327th Infantry Regiment
The 327th Infantry Regiment, officially recognized by the U.S. Army with the special designation “Bastogne Bulldogs”, is one of the most storied regiments associated with the 101st Airborne Division. From World War I service in France to combat in Normandy, glider operations in Holland, the defense of Bastogne, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the 327th has built a distinguished record spanning more than a century. Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 327th Infantry Regiment.
The 327th Infantry Regiment was constituted on August 5, 1917, in the National Army and assigned to the 82nd Division. Organized at Camp Gordon, Georgia, the regiment fought in the St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Lorraine 1918 campaigns during World War I.
World War II – Glider Infantry
Ordered into active service in 1942, the regiment was reorganized as the 327th Glider Infantry and assigned to the newly formed 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the regiment earned campaign credit for Normandy, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe.
- Normandy (June 1944): Unlike the division’s parachute infantry regiments, the main body of the 327th arrived in Normandy by sea on D+1. The regiment soon entered combat around Carentan and helped secure the vital corridor linking the Allied beachheads.
- Operation Market Garden (September 1944): The 327th entered Holland by glider and fought along the Allied corridor, helping defend key routes and positions during the campaign in the Netherlands.
- Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945): The regiment played a major role in the defense of Bastogne, holding a substantial portion of the 101st Airborne Division’s perimeter against repeated German attacks. The Army officially recognizes “Bastogne Bulldogs” as the regiment’s special designation.
Post-War & Vietnam
After World War II, the regiment was inactivated and later underwent a series of reactivations and redesignations before returning to service with the 101st Airborne Division. In 1957, the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry took part in the federal mission at Little Rock, Arkansas, helping escort the Little Rock Nine as they entered Central High School.
During the Vietnam War, Soldiers of the 327th fought extensively with the 101st Airborne Division. The regiment earned campaign credit spanning the Defense and Counteroffensive campaigns through the later Consolidation phases. The 1st Battalion became closely identified with the phrase “Above the Rest”, while the 2nd Battalion earned the enduring identity “No Slack.”
Cold War, Desert Storm & Beyond
As the 101st transitioned from parachute operations to airmobile and later air assault warfare, the 327th continued to serve as part of the division’s combat forces. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, elements of the regiment participated in the 101st Airborne Division’s massive helicopter air assault into Iraq. In the years that followed, Soldiers of the 327th also participated in overseas missions and peacekeeping operations including deployments to Egypt, Haiti, and Kosovo.
Global War on Terror
Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, battalions of the 327th deployed repeatedly in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The regiment’s Soldiers conducted air assault, infantry, counterinsurgency, and stability operations across multiple combat deployments.
The 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry, historically known as “Battle Force,” fought during the opening campaign of Operation Iraqi Freedom and later participated in operations around Mosul. The battalion was subsequently removed from the brigade structure during Army transformation. Today, the active 327th Infantry battalions within the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team are the 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Battalion Nicknames & Identities
Over the years, the battalions of the 327th developed distinctive identities of their own:
- 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment – “Above the Rest”
- 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment – “No Slack”
- 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment – “Battle Force” (historical)
These battalion identities are distinct from “Bastogne Bulldogs,” the U.S. Army’s official special designation for the 327th Infantry Regiment and a name shared across the regiment’s heritage.
Identity & Honors
- Official Special Designation: “Bastogne Bulldogs”
- Regimental Motto: “Honor and Country”
- Presidential Unit Citations: Bastogne; Dak To, Vietnam 1966; and Trung Luong
- Valorous Unit Awards: Tuy Hoa; Iraq 1991; Iraq 2003; and An Najaf, Iraq
- Foreign Decorations: French Croix de Guerre with Palm for Normandy, Netherlands Orange Lanyard, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm for Bastogne, and Belgian Fourragère
- Medal of Honor Recipients: Among the regiment’s Medal of Honor recipients are 1LT James A. Gardner and SSG John G. Gertsch of the 1st Battalion, both recognized for extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War.
Enduring Significance
The 327th Infantry Regiment has served through more than a century of American military history. From the battlefields of World War I, to Normandy and the glider landings of Operation Market Garden, the frozen perimeter at Bastogne, the jungles of Vietnam, and combat operations in Southwest Asia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, generations of 327th Soldiers have carried forward a distinguished infantry tradition.
The “Above the Rest” and “No Slack” battalions continue that heritage today within the 101st Airborne Division, while the historic “Battle Force” identity remains an important part of the regiment’s modern history.
Historical Sources
- 327th Infantry Regiment — Lineage and Honors. U.S. Army Center of Military History. Documents regimental antecedents, redesignations, campaigns, and unit decorations; the regimental record is not a statement that every battalion fought in every campaign.
- Special Designations. U.S. Army Center of Military History. Identifies “Bastogne Bulldogs” as the regiment's approved special designation.
- Bastogne Week: Soldiers build esprit de corps on field of competition. U.S. Army, May 24, 2021. Contemporary Army usage explicitly identifies 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry as “Above the Rest.”
- 327th Infantry Regiment — heraldry. The Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army. Reference for the regimental insignia and “Honor and Country” motto.
Regimental special designations, heraldic mottos, and battalion identities are recorded separately. AAC historical sources and editorial standards.
Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 327th Infantry Regiment.