This stained glass ornament depicting the 18th Infantry Regiment’s Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) belonged to Dwight “Andy” Anderson. He served as the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment’s Command Sergeant Major (CSM) in Bosnia and as the 2nd Dagger Brigade CSM for 2 years in Schweinfurt, Germany. The bottom of the ornament reads “IN OMNIA PARATUS,” which is the regiment’s motto “In all things prepared.”

Distinctive Unit Insignia Symbolism

The regiment was organized in 1861 and was in the Army of Cumberland (Union) for much of the Civil War. This service is shown by the saltire cross from the Confederate flag, even though the 18th was a Union regiment. The crossed arrows represent the regiment’s  campaigns the Indian Wars. The old 8th Corps badge (stacked circles) recalls service in the Spanish-American War and the bolo knife represents operations in the Visayas during the Philippine-American War. In World War I the regiment was awarded two French Croix de Guerre with Palm and the French Fourragére for its part in the Soissons offensive of July 18t, 1918 and the operations of early October 1918 around Exermont and Hill 240 in the old province of Lorraine. The World War I service is represented by the arms of Lorraine (red stripe) between the fleurs-de-lis of the arms of Sassions.