Orginally stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington. In the early mid 60's, the Battalion departed Tacoma, Washington, on September 22, 1966, bound for Vietnam. They arrived in Vietnam on October 9, 1966. Their first base camp was called "Bear Cat." after a breif mission at Phouc Vihn then on November 1966, the Battalion was relocated to Dau Tieng, Tay Ninh Province, at the southern edge of the Michelin rubber plantation and not far from the Black Virgin Mountain and the Cambodian border.
The Three 12th Infantry Battalions deployed to Vietnam with the 4th Division from August through October 1966. The third Brigade, 4th Division, to which the 2nd Battalion was assigned, set up base camp at Dau Tieng in lll Corps while the rest of the Division was assigned to the Vietnamese Highlands in ll Corps alongside the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Division which had arrived in December,1965. On 1 August 1967 the two divisions swapped 3rd Brigades. Sebsequently, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry served with the 25th through 10 of the Battalion's 11 Vietnam campaigns and received the Presidential Unit Catition for gallantry in action at Suoi Tre. As part of the U.S. drawndown, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, and inactivated on April 1971.
The 1st Battalion,12th Infantry is assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood Texas. It returned from a one year tour of duty in Iraq in 2006. The 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was reactivated on 29 September 2005 and is currently serving a tour of duty in the Baghdad area of Iraq with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
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