Private First Class Alvin Williams, member of Co. B,1st Btn, 5th Inf. Reg. Combat. KIA fighting the enemy along the Pusan Perimeter in S. Korea 07 Sep 1950
Korean War
The regiment reactivated in South Korea on 1 January 1949, with personnel and support units from the departing 7th Infantry Division. It constituted the core of the 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team (RCT) with the mission to provide security while all U.S. troops were withdrawn from the country. The 5th RCT left Korea effective 30 June 1949 and was transferred to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where it was when the Korean War began.
It deployed to Korea on 25 July 1950 to reinforce Eighth Army in the shrinking area of United Nations control known as the Pusan Perimeter. In July and August it reinforced the 25th Infantry Division, then the 1st Cavalry Division on the Naktong River line. In September the RCT was attached to the 24th Infantry Division, replacing the 34th Infantry Regiment. It remained with the 24th Infantry Division until January 1952 when it officially became a separate RCT again and was assigned to IX Corps.
The 5th Regimental Combat Team consisted of:
5th Infantry Regiment
555 Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) (The "Triple-Nickel")
72nd Engineer Company
5th Tank Company
Heavy Mortar Company
5th Medical Company
5th Aviation Section
Fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.
