U.S. Infantry Color 75th Regiment. WWI, 1917, Camp Lewis, WA, "Lucky 13th Division".
This U.S. Infantry Regimental Color was embroidered specifically for the 75th United Infantry. Raised during World War I, the 75th was formed from volunteers and draftees from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Montana.

The 75th was part of the 13th Infantry Division; so named because the division was training in trench warfare when the Armistice was signed, 11 November 1918. Consequently, they avoided the heinous slaughter of the First World War, the "war to end all wars." Still, the activities at Camp Lewis would continue until November 1919.

Washingtonians and Tacoma residents near Camp Lewis were eager to hoist the largest flag ever to be flown up to then. Readers of the Tacoma Daily News helped pay for the flag by subscription. The flag's dimensions were 60 by 90 feet, weighing 257 pounds. The flag saw two attempts at raising it in 1918. First the heavy flag broke the original pole. Then, the flag's eyelets tore from the halyard on the second try. The replacement pole was 200 feet tall, capped by a four-foot ball at the top. Above this sphere was a 20-pointed star. It finally bore aloft the largest flag by December 7, 1918,

This color is characteristic of the fully embroidered flags that the US Army started to provide in the early 20th Century. It features the arms of the US depicted on the US Great Seal as designed by Tiffany & Co. in 1885. This was a marked departure from the painted eagles with down-turned wings previously issued.

Exhibition History

First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC1439)
United States Army Model Of 1903 Infantry Regimental Color, 75th United States Infantry

Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - GALLERY VI
(ZFC1439)
United States Army 1903 Model Regimental Color, 75th U.S. Infantry

Publication History:

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 118-119.

Provenance:
• 75th U.S. Infantry, 1918/19.
• 1ST Lt. Arthur W. Bresciani (RET.)
• U.S. Army Ranger Museum Collection of New York City, until 1997.
• Consigned to Butterfield & Butterfield for auction, withdrawn, 1997.
• Sold via private treaty to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 1997.

ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:


Madaus, Howard M.- Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict, VZ Publications, Santa Cruz, 2006.

Quartermaster General US Army, U.S. Army Uniforms and Equipment, 1889, reprint, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1986.

75th Infantry Regiment (United States), Wikipedia, 13 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/75th_Infantry_Regiment_%28United_States%29

Fort Lewis, Global Security, 13 November 2011, from: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fort-lewis.htm

Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Wikipedia, 13 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Base_Lewis-McChord

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

CSG
USAC

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