The 85th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army.

History and lineage

The 85th Infantry was briefly activated during World War I but never sent overseas then reactivated during World War II at

Camp Hale Camp Hale was a U.S. Army training facility in the western United States, constructed in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division. Located in central Colorado between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River valley, it was named fo ...

in 1942, with three battalions, and attached to the

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to rec ...

. Constituted 31 July 1918 in the Regular Army as the 85th Infantry and assigned to the 18th Infantry Division. Organized September 1918 at Camp Travis, Texas from personnel of the 35th Infantry Regiment. Relieved from the 18th Division and demobilized 13 February 1919 at Camp Travis. Reconstituted 10 July 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 85th Infantry. activated 15 July 1943 at

, Colorado. assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, 15 July 1943 Redesignated 85th Mountain Infantry and assigned to the 10th Mountain Division 6 November 1944. Inactivated 30 November 1945 at

Camp Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Spri ...

, Colorado. Redesignated 85th Infantry and assigned to 10th Infantry Division 18 June 1948, allotted to the regular Army 25 June 1948. Activated 1 July 1948 at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

, Kansas. Inactivated 1 July 1957 in Germany. The 3rd Battalion, 85th Infantry Regiment was reactivated at

Fort Drum Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, on the northern border of New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home ...

, NY on 22 August 2007 as the warrior transition unit for Fort Drum NY and the Northeastern United States.{{cite web , url=http://www.drum.army.mil/mountaineer/Article.aspx?List=82dc342a-e907-4067-84bb-ef564f60771d&ID=50 , title=New unit will manage warriors in transition , publisher=Fort Drum Public Affairs Office , work=Mountaineer Online , date=6 September 2007 , access-date=4 May 2014

Campaign streamers

World War II * North Apennines * Po Valley

Medal of Honor

* John D. Magrath

Distinctive unit insignia

* Description A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess dancetté Azure and Argent, in chief a ram’s head affronté of the second and in base a jack boot Vert. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Blue scroll turned Silver inscribed "FIX BAYONETS" in Silver letters. * Symbolism The blue is for Infantry and the ram’s head symbolizes a unit skilled in mountain activity. The white (silver) base with the dancetté partition line represents snow-capped mountains and the green boot is an allusion to service in Italy. * Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 18 May 1951.

Coat of arms

Blazon * Shield- Per fess dancetté Azure and Argent, in chief a ram’s head affronté of the second and in base a jack boot Vert. * Crest- None. * Motto- FIX BAYONETS. Symbolism * Shield- The blue is for Infantry and the ram’s head symbolizes a unit skilled in mountain activity. The white base with the dancetté partition line represents snow-capped mountains and the green boot is an allusion to service in Italy. * Crest: None. Background- The coat of arms was approved on 18 May 1951.

References

* https://web.archive.org/web/20120929200847/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=7962 * https://web.archive.org/web/20111005104926/http://www.10thmtndivassoc.org/85thhistory.pdf
Chronology of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II
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