The 69th Infantry Regiment is a military unit from New York City, part of the New York Army National Guard. It is known as the "Fighting Sixty-Ninth", a name said to have been given to it by Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.[1] As the citation from poet Joyce Kilmer illustrates, this unit is also the original owner of "Fighting Irish" nickname, which the University of Notre Dame inherited via chaplains who served with the unit during the Civil War.[citation needed] Between 1917 and 1992 it was also designated as the 165th Infantry Regiment.
It is an Irish heritage unit, with many of its traditions and symbols deriving from a time when the regiment was made entirely of Irish-Americans. The regiment's Civil War era battle cry was "Faugh a Ballagh," which is Irish Gaelic meaning "Clear the Way."
The Irish Brigade was noted for its ability to tackle tough missions. As one war correspondent said during the Civil War, "When anything absurd, forlorn, or desperate was to be attempted, the Irish Brigade was called upon."