9th Infantry Regiment
“Keep Up the Fire”
The U.S. Army Cadet Command established the Regimental Affiliation Program in 1985 to foster unit cohesion, camaraderie, esprit de corps, and the pride of belonging among the diverse groups of Cadets attending the Leader Development and Assessment Course from states around the nation.
Cadets attending LDAC have the unique privilege of being members of one of the Army’s finest combat units. Through the Regimental Affiliation Program, each Cadet organization is assigned to an active Army regiment. The goal of the program is to bind Cadets and cadre together in a close-knit and dynamic organizational relationship with a strong sense of teamwork so crucial to success at LDAC.
LDAC’s 9th Regiment is affiliated with the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Regiment. “Keep Up the Fire.”
History
Constituted March 3, 1855 in the Regular Army as the 9th Infantry, the regiment fought in over 400 skirmishes during the Indian wars between 1855 and 1867. The regiment traces its lineage to units which fought in the Union Army during the Civil War and received honors for several campaigns, including Chickamauga and Chattanooga.
During the Chinese Boxer Rebellion in 1900, the regiment earned its “Manchu” nickname. The regiment adopted “Keep Up the Fire” as the regimental motto that endures to this day.
The Manchus deployed to France as part of the “Indianhead” 2nd Infantry Division in early October 1917. During the course of the war, battle streamers were earned for their actions at Lorraine, Ile de France, Aisne-Marne, and St. Mihiel. In 1918, the Manchu regiment received the French Fourragere for gallantry during the Meuse-Argonne offensive.
During World War II’s Battle of the Bulge, the Manchus fought an 18-hour engagement that stymied the entire German counter-offensive. By the end of the war, the regiment had earned many decorations, including three Presidential Unit Citations. Five years after the war, the Manchus arrived as the first unit of the Indianhead division on the Korean peninsula. The 9th Regiment fought in 10 major campaigns including Heartbreak Ridge, Old Baldy, T-Bone, and Pork Chop Hill and earned a Presidential Unit Citation for its gallantry at Hongchon.
Combat came again to the Manchu regiment when the 4th Battalion deployed to Vietnam in April 1966 where it fought victoriously through 12 campaigns. During Operation Just Cause in December 1989, the Manchus were called upon to eliminate hostile forces, restore public law and order, and assist the new government of Panama in establishing democracy.
