Early History and World War I
The 28th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 2 February 1901 and organized in the Philippines during the U.S. campaign to secure control of the islands. In 1917, the regiment was assigned to the newly formed 1st Infantry Division, America’s first permanent division-sized unit. The 28th gained lasting fame during World War I at the Battle of Cantigny (May 28–31, 1918), where it spearheaded the first American-led offensive of the war. The regiment seized the heavily fortified French village and repelled repeated German counterattacks, a victory that boosted Allied morale and demonstrated U.S. combat strength. For this achievement, the regiment earned the nickname “The Lions of Cantigny.”
World War II
When the U.S. entered World War II, the 28th Infantry Regiment again fought with the 1st Infantry Division (“The Big Red One”). It landed in North Africa during Operation Torch in 1942, battling German and Vichy French forces. In 1943, the regiment fought in Tunisia and later took part in the Sicily campaign, enduring brutal fighting at places like Troina. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the regiment landed on Omaha Beach and pushed inland despite fierce German defenses. In the months that followed, it played a key role in the Normandy breakout, the liberation of France, the Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge, earning a reputation as one of the toughest regiments in the European Theater.
Cold War, Vietnam, and Beyond
After World War II, the regiment remained active in Germany as part of the U.S. Army’s occupation and later NATO defense forces. During the Vietnam War, battalions of the 28th Infantry Regiment served under the 1st Infantry Division, engaging in search-and-destroy operations, security missions, and heavy combat throughout III Corps Tactical Zone. Known for their aggressiveness, they earned the nickname “Black Lions” in Vietnam. In the decades following, elements of the regiment rotated through Cold War deployments in Europe, peacekeeping operations, and combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, maintaining their reputation as a frontline combat unit.
Today, the 28th Infantry Regiment’s lineage continues within the U.S. Army’s training and operational structure, carrying forward more than a century of tradition. Its history—from the jungles of the Philippines to the hedgerows of Normandy and the rice paddies of Vietnam—marks it as one of the Army’s most storied and battle-tested regiments.