107th Infantry Regiment (United States)

Source:[2]

• 1806: Established in New York in response to the blockade of New York Bay by British ships. Four companies were formed and assigned to the First Brigade of the Battalion of Artillery.
• 1807–1808: Reorganized as the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Artillery, New York State Militia.
• 1812: Redesignated 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Artillery, New York State Militia.
• 1812–1814: Deployed in the harbor forts of New York.
• 1824: Renamed the National Guards (National Guard from 1832) in tribute to the Marquis de Lafayette. Gray uniforms were adopted and the intention to become a regiment was declared.
• 1826: Redesignated as the 27th Regiment of Artillery, New York State Militia.
• 1838: A company of cavalry, Company I, is formed and designated the "First Troop, National Guard".
• 1847: Redesignated the 7th Regiment of Infantry (National Guard), New York State Militia.
• 1849: 7th Regiment suppresses the Astor Place riot.
• 1852: The 7th Regiment Band is organized.
• 1855: The Engineers Corps is organized, later called Company K (1860).
• 1857: The 7th Regiment suppresses two riots, one of which involved the Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys.
• 1861: Left New York for Washington, DC 19 April, mustered into federal service 26 April with duty in and near Washington, including assisting in building Fort Runyon. Mustered out in NYC 3 June.[4]
• 1862: Mustered into federal service at NYC for duty in Baltimore 25 May, departed the next day. Remained in Baltimore through 28 August. Mustered out in NYC 5 September.[4]
• 1862: New York State Militia redesignated the New York National Guard.
• 1863: Mustered into federal service at NYC for 30 days' duty in Maryland 16 June, departed the next day. Duty in Baltimore through 5 July and Frederick, MD through 14 July. Returned to NYC 16 July. Deployed in New York to quell the Draft Riots 16–21 July, then mustered out.[4]
• 1869: The 7th Regiment is deployed during the Orange Riots.
• 1880: The 7th Regiment Armory opens in New York City.
• 1895: The 7th Regiment is called up during the Brooklyn Street-Car Strike.
• 1900: The 7th Regiment is called for guard duty during the Croton Reservoir labor dispute.
• 1916: The 7th Regiment is mustered into federal service to guard the Mexican Border.
• 1917: The 7th Regiment is drafted into federal service.
• 1917: Redesignated the 107th Infantry with additional personnel from 1st and 12th Infantry, New York National Guard, and assigned to the 27th Division.[5]
• 1917–1919: The 7th Infantry, New York Guard serves as the Depot (Home) Battalion. 107th Infantry moved to France May 1918, returned to US March 1919. 27th Division including 107th Infantry participated in the Ypres-Lys and Somme Offensive campaigns. Discharged from federal service 2 April 1919.[6]
• 1921–1922: Consolidates with 7th Infantry, New York Guard, and reorganized and federalized as the 107th Infantry.
• 1940: The 107th Infantry is redesignated the 207th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) Regiment on 1 August.[7]
• 1940: 7th Regiment, New York State Guard is formed.
• 1943: 10 September: The regiment is broken up, reorganized and redesignated as follows:
  • HHB as HHB 207th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group (served in Normandy, France, Ardennes-Alsace (Battle of the Bulge), Central Europe)[8]
  • 1st Battalion as 771st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (served in Hawaii and Guam)[9]
  • 2nd Battalion as 7th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (served in Leyte, Philippines, Guam, Okinawa)[10]
  • 3rd Battalion as 247th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion (did not serve overseas, inactivated 31 October 1944)[11]
• 1946–1947: Reorganized as the 107th Infantry with headquarters in New York.
• 1957: Relieved from 107th Regimental Combat Team, assigned to 42d Infantry Division.
• 1959: Relieved from 42d Infantry Division, reorganized as 107th Infantry, parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
• 1993: the 1st Battalion, 107th Infantry, was deactivated as part of nationwide force structure reductions.[12] The 107th designation was reassigned to the former 205th Support Group, New York Army National Guard, creating the 107th Support Group.

In 1852, the 7th Regiment Band was organized. A German musical society of the mid-19th century formed the Seventh Regiment Band consisting of forty-two professional German musicians. It was the only exclusively regimental band of the Civil War–era and one of the most popular brass bands of the time; the band-leader, who went by the name Noll, used brass and reed instruments in duo proportion.

In 1860, Claudio S. Grafulla became the band-leader and reorganized the band. He added woodwinds to the band and continued to serve as its director until his death in 1880. The band gained a high reputation under his leadership. He composed and is best remembered for his march, Washington Greys.[13]

The band was honored in 1922 by John Philip Sousa's The Gallant Seventh march. On 18 April 1923, Sousa conducted the band in playing The Star-Spangled Banner at the opening of Yankee Stadium.[14]

107th Infantry Memorial

The 107th Infantry Memorial is dedicated to the men who served in the 107th Infantry Regiment, originally Seventh Regiment of New York, during World War I. The memorial depicts seven men; the one to the far right carrying two Mills bombs, while supporting the wounded soldier next to him. To his right another infantryman rushes towards the enemy positions, while the helmet-less squad leader and another soldier are approaching the enemy with bayonet fixed Lee–Enfield rifles. To the far left, one soldier is holding a mortally wounded soldier, keeping him on his feet. The bronze memorial was donated by 7th–107th Memorial Committee, and was designed and sculpted by Karl Illava, who served in the 107th IR as a sergeant in World War I. The monument was first conceived about 1920, was made in 1926–1927 and was placed in the park and unveiled in 1927, near the perimeter wall at Fifth Avenue and 67th Street.

Description

A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 ¹⁄₄ inches (3.2 cm) in height consisting of a shield blazoned: Per chevron Gules and Gray, a chevron rompu embattled to chief Argent between in chief the cipher "NG" and a lion rampant Or, and in base a bomb flamant of the last charged with the numeral seven Sable; surmounting a blue circular garter inscribed "PRO PATRIA ET GLORIA" in Gold, buckled Gold and folded at the top and surmounted by a Gold flintlock hammer.

Symbolism

The original units of the regiment were artillery and the bursting bomb, the earliest insignia, represents that assignment. The old uniform was cadet gray; the monogram "N.G." was worn on it. For over fifty years, the 107th Infantry Regiment was the only organization bearing the distinctive title of "National Guard." This designation was adopted by the United States Government for general use in 1869. The rampant lion commemorates service in Picard, France, during World War I. The embattled and broken chevron is emblematic of the breaking of the Hindenburg Line, in which the 107th Infantry Regiment participated. The motto translates to "For Country and Glory."

Background

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 107th Infantry Regiment on 26 February 1924. It was amended to correct the description on 28 March 1925. It was redesignated for the 207th Coast Artillery Regiment on 24 October 1940. The insignia was redesignated for the 107th Infantry Regiment on 30 March 1951. It was redesignated for the 107th Support Group with the description and symbolism revised effective 1 September 1993.

• Gerald F. Jacobson (1920) History of the 107th Infantry USA 7th Regiment Armory
• Frederick P. Todd (1956) Pro patria et gloria: The illustrated story of the one hundred and fifty years of the Seventh Regiment of New York (107th Infantry Regiment, N.Y.N.G.), Published for the Seventh Regiment by Rampart House.