A Proud and Historic Unit

The 182nd Infantry Regiment (redesignated the 182nd Cavalry in 2006), is the oldest regiment in the American military. The regiment traces its roots to 1636, when it was called the North Regiment. Prior to World War II, it fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and World War I. The regiment is especially proud of its role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, on June 17, 1775. In this photo, taken some time around 1941, battle streamers can be seen hanging from the regimental colors.

Company G: A Peacetime Outfit

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the 182nd maintained a smaller number of soldiers than their normal wartime complement. Here, enlisted men pose for a photo prior to the war. At the time, the 182nd Infantry was a part of the 26th "Yankee" Division. Frank Fitzgerald, first row, far right in the left photo, served as First Sergeant ("Top Kick") of Company G during the first part of World War II. Patrick Farino (mentioned frequently in this story) can be seen in the right photo, back row, third from the left.

1941: Draftees Join Company G

With war raging across the globe, the United States hurriedly rebuilt its small, outdated military. A draft was instituted, and in the spring of 1941, hundreds of new soldiers joined the 182nd Infantry. This Company G unit photo, taken in 1941, shows the dramatic increase in the size of the unit, when compared to the photo above, taken 2 years earlier.

The new men were immunized against various diseases, and began basic training. They were drilled on Army formality, tested for IQ, and qualified in the handling and shooting of weapons. They received new uniforms, but military equipment was in short supply, as the American war industry was not yet running at full speed. They were outfitted with outdated World War I "doughboy" helmets, and older, bolt-action Springfield rifles. In some cases, there were not even enough of these rifles to go around, and the men had to drill with wooden dummy rifles.

Order of Battle: 182nd Infantry Regiment

The influx of draftees quickly filled out the skeleton ranks of the 182nd Infantry. Military units are organized in a complex hierarchy. The simplification of that hierarchy at right shows the basic configuration of Battalions and Companies in a Regiment, with sizes and the typical rank of commanding officers. Infantry battalions each consisted of 4 companies, for a total of 12 per regiment. Note that Company "J" does not exist, as in earlier days, the handwritten letter "J" looked too similar to "I."

Welcome to Camp Edwards

The 182nd Infantry Regiment was based at Camp Edwards, on Cape Cod. The grounds of the base, along with nearby undeveloped woodland, proved ideal for training and field exercises needed for basic training of new draftees. This aerial photo was snapped in the late 1930's. The men of the 182nd spent many a night camping in the field on the grounds of Camp Edwards, learning about the life of a soldier.

Camp Edwards: A Growing Military Base

The infrastructure at Camp Edwards was not equipped to handle the large influx of soldiers expected from the 1941 draft. New barracks and supporting buildings were rapidly constructed, and the size of the base grew dramatically. This panorama shows the 182nd Infantry section of the camp.

A Typical Company Barracks

Soldiers of the 182nd lived in wooden barracks. The photo at right shows a typical company barracks at Camp Edwards. The men of Company G had a stray kitten in their barracks that they named after themselves:"Draftee." It liked to curl up with the soldiers in their bunks on cold nights.

Feeding the Soldiers: The Mess Hall

Soldiers of the 182nd took their meals in the mess hall when not out in the field. This photo shows a typical mess hall at Camp Edwards. Note the wood burning stove at the far end of the room, next to the kitchen.

Field Exercises: Men of Company G

The new draftees spent much of their time in the field. Exercises were held on the grounds of Camp Edwards, as well as other military bases in New England. In the fall of 1941, the 182nd Infantry traveled south to take part in a huge series of war games known as "The Carolina Maneuvers." Several hundred thousand soldiers participated in this massive "pretend war," while the real war raged on across the globe. Time Magazine covered the war games in a series of articles, which can be read here and here. Ironically, the second lighthearted article was published on December 8, 1941 - a day after Pearl Harbor.

The trip to the Carolinas was expected to be a final stop for many of the soldiers of the 182nd, as their terms of service were scheduled to end around December 7, 1941. The unit arrived home at Camp Edwards on December 6, and had a night of excitement before their lives changed forever.

This undated photo was possibly taken during the Carolina Maneuvers. Note that the soldiers are still wearing old World War I era "doughboy" helmets.

Back Row (L to R): Dan Dooley, Tony Dziuszko, Jack Wilkins, Phil Sicorai

Front Row (L to R): Eddie McCarthy, Ed Monahan, John Mulcahy, Peter Biagione.

Deploying for War

The rapid growth of the 182nd Infantry can be seen in the first page of this regimental unit history. The report details the number of soldiers in the regiment at the beginning of each month. In January, 1941, the regiment had a total of 1259 men. By the end of April 1941, after the draft, the 182nd had 2611 men. When it deployed for war in January, 1942, it left the United States with 3366 men.

Note: Click on the report to view following pages.