The regiment was organized 1884–1892 in the Florida State Troops from new and existing companies as the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th Battalions of Infantry, with headquarters at Jacksonville, Ocala, Pensacola, Gainesville, and Arcadia, respectively. In 1884, the 1st Battalion was formed in part by the Jacksonville Light Infantry, a company which was formed in April 1859, served in the Civil War, disbanded in 1865, and reorganized in 1880.
Spanish–American War The battalions consolidated, reorganized, and mustered into federal service for the
Spanish–American War 20–25 May 1898 at Tampa. The reorganized unit became the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Eight companies of the regiment mustered out 3 December 1898 at Tampa and four companies mustered out 27 January 1899 at Huntsville, Alabama. The regiment's coat of arms bears a sheathed Roman sword, derived from the
Spanish War Service Medal, representing service during that war.
Punitive Expedition Commanded by Col. Albert H. Blanding, the 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment mustered into federal service in June 1916 at Camp Foster, Florida and then deployed to the Texas-Mexico border in support of the
Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa. The 2nd Florida mustered out of federal service in March 1917. Periodically between July 1929 and June 1930, the 1st Battalion and elements of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions performed guard duties in connection with the
Mediterranean fruit fly quarantine in South Florida. In March 1933, Company H guarded
Giuseppe Zangara, the would-be assassin of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, before his execution at the
Florida State Prison at
Raiford. From 7 to 9 June 1932, Companies A and B were used for guard and security duties in connection with the visit of
Cuban national officials to
Hollywood, Florida. In March 1935, elements were used for guard and security duties in connection with the visit of President Roosevelt to
Winter Park, Florida. The 124th Infantry conducted its annual summer training period at Camp Joseph E. Johnston or Camp J. Clifford R. Foster, Florida, and some years at
Camp McClellan,
Alabama. The regiment was inducted into active federal service at Jacksonville on 24 November 1940, and moved to
Camp Blanding, Florida, where it arrived on 18 December 1940. In this period, the regiment participated in the
Carolina and
Louisiana Maneuvers.
World War II Organization on 25 November 1940 On 15 December 1941, the 124th was relieved from assignment to the 31st Division. On 11 January 1942, it moved to
Fort Benning, Georgia, where it was used as an additional demonstration unit for the students of the
Infantry School. On 1 June 1942, it was assigned to the newly-activated
Replacement and School Command,
Army Ground Forces. It provided a portion of the cadre used to activate the 300th Infantry Regiment, another demonstration unit, on 10 December 1942. On 12 October 1943, it departed the Infantry School for
Fort Jackson, South Carolina, under the XII and IX Corps. By the fall of 1943, less than half of the original Florida Guardsmen still remained with the unit. Large numbers of men from the regiment were subsequently transferred to the
4th Infantry Division, also at Camp Jackson, and the
30th Infantry Division, at Camp Atterbury,
Indiana, while others were sent as individual replacements to the
Mediterranean Theater. The 124th Infantry was formally inactivated on 2 March 1944. The inactivation came as a shock to many in Florida, and the Governor,
Spessard Holland, appealed to the Secretary of War that the 124th Infantry be kept in service. He stated that "Its inactivation would be a severe blow to morale both in and outside the service and arouse bitterness in the hearts of many of our citizens who have served in it in the past". The 124th Infantry was assigned on 5 April 1944 to the 31st Infantry Division and reactivated in Australia with the personnel and equipment from the 154th Infantry Regiment, 31st Infantry Division (activated 20 September 1942 in the
Army of the United States), which was concurrently disbanded; at the time, the former 154th Infantry Regiment was composed of around ten percent Florida Guardsmen. The 124th Regiment saw intense fighting on the island of
Mindanao in the
Philippines in 1945, especially in the Battle of
Colgan Woods, named after Father Thomas Colgan, the Regimental Chaplain, who was killed in action while assisting wounded. Father Colgan was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery. On 5 June, Corporal
Harry R. Harr was killed covering a Japanese grenade with his body to save those around him. For this action, he was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor. Lacking artillery support and facing an entrenched opponent, the 124th advanced for six days. The unit survived two banzai charges and inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese. In the fighting, the 124th suffered 69 killed and 177 wounded. The regiment was inactivated 16 December 1945 at
Camp Stoneman, California. Commander) brief Gov. LeRoy Collins on an
M-41 tank in front of the Capitol in 1956. The regiment was broken up 1 November 1955 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: Headquarters and 1st Battalion as the 124th Armored Infantry Battalion and 3d Battalion as the 154th Armored Infantry Battalion; both assigned to the
48th Armored Division. 124th and 154th Armored Infantry Battalions consolidated 15 April 1959 to form the 124th Infantry, a parent regiment under the
Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st and 2d Armored Rifle Battalions, elements of the 48th Armored Division. Reorganized 15 February 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 53d Infantry Brigade (Separate). Reorganized 1 March 1964 to consist of the 1st Battalion and the 2d Battalion, an element of the 53d Armored Brigade. Reorganized 20 January 1968 to consist of the 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, elements of the 53d Infantry Brigade. Withdrawn 1 May 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the
United States Army Regimental System with headquarters at Miami.
Afghanistan and Iraq from 2003 On 26 December 2002, both 3rd and 2nd Battalions, 124th Infantry, were ordered into active federal service in support of the "
war on terror". Ordered into active federal service 2–16 January 2003 at home stations; On the night of 19 March 2003, soldiers of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry, positioned in
Jordan and both A and C Company, 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry, positioned in
Kuwait, were among the first U.S. soldiers to invade Iraq. Released 11 April – 21 May 2004 from active federal service and reverted to state control. In March 2005, elements of the 2nd Battalion were activated and deployed to the
War in Afghanistan. In June 2006, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry, was activated and deployed as part of the
Multi-National Force - Iraq. The 2006–2007 Brigade Combat Team reorganization converted the 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry into what is the
1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry. The squadron was constituted entirely from the infantrymen of the 3rd Battalion, and so continue the 3rd Battalion's lineage. The 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment is currently headquartered in
Orlando, Florida. It consists of six companies: Headquarters Company in Orlando, Company A in
Leesburg, Company B in
Sanford, Company C in
Ocala, Company D in
Eustis, and an attached Forward Support Company (FSC) - Co H, 53rd Brigade Support Battalion in Haines City. ==Distinctive unit insignia==