56th Infantry Regiment (United States)

56th Infantry Regiment
Crest of the 56th Infantry Regiment (1917-1943)
Active	1917-43
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Motto(s)	"Honor, Loyalty"
Engagements	World War I Meuse-Argonne
Commanders
Notable commanders	William P. Burnham

World War I

The 56th Infantry Regiment was a regular infantry regiment in the United States Army. It originated from personnel of the 17th Infantry Regiment in 1917 and fought in the region of Metz during World War I. It was reconstituted in 1942 as the 56th Armored Infantry Regiment and incorporated into the newly formed 12th Armored Division from which the 17th, 56th and 66th Armored Infantry Battalions were formed.

The 56th Armored Infantry Regiment traced its origin back to the 17th Infantry Regiment of Maj. Gen. George Sykes' 2nd Division of the 5th Army Corps, of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Personnel from the 17th Infantry Regiment formed the 56th Infantry Regiment on 15 May 1917 in the Regular Army under the command of William P. Burnham, and on 16 June it was organized at Fort Oglethorpe. On 16 November 1917, it was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division.

During the Meuse-Argonne campaign it was on the left bank of the Moselle River, the nearest American military unit to Metz, and was preparing to attack towards Metz when the armistice was signed. In April 1919 a battalion of the 56th entered Metz as an honor guard for the Commanding General of the American Expeditionary Force, John J. Pershing. For its actions during World War I, the regiment was awarded the campaign streamer 'Lorraine 1918'.