Texas National Guard Infantry Unit adds to legacy

Photo By Lt. Col. Adam Musil | Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, stand at parade rest during a public ceremony May 9, 2013, on the Texas State Capitol grounds. Originally organized June 22, 1824, as the Austin Colony Battalion, the 141st Inf. Reg. is the longest continuous serving unit in the Texas Army National Guard. (Army photo by Capt. Adam Musil, 36th Inf. Div. Public Affairs Office)  

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES

05.15.2013

Story by Capt. Adam Musil 

36th Infantry Division (TXARNG)

AUSTIN, Texas - The lineage of the 141st Infantry Regiment has been rewritten. After five years of research and approval processes, the Center of Military History has officially recognized the establishment of the 141st Infantry Regiment to be Feb. 18, 1823. As a result, the unit is authorized an additional 27 campaign streamers and cements its legacy as the longest serving unit in the Texas Army National Guard.

The unit’s origins, dating back to the Texas Revolution as the First Texas Infantry Regiment, were lost when it was reorganized for deployment in 1917. Since that time, there have been efforts by the unit and the Texas Army National Guard to restore the history of the unit, but it was five years of research from two former 141st Inf. Reg. Soldiers, retired Col. Alan Huffines and 36th Infantry Division historian, Lt. Col. Enrique Villarreal, that linked the 141st with the First Texas Infantry Battalion.

“After going through the state archives, old Adjutant General reports and searching the Internet, we put together the history and submitted to the Center of Military History. The Center of Military History questioned everything. The whole process was like writing a dissertation,” said Lt. Col. Villarreal.

The last remaining units of the 141st Inf. Div. are 1st Battalion, 141st Inf. Reg. headquartered in San Antonio and 3rd Battalion, 141st Inf. Reg. headquartered in Weslaco, Texas. Both units help comprise the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division. The additional streamers bring the Regiment’s total to 47 Campaign Streamers, far eclipsing any unit in the Texas National Guard.

“The colors have always been the icon of a military unit,” said Col. Greg Barrow, commander, 72nd Infantry Brigade. “And when you have the colors that represent the rich tradition of service and sacrifice that the 141st now has, it helps motivate the Soldiers about their organization helps carry them forward.”

Staff Sgt. Christopher Stitton, Supply Sergeant, A Company, 3rd Battalion, deployed with the 72nd Infantry Brigade to Iraq in 2010. His unit is expected to receive a campaign streamer for the Iraq war sometime in the future. “Years from now, I would hope that my children or the people that I’m around will also understand the importance of the Campaign Streamers. It’s not just me who is now part of this legacy, but they are as well,” said Stitton.

Sentiments similar to those of Staff Sgt. Stitton are what drove Lt. Col. Villarreal to turn his curiosity for history into his passion. “I remember when I first arrived to the 141st and looking at the lineage certificate hanging on the wall. I began wondering about the history of the unit, but more so about those who served,” Lt. Col. Villarreal said.

Emboldened by his success in the approval of the streamers, Lt. Col. Villarreal is looking into his next research project as he continues to promote the awareness of unit lineage across the 36th Infantry Division.

“I think we owe it to all those soldiers that came before us to honor the legacy and what they fought for,” Lt. Col. Villarreal said. “Historical research also provides a personal connection with the current soldiers. It helps them understand that their name may not be on the certificate, but they were all a part of it. They were all a part of something bigger than themselves.”

• Date Taken: 05.15.2013
• Date Posted: 05.16.2013 10:19
• Story ID: 107001
• Location: AUSTIN, TX, US