History of 9th Infantry Regiment. At the beginning of the century the U.S. Army dispatched the 9th Infantry Regiment to Qing China during the Boxer Rebellion and the China Relief Expedition where the regiment earned the nickname "Manchus". During the Battle of Tientsin, three 9th Regiment soldiers won the Medal of Honor and the regimental commander, Col. Emerson H. Liscum, was killed by Chinese fire. The Chinese again unleashed a torrent of fire upon the Allies, which forced them to lie face down in dirty mud. The uniform of the American troops, dark blue, provided a virtual bulls eye to the Chinese troops, equipped with western firearms, such as Winchesters, Mausers, Mannlichers. 150 American troops died from Chinese snipers before they took the city. Liscum's dying words gave the regiment its motto "Keep up the Fire." Lt. Col. Charles A. Coolidge assumed command and the regiment captured the city and was awarded with two silver bars from which the Liscum Bowl was formed. The regiment played a major role in the victory over the Chinese army in the Battle of Yangcun. Following duty in China the regiment served in the Philippine-American War.