The segregated battalion was first organized in 1881 from existing units as the 9th Battalion of Infantry. During World War I, segregated National Guard units from several states were consolidated to form the 372nd Infantry. The 9th Battalion became the 2nd Battalion, 372nd Infantry and earned the French Croix de Guerre during the Meuse-Argonne campaign. The battalion, under the command of Lt. Col. James A. Nichols, reorganized in the Ohio National Guard in 1924 and had units stationed in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo in March 1941.

Following induction, the battalion moved to Fort Dix, N.J. where it underwent basic military training. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the units were moved to various locations in New York City to guard critical infrastructure there as part of Eastern Defense Command. The battalion remained in this role until April 1944, when the unit moved to Camp Breckenridge, Ky., where it provided an accelerated six-week course of infantry training to Black Soldiers who volunteered for transfer to the infantry. In November, the battalion was moved once again to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., where it remained until April 1945.

On May 1, 1945, the 372nd Infantry pulled out of the Seattle Port of Embarkation, arriving seven days later at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. World War II ended while the battalion was there, and the unit was inactivated on Jan. 31, 1946.

Upon reorganization of the Ohio National Guard after World War II, the former elements of the 2nd Battalion reorganized in the Ohio National Guard as the 372nd Infantry Battalion. The battalion remained segregated until 1954. Upon the reorganization of the Ohio Army National Guard in 1959, the battalion was removed from Ohio’s troop allotment and the companies were reorganized as various units.

In the United States Military, a guidon is a military standard that company/battery/troop or platoon-sized detachments carry to signify their unit designation and branch/corps affiliation or the title of the individual who carries it. A basic guidon can be rectangular, but more often has a triangular portion removed from the fly (known as "swallow-tailed").

 This wonderful example was used by the 372nd Infantry Regiment. It measures 20 inches long and 19 inches tall. The guidon is made of navy blue wool, with large white 372 at the top, over the infantry "Crossed Rifles".

The guidon is in good shape, but does have some water staining as well as wear holes and material loss. The wool is a bit more susceptible to wear than cotton, so it shows the majority of the wear. The end sleeve is still intact, with an internal leather tab on each side and a faded Quartermaster Depot tag present.

A wonderful piece of U.S. WWII Infantry memorabilia, ready to display!