Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Rainbow Soldier
Rainbow Division - Croix Rouge Farm - 167th Alabama Infantry Regiment - July 26, 1918
Front
from Montgomery's Union Station for shipment to France as the
167th United States Infantry Regiment of the Rainbow Divison.
Serving in the 84th Brigade, with their sister regiment,
the 168th of Iowa, they distinguished themselves in four operations:
Champagne - Marne | Oise - Aisne | St. Mihiel | Meuse - Argonne
and especially at the battle of Croix Rouge Farm and at the the capture
of Côte de Châtillon under the leadership of Douglas MacArthur who later wrote:
"Two battalions of the 167th Infantry assisted by the 168th Infantry on the left, with
the greatest courage and most severe losses, seized Croix Rouge Farm on the point
of the bayonet. The unexpectedness and violence, and the difficulty of this vital
operation cannot be overestimated; the gallantry and courage of the assaulting
troops has never been excelled in the Rainbow's history."
Having suffered 616 killed in action and more than a thousand wounded
during World War I, the 167th returned to this station on May 12, 1919.
They were celebrated as the "Immortals" by the largest crowd ever to assemble
on the grounds of the State Capitol.
Colonel William Preston Screws, a native of Montgomery and a regular
army officer, organized, trained and led the regiment in combat in World War I.
The United States
World War One
Centennial Commission.
Rear small dedication plaque
the Centennial of the 167th United States Infantry Regiment of
the Rainbow Division leaving this Union Station destined for France.
This sculpture is a gift from the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation to the city of
Montgomery through the generosity of Nimrod Thompson Frazer, Silver Star, whose
father Sergeant William Johnson Frazer was a Purple Heart veteran of the 167th Infantry
Regiment and served in France with the regiment throughout World War One.
Erected 2017 by the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation and Nimrod Thompson Frazer.
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World I.
Location. 32° 22.839′ N, 86° 18.817′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. Memorial is on Water Street west of Commerce Street, on the right when traveling west. Located right in front of the Montgomery Union Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 210 Water Street, Montgomery AL 36104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Train Shed 1897 (within shouting distance of this marker); Return from the Argonne (within shouting distance of this marker); The Domestic Slave Trade / Slave Transportation to Montgomery (within shouting distance of this marker); Transportation and Commerce (within shouting distance of this marker); Encanchata (within shouting distance of this marker); Struggle For Colonial Empire (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Montgomery (about 300 feet away); Europeans Along the Alabama River (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.
Regarding Rainbow Soldier. A previous, exact replica of the statue, made by the same sculptor, also stands in Fère-en-Tardenois (Aisne) France as a symbol of the ties between Alabama and France.
Also see . . . 167th (Alabama) Infantry Regiment – History. By the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation. (Submitted on August 28, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 29, 2017. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,210 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 28, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.