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Heraldry
of the 9th Infantry Regiment
Distinctive
Unit Insignia
Description: A gold color metal and
enamel device 1 7/32 inches (3.10cm) overall consisting of a
shield blazoned, an imperial five-toed Chinese dragon, head to
chief facing the dexter, encircling a disc bearing the numeral
"9" all Or; the motto "KEEP UP THE FIRE," around edge of the
disc.
Symbolism: The Chinese dragon design commemorates the unit's
campaigns in China.
Background: The distinctive unit
insignia was originally approved for wear as a belt buckle
(http://www.manchu.org/linage/buckle/) on 22 Dec 1925. It was
amended to conform to the method of wearing a distinctive unit
insignia on 17 Nov 1954.
(Source The Department of the Army
Institute of Heraldry
http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/09th%20Infantry%20Regiment.htm)
History: The insignia authorized by
the War Department, was created as a memorial to the Relief
Expedition to China. It was originally designed to be worn with
the "Sam Brown" belt as a waist buckle by officers, and on the
leather waist belt as a waist buckle by enlisted personnel.
Miniatures were worn by officers on the service hat and on the
mess jacket, while these same miniatures were to be worn on the
front of the service hat, midway between the band and the crease
by enlisted personnel. A miniature in the form of a pin is
presently worn centered on both shoulder loops of the Class "A"
uniforms and on dress uniforms by all personnel. Enlisted
personnel also wear the miniature insignia centered between the
green piping and the band of the garrison cap, at a point
approximately one inch to the right of the front center of the
cap. It is also worn centered on the field cap.
(Source The Manchu Association
http://www.manchu.org/linage/insignia.htm)
Coat of Arms
Description: Shield, azure, a
chevronel wavy Argent between in chief an Imperial Chinese
five-toed dragon affronté Or lined Azure and a sun in splendor
of the third and in base a wigwam of the like garnished Gules.
Crest, on a wreath of the colors a pentagon Sable charged with
the insignia of the 2d Division Proper, and encircled by a
fourragere in the colors of the ribbon of the French Croix de
Guerre.
Symbolism: The 9th Infantry was organized at Fort Monroe,
Virginia in 1855. The field of the shield is blue, the Infantry
color. Numerous Indian campaigns are commemorated by the wigwam.
Service in the Philippines and in the China Relief Expedition
are shown by the sun in splendor, a device used by the Filipino
insurrectos, and by the Imperial Chinese dragon respectively. In
1898 the regiment took part in the battle of Santiago, crossing
the San Juan River at the "bloody angle; this is represented by
the wavy chevron. The crest is the insignia used by the regiment
in World War I, surrounded by a fourragere awarded by the French
Government for distinguished services rendered.
Background: The coat of arms was
approved 8 Apr 1920.
(Source The Department of the Army
Institute of Heraldry
http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/09th%20Infantry%20Regiment.htm)
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