FORT BENNING, Ga. - There are few units in the Army with the history and honor that the 15th Infantry Regiment has earned.
The 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, has been intent on keeping that rich history alive and accessible for many years.
Located on Kelley Hill, Fort Benning, Georgia, and within the headquarters of the 1-15th IN, is a place known as the China Room. It is not top-secret and it is not locked away from the world, but rather open to anyone that is interested in learning this unit's important history.
Spc. Robert Vance, an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-15th IN, 3rd ABCT, 3rd ID, holds the additional duty as curator and maintainer of what is known as The China Room.
"The China Room is a museum that details the history of the 15th Infantry Regiment dating back to the Civil War," said Vance.
Vance has been curating and showing off the room for more than two and a half years and is considered to be the unit's 'subject matter expert'.
The China Room is home to many pieces of history that would be found in places like the Smithsonian, said Vance. A lot of the items are on loan from the 15th INF Society, but many have been donated by 15th IN Soldiers alumni.
Around the China Room, are guidons used throughout the history of the 15th IN, as well as flags, helmets, foreign uniforms and even Imperial Swords. These swords were given to Soldiers of the unit by the Chinese Imperial Family as tokens of appreciation.
One of the most impressive pieces though, is a massive silver punch bowl accompanied by 40 silver cups that was gifted to the organization when Soldiers assisted a merchant in China.
According to Vance, the merchant had been robbed by bandits. The Soldiers of the 15th IN caught the bandits and returned to goods to the merchant, and in return he crafted and gifted the punch bowl which is used in formal events by the organization. The last appraisal estimated the value of the punch bowl at over $75,000.
"I personally think that is important that everyone understands what this unit has done and where this unit has come from and how the unit has evolved over time," said Vance.
One of the most notable Soldiers to have a part in the history of the 15th IN is Sgt. Audie Murphy.
Located within the China Room, you can find photos, paintings, and even pieces of actual equipment from some of Murphy's most notable moments with the unit.
"Whenever I open this room up for promotion ceremonies or award ceremonies and you have people fresh out of basic training come in here, you can see the awe that they experience," Vance said. "They think to themselves that they are part of a unit that has done some amazing things."
"I think it is interesting that we have this and that it's so accessible to anyone that wants to be here and wants to learn about the unit," continued Vance. "It's important to remember where we came from and the things that people before us have done."
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