The Battalion is a part of a regiment which holds one of the most
illustrious battle records in the American Army during the twentieth
century. During three bloody wars on three continents, the 2d Battalion
has played a conspicuous part in the division achievements of the
Infantry Regiment and the 9th Infantry Divisions.
The Battalion was organized in June 1917 at the outset of the First
World War from cadre furnished by the 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment. In
November 1917 it was assigned to the 5th Infantry Division and quickly
underwent its baptism of fire in the fierce warfare on the Western
Front. The Battalion participated in the campaigns of St. Mihiel, Alsace
and Lorraine and finally in war ending campaign of the Muese-Argonne.
During this battle, 1LT Woodfill, later called by General Pershing "the
outstanding doughboy of the war", won the Congressional Medal of Honor
for his single-handed destruction of a German company (with all
available weapons from a machine gun to pick ax) as the Battalion made
an epic crossing of the Muese River under ferocious enemy fire to help
break the back of German resistance.
Having successfully answered America’s call to arms, the Battalion
was inactivated in South Carolina in 1921. A generation later, in August
1940, war clouds again gathered over Europe and again the Battalion
answered its country’s call. With its assignment to the 9th Infantry
Division, it once again became a part of the active Army.
The Battalion fought with superb distinction throughout the Second
World War. The outfit spearheaded the Algeria-French Morocco invasion at
Port Lyautey, winning the arrowhead assault landing device in a bold
action which laid the basis for its distinctive nick name ‘Scouts Out".
The Battalion culminated its successful North African campaigns with its
heroic Easter Sunday defense against the massive German attack on the
Battalion, under the leadership of "Iron Mike" Kauffman, and earned a
Presidential Unit Citation.
In Sicily the Battalion continued its winning ways, culminating in
the famous Ghost March where the unit infiltrated enemy lines and broke
open the last of the German resistance.
In France during the heroic days of June 1944, the Battalion once
again led the way for the division as it spearheaded the American
advance out of the beachhead that cut the Contentin Peninsula and
secured the vital Port of Cherburg. At the pivotal crossing of the Douve
River, 1LT John Butts won the Medal of Honor and the Battalion gained
another Presidential Unit Citation. Following the breakout at St. Lo,
the battalion fought across France and in September 1944 made its second
combat crossing of the Meuse River. Here, LTC Matt Urban won his Medal
of Honor having gone AWOL from a hospital to rejoin his comrades and
lead the in combat.
After the bitter and bloody struggle in the Huertegen Forest, the
Battalion displayed its immense reserves of courage and steadfastness by
winning still another Presidential Unit citation in the snow and bitter
cold of the Battle of the Bulge. Following the final advance into
Central Europe the Battalion won another Presidential Unit Citation and
the battalion was inactivated in November 1946 while in Germany.
After service as the 2d Battle Group, 60th Infantry from 1958-1962,
the Battalion was activated at Fort Riley, Kansas in 1966, this to meet
the call to action in the jungle and rice paddies of Southeast Asia. it
deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in December 1966 and fought with
great valor during the next three years in the in the steaming rice
paddies of the Mekong Delta. During these campaigns, the Battalion
perfected the famous "jitterbug tactics" which featured split-second
timing of airmobile insertions often within a dozen meters of the enemy.
These operations were brilliantly successful and won the Battalion many
more unit citations and streamers including one Presidential Unit
Citation. The unit returned to the United States in 1970. On October
13,1970 the unit was deactivated at Ft. Lewis.
The 2d Battalion, 60th infantry was reactivated on October 21, 1972
at Ft. Lewis. The 2d Battalion, 60th Infantry was inactivated on
February 1991 at Ft. Lewis and relieved from assignment to the 9th
Infantry Division.
The battalion was finally called back to the roles of the active Army
on 27 August 1996 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. As the only member of
the 60th Infantry Regiment, the 2/60th instills the spirit of the "GO
DEVIL" regiment and the "SCOUTS OUT" battalion into the hearts and minds
of todays' young fighting men and women.
UNIT CREST: The 60th Regiment was originally organized with personnel
from the 7th Infantry, which is represented by the canton (field gun
from the battle of Cerro Gordo). It participated in WWI as an element of
the 5th Infantry Division, the insignia of which is carried on the
shield (red diamond). Black, white and red show engagements with
Germany, and the wavy pale is for the Meuse River, the crossing of which
near DUN in November, 1918 was an outstanding operation for the
regiment. The crest and the motto ("To The Utmost Extent Of Our Power")
symbolizes the spirit of the battalion and are guides for the future
conduct of the organization.
BATTALION NICKNAME: "SCOUTS OUT". On 11 June 1944, the 60th Regiment
debarked at Utah Beach on the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy, France. On
12 June, 1944, driving hard toward the St. Colombe in France, the 2nd
Battalion, 60th Regiment completely outdistanced the rest of the 9th
Division. For a time, the unit was even believed to be lost, but
actually the battalion had overrun the German defenses in the face of
murderous fire and had cut the main highway to the northwest. Instead of
withdrawing, the battalion set up a bridgehead on the Douve River and
held the position for seven hours until the rest of the Division caught
up to them, facilitating the cutting of the pennisula. Due to this
demonstration of rapid penetration and maneuver, the "Scouts Out" motto
originated for the battalion. "Scouts Out" is the official greeting of
the battalion.
REGIMENTAL NICKNAME: "GO DEVILS". In 1943 during the battle of
Dedjenane Valley along the Tunisia-Algeria border, it was during the
fanatical drive by the 60th Regiment that a captured German Generals'
diary was to give the regiment its nickname. In a German Generals'
account of American actions against the Germans, he wrote "Look at those
devils go", and thus the 60th Infantry Regiment became the "GO DEVILS".
The battalion has been credited with four Medal of Honor winners,
Campaign Participation Credit for WWI (4), WWII (8), and Vietnam (11);
and has received 5 Presidential Unit Citations.
