment coat of arms
Active	25 April 1884 to Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Wisconsin
Branch	United States Army
Size	Regiment
Nickname(s)	First Wisconsin (Special Designation)
Motto(s)	LES TERRIBLES
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment traces its origins to the 4th Infantry Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard.

The 4th Infantry Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard, was organized on 25 April 1884, from Milwaukee companies, expanded and redesignated in 1890 as the 4th Infantry Regiment (four companies transferred to 1st Infantry Regiment 28 April 1898).

The four regiments of the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry in federal service for the War with Spain were as follows:

They were reorganized on 10 June 1899, as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry Regiments in the Wisconsin National Guard.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd Infantry Regiments were mustered into federal service on 30 June 1916, for service on the Mexican Border Service and mustered out at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on 19 January 1917, (1st Battalion), 28 February 1917, (2nd Battalion), and 14 December 1916 (3rd Battalion).

The regiments were again called into federal service for World War I on 15 July 1917, and drafted into federal service on 5 August 1917. They were reorganized and redesignated as the 128th and 127th Infantry on 24 September 1917 at Camp MacArthur, Texas, and assigned to the 32nd Division.

The units were disbanded at Camp Grant, Illinois, on 18 May 1919, (127th) and 19 May 1919 (128th). The 32d Division demobilized on 23 May 1919, at Camp Custer, Michigan.

The 127th Infantry was reconstituted and was reorganized on 1 April 1921, in the eastern portion of Wisconsin and assigned to 32nd Division. It was inducted into federal service on 15 October 1940, at Crandon. (The 32nd Division was redesignated on 1 August 1942, as 32nd Infantry Division).

On 26 November 1942, the 127th disembarked at Port Moresby after a period of training in Australia. The 3rd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment now took over on the Urbana front at Buna during the battle of Buna–Gona. Not able to be supported by tanks due to the terrain and swampy land, the fighting was a desperate tree-by-tree, bunker-by-bunker struggle. On 24 December 1942, First Sergeant, Elmer J. Burr was posthumously awarded first Medal of Honor of the campaign by throwing himself onto a grenade and absorbing the explosion protecting his commanding officer. Later the same day Sergeant, Kenneth E. Gruennert was awarded the Medal of Honor for knocking out two enemy bunkers single-handedly, and after being severely wounded in his attack against the first bunker, attacked the second bunker before being killed by a sniper. Cpl. Clarence "Inky" J. Jungwirth (Ret.) is the last surviving 2nd battalion combat veteran from the battle of Buna–Gona, et al. residing in Oshkosh, WI as of 2014^[update].