111th Infantry Regiment "Ben Franklins Associators"

09/25/2026

Still on the fence about attending CARS?

This year will feature a special remembrance and reunion for members of the regiment that deployed in OIF 3 with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry.

Come out to King of Prussia this November and visit old friends, honor our fallen, and learn what the battalion is up to these days.

Registration information on the flyer below!

09/23/2026

Don’t wait, CARS Mess Registration is open!

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!

09/17/2026

September 17th, 1862- Antietam

The 111th Infantry Regiment traces it's heritage through many units from the Philadelphia region. Among those units one of the most famous is the 72nd Pennsylvania, or Baxter’s Fire Zouaves. On this day in 1862 the predecessor of today’s 111th Infantry advanced into one of their bloodiest engagements.

The 72nd Pennsylvania was part of the Philadelphia Brigade, under BG Oliver O Howard. The Regiment marched with the rest of their Brigade across the East Woods, and the Bloody Cornfield where so many other Pennsylvanians had fallen in combat earlier. As they marched through the cornfield, the men of nearby Pennsylvanians of the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry called out “three hearty cheers” and “Three more for Phila!” The Brigade advanced in step across the field. Despite the terrible terrain. Deployed in an attack towards the “West Woods” the 72nd would soon find itself in a precarious situation.

As the men of the 72nd followed a general advance through the west woods towards skirmishing at Poffenberger Farm, the situation changed rapidly. As the advance slowed the men of the 72nd found themselves ground to a halt, waiting for the Brigades in front of them to advance. Many leaned on their ri**es, or sat on the ground waiting for orders to continue their attack. At this moment on their left flank, Confederate Brigades emerged from the woods and cut towards them. The 72nd was caught completely off guard. As volley after volley poured into their ranks the 72nd was forced to pull back from the woods, and the rest of the Brigade, and then the entire Division followed suit. In the first moments of the attack nearly half of the regiment was wounded or killed.

The 72nd fell back and was not regrouped until the following day. Their action at Antietam would bloody them, but not take them out of the fight. They would return to action at Fredericksburg in December, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and several other battles in the war.

To learn more about the 111th Infantry’s predecessor, the 72nd Pennsylvania look for the book “Stopping Pickett: The History of the Philadelphia Brigade”

09/11/2026

09/08/2026

111th Infantry Wh***ey Fundraiser!

Have you ever wanted your own bottle of 28th Division Wh***ey? 🥃

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 wh***ey 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.