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LT Warren and Black History Month

Updated: Feb 28, 2021

The 22nd Infantry regiment has a lot of heroes to look up to and use as standards to how we are to conduct ourselves as soldiers. These soldiers come from all cities, states, religions, and races. For this month when we remember black history, I want to highlight a soldier who is a hero to those of us in 2nd Battalion 22nd Infantry regiment (otherwise known as triple deuce) but is not widely known across our nation, Lieutenant (LT) John E. Warren of Charlie Company Triple Deuce.

Lt. Warren was born on November 16th, 1946 in Brooklyn New York. In 1967, LT John Warren joined the Army as an Infantry officer and be assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment and would be a platoon leader. Platoon leaders are to be the standard to which the soldiers in their platoon look up to, and LT. Warren was just that as he led from the front. He was loyal to his men and daily showed his integrity as a combat leader and friend.

On January 14th, 1969, Lt. Warren was leading his men through a rubber plantation to reinforce a friendly unit that had come under enemy fire. While moving, his patrol came under intense enemy fire from fortified positions. Overwhelmed with a since of duty and complete disregard for his own safety, Lt. Warren with several of his men began maneuvering through the hail of enemy fire toward the hostile positions.

When they were six feet away from the enemy bunker, Lt. Warren started to prepare a grenade to throw into it. Suddenly an enemy grenade was thrown out of the bunker and landed by him and his men. In an extreme act of personal courage, Lt. John E Warren jumped on the grenade, sacrificing himself for his soldiers.

For this act, on August 6th, 1970, Lt. Warren was posthumously awarded the medal of honor, being the first and only African American in the 22nd Infantry Regiment to receive it. Lt. Warren is not only remembered by his Medal, but still today, Charlie Company 2-22IN holds an annual competition where soldiers compete in physical exercises, EIB (Expert Infantry Badge) tasks, and a board to honor him. Triple Deuce has also developed a Hero WOD (Workout of the day) to honor him along with all the Medal of Honor recipients from our Regiment.

Though Lt. Warren is a man to be honored, I am sure he would not want all the attention on him, but on his regiment. Lt. Warren is part of a regiment that has had soldiers fight and die for freedom and equality all throughout our history. Even our formation in 1812 was for a war started in response to the British enslaving American soldiers captured at sea.

The 22nd Infantry regiment would be reflagged the 2nd Battalion 13th Regiment during the American Civil War and be used as a force by the Union to free the slaves, fighting in battles like Vicksburg and Missionary Ridge. During the American Indian Wars, they would fight to make the Black Seminole Scouts an actual part of their formation not just an attachment, paying and making them soldiers.

In 1874 a former Colonel in the Confederate Army created a militia called the “White League” that would cause an insurrection and take over New Orleans Louisiana. The cause of this insurrection was that New Orleans had elected an African American Lt. Governor and had an integrated police force. The 22nd Infantry Regiment was called upon to crush this insurrection and secure freedom and equality in our United States.

Even in our current conflict names like Dwayne “Big” Lewis and Lonnie Allen are African American soldiers who volunteered to answer our nation’s call and gave their lives for our freedom and our ideal that all men are created equal. 2nd Battalion 22nd Infantry Regiment shows an example of the value of equality even today with an African American CSM, Gregory Harmon.

During the Philippine Insurrection Jacob Krep a company commander for the 22nd Infantry said about the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for freedom, “The history of a soldier in the regular army, or any soldier for that matter, is the story of his organization while he is affiliated with it. The hero is usually of newspaper manufacture—and remains a hero for possibly three editions. The soldier who falls in combat needs no such notoriety. If his company or regiment never disgraces its flag— but only adds to the brightness of its colors— this honor is shared with his comrades.”

Yes Lt. Warren is a hero who deserves to be honored, but if he were here, he would point to the 22nd Infantry Regiment as a standard bearer for making the promise of the Declaration of Independence a reality, that all men are created equal. And for living to the values of Martian Luther King Jr. that men are to be judged by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin. Many men have gotten up and made empty promises about equality and freedom, the 22nd Infantry Regiment prefers to live our motto, “Deeds not Words”.



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