As old as the history of armed conflict itself, since the earliest biblical accounts, the Weapon of Fire and Movement is the predominant troop in combat. In Brazil, it has been present since the genesis of the Brazilian Army in the Battle of Guararapes, the cradle of the nation’s sense of defense, where whites, blacks and Indians fought with intelligence, consonance and fearlessness. The day of the Queen of Arms is celebrated on May 24, the birthday of her patron, Brigadier Antônio de Sampaio. Today, we remember and celebrate the great achievements of the Infantry.
Let’s go back in time to remember the Patron of the Brazilian Infantry. Brigadier Antônio de Sampaio grew up in the humble and arduous environment of the backlands in the town of Tamboril, in the state of CAA. Early on, he showed a penchant for a career in arms. At the age of 20, he voluntarily enlisted as a private in the then 22nd Battalion of Hunters, in Fortaleza, and rose through the ranks on merit, thanks to countless demonstrations of courage, tenacity and perspicacity. He played a leading role in maintaining national unity in internal conflicts such as: Cabanagem (PA), Balaiada (MA), Guerra dos Farrapos (RS) and Revolução Praieira (PE). In addition, it acted with mastery in guaranteeing our country’s sovereignty in moments of belligerence, such as in the Campaign against Oribe and Rosas (Uruguay); in the Battle of Monte Caseros (Argentina); and in the Taking of Paissandu (Uruguay).
However, it was in the War of the Triple Alliance that Brigadier Antônio de Sampaio gave the greatest display of his valor, commanding the 3rd Division of the Imperial Army, which had, in its brigades, the ancestral Treme-Terra, ArrancaToco and Vanguardeiro Battalions. On that occasion, during the Battle of Tuiuti, the biggest and bloodiest clash of the campaign, on the day of his birthday, he was seriously wounded by grenade shrapnel, whose injuries led to his death on board the steamer Epônima, as he was being evacuated to Buenos Aires, where he was buried.
Brigadier Antônio de Sampaio’s legacy accompanied the trajectory of the Infantry Weapon. In the 20th century, the Weapon of close-in fire was unshakably enshrined in the work of the 1st Expeditionary Infantry Division in the Italian campaign during the Second World War. The determination of our soldiers marked a glorious chapter in human history.
In the transition to the 21st century, these same ideals have inspired and led the Brazilian Infantry onto the international stage once again. This time, other noble infantrymen served to maintain peace and stability in the Suez Crisis and in countries such as Angola, East Timor, Haiti and Lebanon.
A flexible, adaptable, modular, elastic and sustainable weapon, the Brazilian Infantry has military organizations subdivided into Motorized, Paratrooper, Light, Armoured, Mechanized, Jungle, Caatinga, Pantanal, Mountain, Army Police and Guard. In this way, it is able to act in the most diverse operational environments, which is why it is referred to as the queen of warfare, with the ability to cause effects in all directions and spaces of the theater of operations.
Within the legal scope of its constitutional activities, the Infantry has been the protagonist in the various security activities and the Guarantee of Law and Order and subsidiary activities that make up the Army’s helping hand, based on the ability of the soldiers with grenades and rifles to defend our homeland and guarantee constitutional powers.
From the simplicity of their patron, the infantrymen inherited the nobility to recognize the importance of the other arms and the Army’s support. The infantes have the task of being the first to cross the starting line and face the unknown. They do this with the certainty that, flanked by cavalrymen and supported by artillerymen, engineers, communicators and logisticians, they will contribute to the fulfillment of the mission.
Soldiers of the glorious Infantry Weapon from all over the country, bear in mind that, even in the face of the technological advances that make up the battlefield, the infantryman – allied to his rifle, inspired by Sampaio’s deeds, founded on the highest military values and united by an enduring spirit of corps – remains a fundamental part of combat. Look to the examples of the great leaders who preceded you and march forward, united under the same ideals of nobility and patriotism that guided our patron and led him to memorable victories and eternal glory.
HAIL BRIGADIER SAMPAIO! HAIL THE INFANTRY OF THE BRAZILIAN ARMY!
Brasília-DF, May 24, 2024.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***