143rd Infantry Regiment: A History Forged in Combat
The Great State of Texas has always had a proud warrior tradition, from the famous battle cry “Remember the Alamo!”, the horrific battles of the American Civil War where Texans fought on both sides, to the tragic crossing of the Rapido River during the Italian Campaign of WW2, to the recent conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. Texas has always answered the nations call no matter the era. Despite the hallowed history of the many native Texas National Guard units none are as interesting or diverse as that of the 143rd Infantry Regiment known as “Third Texas”.
This unit can trace its lineage as far back as the American Civil War, but its official creation was in 1913, then known as “Third Texas” the regiment was formed and tasked with securing the border between Texas and Mexico thus discouraging any violence spilling over from the ongoing Mexican revolution that plagued our southern neighbor. By the time the Great War began the 143rd IN was finally formally stood up in 1917 at Camp Bowie, Texas compromised of not only Third Texas but elements of the 5th Texas Infantry as well. The regiment followed a grueling train up for the trenches of the Western Front. They would receive their baptism by fire in September 1918, the regiment assigned to the 72nd Infantry Brigade of the 36th Infantry Division. They would be assigned to fight under the 5th French Army and would partake in the meatgrinder that would be known as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Following the anti-climatic conclusion of the First World War, the 143rd along with many other units was demobilized.
The inadequacies of the many treaties that followed the end of the Great War would sow the seeds for an even greater, horrendous conflict. Nations such as Japan and Italy who fought on the side of the allies felt slighted by the results of the treaties. Germany a nation that had fought till the bitter end, did not consider itself defeated, but did consider itself wrongfully vilified as the primary antagonist of the war. The United States could already hear the war drums, coming ever closer to their shores and in doing so began to mobilize not only federal units but National Guard as well. In 1940 the 36th Infantry was mobilized and the 143rd along with it. Once again, the division endured rigorous training in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Massachusetts and finally arriving in North Africa in 1943. The first operation they would partake in would be Operation Avalanche the invasion of not only Italy but the return of allied troops in force to mainland Europe since the British and French route at Dunkirk. Following the successful landing in Salerno, the 143rd IN would participate in the allied drive to liberate the Eternal City of Rome. They fought bravely and savagely during the Battle of San Pierto Infine, this battle fought in a small Italian town located halfway between the Italian capital and the city of Naples sat along the German “Winter Line”. The 143rd in conjunction with the 3rd Ranger battalion and the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, moved west of the town to assist in its liberation by allied troops. The Battle of San Pierto Infine would last nine days and result in the death of 400 allied troops. The bloody work was still not complete in the Italian campaign, the next major engagement the men of the 143rd would face would be the infamous Battle of the Rapido river. The “Texas” Division was tasked with crossing the Rapido River, one of the last obstacles before Rome itself. By 1944 the Supreme Allied Command had decided that the Italian Campaign would be sidelined for the preparation of the invasion of France, yet the importance of an allied victory both politically and militarily in Italy was not lost and the drive to Rome would continue.
Two regiments were tasked with the crossing of the Rapido the 141st and the 143rd, their task was to cross the river, secure a beachhead and draw German forces to facilitate another attack on a different sector of the front. The assault began with an artillery barrage followed by the beginning river assault by the 143rd IN. The Germans showered the Texans, with heavy and intense small arms fire creating massive casualties despite having attained a small foothold on the German side of the river. German small arms fire didn’t allow for the engineers attached to the 143rd to construct pontoon bridges to allow for allied armor to assist in the assault. Both the 143rd and 141st IN regiments suffered horrendous casualties in the brutal fight and had even been cut off for more than 20 hours. The 36th ID commander General Walker finally ordered both regiments to fall back to allied lines. This gruesome battle would result in the worst American defeat on the Italian front a total of over 1,300 American troops killed. Which would lead to a Congressional investigation after the war ended. The 143rd would remain in Italy until August when it was committed to the allied landings in southern France. There they would participate in the destruction of an entire German Army during the Battle of the Colmar Pocket. The 143rd would continue fighting the Germans throughout 1945 and would reach the Rhine in Germany at the conclusion of the Second World War. During the war three members of the 143rd would be awarded the Medal of Honor for extreme heroism and bravery; Corporal Charles E. Kelly, Staff Sergeant Thomas E. McCall, and Technical Sergeant Stephen R. Gregg.
Following the end of hostilities, the 36th ID and the 143rd IN along with it were released from federal service and returned to the Texas National Guard. During this time the unit would remain in service to the citizens of Texas till its inactivation in 2001. This would not be the end of the 143rd as only nine years later it would be reactivated and formed as the National Guards only Airborne Infantry Regiment. The unit would then deploy to Afghanistan in 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and conducted operations while assigned as the security element of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, whose mission was to help rebuild and, in many cases, construct vital infrastructure to many Afghan villages. By 2016 the 143rd IN was detached from the 36th ID and placed under the 173rd Airborne Brigade serving as its 3rd infantry battalion. The regiment has also conducted numerous humanitarian aid not only in hurricane response but as well as with the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
