111th Infantry Regiment "Ben Franklins Associators"

09/11/2026

09/08/2026

111th Infantry Whiskey Fundraiser!

Have you ever wanted your own bottle of 28th Division Whiskey? 🥃

What if it also helped support the Regimental Association and CARS Mess?

Now is your chance! John Fitch Distilling, in partnership with the 28th Infantry Division Association is offering a special run of Red Keystone Reserve with a portion of each sale going directly to the 111th Regimental Fund.

For more information, or to place an order, check out https://111th.johnfitchdistilling.com/home

This fundraiser is handled directly through John Fitch, who will produce, bottle, and ship the whiskey from their distillery in Pennsylvania. The Association will receive a donation from the distillery for every bottle purchased, and each bottle will feature a QR Code which when scanned, shares the story of the 111th Infantry.

09/01/2026

CARS Mess Registration is live!

We invite all current and former Associators to join the Regiment in this years annual regimental mess on 14 NOV 2026. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the mess, a tradition re-born in the post-WWII era.

The attached QR codes or below links will take participants to registration and to a special block or rooms reserved at the event hotel and an alternate adjacent venue.

111th Infantry Regimental Mess 2026
https://associators111.org/mess-payment/

Two blocks of Hotel rooms are now available for the 111th Infantry Regimental Mess. This year, attendees may choose from two convenient hotel options:

Sheraton Valley Forge King of Prussia
Located at the site of the Regimental Mess event.
https://app.marriott.com/resview2?id=1776103266958&key=GRP&app=resvlink

Element Valley Forge King of Prussia
https://app.marriott.com/reslink?id=1776103408567&key=GRP&app=resvlink

We look forward to seeing everyone in November!

08/10/2026

SGT James Mestrovich earns the Congressional Medal of Honor

August 10th, 1918, during arguable one of the 28th Division’s most violent battles, SGT Mestrovich and his unit were pinned down in heavy house to house fighting. In a battle that would see several companies of the 111th and 112th Infantry nearly wiped out, Mestrovich took action which would forever place his name among America's most heroic soldiers.

During the worst part of the fighting at Fismette, Mestrovich and his squad were taking cover in a courtyard under heavy shelling. What occurred next was described in his citation:

“Seeing his company commander lying wounded 30 yards in front of the line after his company had withdrawn to a sheltered position behind a stone wall, Sgt. Mestrovitch voluntarily left cover and crawled through heavy machine gun and shell fire to where the officer lay. He took the officer upon his back and crawled to a place of safety, where he administered first-aid treatment, his exceptional heroism saving the officer's life. "

Born Joko Meštrović in what is now Montenegro, Mestrovich emigrated to the United States in 1913, initially living in California. When his new homeland's entry into the war seemed imminent Mestrovich enlisted in Pittsburgh PA in the local National Guard unit, the 18th Pennsylvania. Mestrovich served with the 18th on the Mexican Border in 1916, rising to the rank of Corporal. When the unit was federalized in 1917 and shipped to Camp Hancock, this western PA regiment was combined with the 6th Pennsylvania from the Philadelphia area, becoming the 111th Infantry. Mestrovich was eventually promoted the SGT and the unit shipped to France in 1918.

SGT Mestrovich would continue to serve with the 111th Infantry after his heroic act, despite multiple wounds received in action, but would tragically be killed in action leading his Company during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive a week before the end of the war.

08/09/2026

Never Forgotten

The 111th Infantry Regiment asks you to honor and remember SGT Francis Straub, SPC Gennaro Pellegrini, SPC John Kulick, and PFC Nathan DeTample today.

On August 9, 2005, while they were investigating a rocket-propelled gr***de incident in Bayji, Iraq, enemy forces ambushed their up-armored HMMWV by detonating a mine and attacking with small-arms fire, killing all four Soldiers.

They deployed with A Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry as part of Task Force Dragoon for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Please keep these fallen heroes, and their families in your thoughts and prayers today.

08/06/2026

Never forgotten.

The 111th Infantry Regiment asks you to honor and remember SGT Brahim Jeffcoat and SPC Kurt Krout today.

On August 6, 2005, SGT Brahim J. Jeffcoat and SPC Kurt E. Krout were killed when the blast of an IED caused their up-armored HMMWV to roll near Samarra, Iraq. SGT Jeffcoat and SPC Krout were deployed with A Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry as part of Task Force Dragoon for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

07/08/2026

An Associator Reads the Declaration of Independence

While the Independence Day holiday is ending for us, in 1776 a member of the Regiment was beginning the celebration in Philadelphia. On July 8th, 1776, Colonel John Nixon, member of the 3d Battalion, Philadelphia Associators, read aloud the Declaration of Independence for the first time publicly to a crowd outside Independence Hall.

Nixon is most often remembered for this historic act following the signing of the Declaration, but his impact on the regiment and the cause go far beyond this public reading. An early vocal proponent of colonial rights, Nixon actively opposed the Stamp Act, was an early leader of the Philadelphia Committee of Safety, and eventually joined and helped raise a Battalion of "Ben Franklins Associators".

Not one to rest on his words alone, COL Nixon entered combat with his Battalion a few months after this reading at Trenton and Princeton, and later commanded defenses in the Philadelphia area.

Members of the regiment can be proud knowing that not only did Associators advocate for our independence in the halls of congress and on the streets of Philadelphia, but the followed words with deeds and earned our freedom on the battlefield.

07/03/2026

The Regiment turns back the high tide of the Confederacy

July 3rd 1863 the course of the entire Civil War was changed along a stone wall in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. But did you know the 111th Infantry played a critical role in this action?

During the Civil War the Regiment was raised as the 72nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and served as part of the “Philadelphia Brigade.”

On July 3rd this section of stone wall would become famous in history as 12,500 Confederate soldiers stepped off from covered positions nearly a mile away making the fateful advance known as “Pickett’s Charge” in an attempt to break the Union line along Cemetery Ridge. As they smashed into “the Angle”, or the most exposed position in the Union line, they engaged the 69th Pennsylvania in fierce hand to hand combat. The 72nd advanced to the top of the crest from their reserve position and fired a volley into the charging Confederate forces. It is believed that a round fired from the regiment felled Confederate General Lewis Armistead as he crossed by the guns of Cushing's Battery perched along top of the ridge. Initially reluctant to advance into the maelstrom along the stone wall from their high ground, they eventually charged forward clearing the line of the remaining Confederate forces and bolstering the position of the 69th.

“The color bearer, seizing the stump of the staff of the colors, whirling his hat around his head, moved with the regiment down to the wall; many of our men being wounded or killed in the advance…” -Major Samuel Roberts

Today the iconic monument to the Regiment stands along the stone wall at Cemetery Ridge. It has become one of the most well known fixtures of the entire Battle of Gettysburg and was featured on the America the Beautiful Quarter representing the Battle in 2011.

On July 3rd we in the Regiment remember the sacrifice of our forbearers in this heroic action. Of the 458 men of Baxter’s Fire Zouaves who marched to Gettysburg on July 2nd, 62 would be killed and 133 wounded. Their charge would play a crucial role in the turning back of Pickett’s Charge, and the outcome of the Civil War.

Nulla Vestigia Retrorsum
No Step Backward

07/02/2026

This years annual regimental mess date has been decided! Mark your calendars, more info to follow soon!

07/01/2026

First To Fight!

On July 1st 1918 the 111th Infantry Regiment became the first unit of the entire 28th Infantry Division to enter combat in World War I. The 111th Regiment and the rest of the 28th Division had landed at Calais France in May, but had spent the majority of their time training with British and French Advisors. On the evening of June 30th while marching with French troops to a new training area, Col Shannon, the regimental commander of the 111th Infantry, received a request from French forces to provide two platoons to join French troops on a raid. The raid would take place on the German occupied Hill 204, today the site of the famous Chateau-Theirry American Monument. Company’s A and B were selected to provide a platoon each to accompany the French.

Lt Cedric Benz of A Company and Lt John Shenkel of B Company readied their detachments in the early hours of July 1st. Their objective was a fortified German position on top of the heavily defended hill. Alongside their French comrades, Benz and Shenkel led elements of the 111th Infantry to storm and eventually capture the positions in a full day of fighting. Lt Benz led a flanking maneuver which collapsed the German positions, and his men captured 39 German prisoners. Lt Shenkel’s platoon fought hard as well, and when he was cut off with a squad of his men, he personally shot down a German Officer and led a breakout back to US forces.

For their actions on July 1st, Lt Shenkel and Lt Benz would both receive the Distinguished Service Cross. Additionally they would receive the French Croix de Guerre, both individually and as a unit award to each platoon. The platoons suffered 39 casualties, with 9 being killed. They rest of the 28th Division looked on with envy as these Platoons filed back into camp, the first Pennsylvania Guard combat veterans of the European war.

Within days the Keystone Division would be launched into full scale combat as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, a fight which would overshadow in history books the first action of 28th Division in the World War.

For more information about the fight at Hill 204 check out this Pennsylvania National Guard article :
https://www.pa.ng.mil/Site-Management/News-Article-View/Article/3079675/hill-204-the-28th-divisions-first-combat-action-of-world-war-i/