372nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
[2] In World War II the regiment was not attached to a division, and served in the continental United States (CONUS) and Hawaii.
[1] In both wars the unit had primarily African American enlisted men and white officers.
During World War I, the 372nd Infantry Regiment was composed of the following segregated National Guard units as well as draftees:[2] The 372nd Infantry Regiment was organized in January 1918 at Camp Stewart, Virginia and initially assigned to the 93rd Division (Provisional).
After fighting in the Champagne–Marne region (28 September-7 October 1918)[5] and the Meuse–Argonne offensive, the regiment moved to the Vosges Mountains area of the front.
[6] Emmet J. Scott's Official History of the American Negro in the World War provides a chronological record of when the men were fighting with gallantry in the Champagne region of France for victory:[4] "Over the Top September 28, 1918, the 3rd Battalion started after the Boche.
"October 1, 1918, we are meeting with a stiff resistance from the enemy who has fortified himself in a hill during the past night.
Still we are giving the enemy no rest, they are retreating across the valley to one of their supply bases which has a railroad running into the same.
"October 3, 1918, we have advanced and captured the little village of Ardeuil and a considerable amount of war material.
"October 4, 1918, the 2nd Battalion is going in this morning, and we are resting at Vieox, which is about four kilometers from Monthois and is one of the enemy's railroad centers and hospital bases.
"October 6, 1918, the enemy is throwing a stiff barrage on our left where the 333rd French Infantry is attacking.
Corporal Clarence Van Allen won the Médaille militaire one of a few Americans to do so.
234 "In transmitting to you with legitimate pride the thanks and congratulations of the General Garnier-Duplessis, allow me, my dear friends of all ranks, Americans and French, to thank you from the bottom of my heart as a chief and a soldier for the expression of gratitude for the glory which you have lent our good 157th Division.
"During these nine days of hard fighting you have progressed nine kilometers through powerful organized defenses, taken nearly 600 prisoners, 15 guns of different calibres, 20 minenwerfers, and nearly 150 machine guns, secured an enormous amount of engineering material, an important supply of artillery ammunition, brought down by your fire three enemy aeroplanes.
[9] The unit moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey 17 March 1941; following the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 the regiment moved to New York City 17 December 1941, assigned to the Eastern Defense Command 1 May 1942 for security and other duties in Greater New York.
On 21 January 1944 assigned to the 2nd Service Command, transferred to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky under XXII Corps 20 April 1944, where it provided an accelerated six-week course of infantry training (four weeks of familiarization, qualification, and transition firing, and two weeks of tactical training) to African-American soldiers who were formerly members of disbanded anti-aircraft and tank destroyer units or who had volunteered for transfer to the infantry from other branches of the Army.
On 13 August 1945, at the end of hostilities, the unit was deployed as follows: Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, less 2nd Battalion at Hilo, Co. D at Bellows Field, Co. F on Kauai, Co. G on Maui, Co. H on Molokai, Co.
