The 30th Infantry participated in the War of 1812 and with the Union forces in the Civil War, 1861-1865.

The present 30th Infantry was formed by Act of Congress on 2 February 1901 and organized at Fort Logan, Colorado.

From March to August 1901, the regiment trained in San Francisco, California, and then sailed to the Philippine Islands where it participated in the campaign to stamp out the Philippine Insurrection of Aguinaldo and his band. It was at this time that General of the Army (then 2nd Lt.) George C. Marshall, joined the regiment and was assigned to Company "L" as a platoon leader-his first military assignment.

For its actions in the Philippines the regiment was awarded the Philippine Insurrection Battle Streamer. After remaining in the Philippines for three years, the 30th Infantry returned to the United States in 1904.

In the period from 1904 to 1917, the 30th Infantry was stationed successively in Nebraska' along the Mexican border, in Alaska, in New York, in Texas and again at the Presidio of San Francisco.

In 1917 the regiment served under General John J. Pershing in the Mexican border campaign.

The 30th Infantry joined the 3d Division upon its organization in November 1917 at Camp Greene, North Carolina. It was assigned to the 6th Brigade along with the 38th Infantry and the 9th Machine Gun Battalion.

The 30th Infantry went to France as part of the 3d Division in March 1918.

The Aisne defensive, 1-5 June; the Chateau-Thierry operations 15-17 July; the Aisne-Marne offensive, 18-29 July; the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives from September to November saw the regiment in constant action.

During the Champagne-Marne defensive, 15-17 July 1918, the 30th Infantry wrote a bright page in the history of American arms, and it was in this engagement that the colors of the regiment were decorated with the French Croix de Guerre with palm.

From November 1918 to August 1919 the 30th Infantry joined the 3rd Division in occupation duties in Germany, in the district of Mayen, near Coblenz.

Upon returning to the United States in late August the regiment spent four years in various posts throughout the United States. In 1923 it returned to the Presidio of San Francisco, which became its permanent station.

From 1923 to 1941 the 30th Infantry was stationed at the Presidio where it was often referred to as "San Francisco's Own."

During this 18-year period the regiment developed a reputation of being one of the outstanding "spit and polish" regiments of the United States Army, with a band that was famous for its excellence throughout northern California.

Throughout the thirties the regiment had an annual "Message to Garcia" run from the San Francisco Civic Center to Crissy Field Presidio of San Francisco Parade Ground. This run was made with full field equipment, each man in a company running five full city blocks.

In 1939 the regiment sent a color guard company to the San Francisco International Exposition on Treasure Island. This color guard demonstrated perfection in close order drill formations.

In 1940 the 30th Infantry worked out in full detail a defensive maneuver for defense of the city of San Francisco against invasion and attack from the sea.

The first inductees joined the 30th Infantry on 21 January 1941 and in April 1941 the regiment was once again returned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington.