The shield is of blue and white, the Infantry colors. The Red Acorn was the badge of the 14^th Army Corps under which the 15^th Infantry fought during the Civil War. The acorn is repeated four time to commemorate the four major engagements in which the Regiment participated. - Murfreesboro - Chickamauga - Chatanooga and Atlanta. The rock denotes the fact that the Regiment was under command of General Thomas for the battle in which he earned his famous sobriquet: "The Rock of Chickamauga". The dragon, in gold metal, is indicative of the Regiment's service in China from 1900 to 1938 of which the period after 1912 was continuous.

The motto of the 15^th Infantry, "Can Do", is Pigdin English. It is a phrase continuously used by the Chinese to express the thought that they can and will carry out every mission. A Brief History of the 15^th Infantry Appendix.