82nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
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| 82nd Field Artillery Regiment | |
|---|---|
 82nd Field Artillery Regiment Coat of Arms |
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| Active | |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Part of | 1st Cavalry Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort Hood |
| Battles/wars | Mexican Campaign World War II Korean War Vietnam War Bosnia Iraq War |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia |  |
The 1st Battalion 82nd Field Artillery Regiment was first constituted on 1 July 1917 as Troops A and B of the 24th Cavalry and was organized on 5 June 1917 at Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming. Consolidated, converted, and re-designated 1 November 1917, as Battery A, 82nd Field Artillery. That same year the complete 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, comprised of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions, was sent first to Camp Logan near Houston, Texas. A short time later it was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, where the 82nd Field Artillery Regimentt was assigned to the 15th Cavalry Division.
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[edit] History
The 82nd Field Artillery Regiment was relieved from its assignment with the 15th Cavalry Division in May 1918, but stayed at Fort Bliss, Texas. The first round fired in anger by the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment occurred on 16 June 1919, when guns of the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, then commanded by Major [L. L. Lawson, fired over the Rio Grande River against the forces of General Pancho Villa. The rebel forces had been using snipers to shoot across the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, and had wounded several U.S. civilians. The worst sniper incident was the killing of Private Sam Tusco 15 June 1919.
In this very first action, the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment received a Letter of Commendation for its actions and most of the men were authorized to wear the Mexican Campaign Medal. The event was commemorated by its use in the design of the unit crest. A black projectile was imposed over a wavy band of white symbolizing the Rio Grande River. On 9 September 1921, the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment was re-designated as the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion (Horse) and served as the Division Artillery for the newly activated 1st Cavalry Division. The 82nd Field Artillery Battalion was the only horse artillery in the US Army at that time. The designation (Horse) meant that all unit members rode mounted on horses instead of riding on the gun carriages.
On 17 March 1930, the regiment was reactivated and the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion (Horse) was reorganized as the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery but lost its designation as (Horse). On 1 December 1934, Battery C, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery was deactivated and the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery was reactivated. Consequently, both the 1st and 2nd Battalions comprised the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.
[edit] World War II
As World War II began, the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment was reorganized and re-designated at Fort Bliss, on 3 January 1941. The 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery was reorganized as the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion and the remainder of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment was reorganized as the 61st Artillery Battalion and the 62nd Field Artillery Battalion and formed the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery. With the onset of World War II the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion deployed with the rest of the 1st Cavalry to Brisbane, Australia, on 4 June 1943. There the division served under the Theater Command of General Douglas MacArthur throughout the entire Pacific Campaign.
The first rounds fired by the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion against the Japanese during World War II occurred at Oro Bay, New Guinea, in January of 1944. The 82nd Field Artillery Battalion then participated in actions in the Admiralty Islands, Leyte and Luzon. During the Luzon campaign, the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion participated in the Battle for Manila and provided fire support to forces involved in the assault of several key strong points within the city. After the defeat and surrender of all Japanese forces the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion accompanied the rest of the 1st Cavalry as occupation forces in Japan beginning on 8 September 1945. The base camp for the 82nd Field Artillery was known as "Camp Whittington" near Kumagaya, Japan.
[edit] The Korean Conflict
In July of 1949, the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion turned in its old 105 mm Howitzers and its Direct Support role within the 1st Cavalry Division. It was issued 155 mm Howitzers and switched roles to become the General Support Battalion for 1st Cavalry. The first practice rounds of 155 mm fire occurred on 12 July 1949 at Camp Weir.
On 25 June 1950, North Korean forces crossed the border into South Korea, beginning the Korean Conflict. From its bases in Japan the 1st Cavalry Division deployed to Korea at P'chang-dong within the Pusan Perimeter. Elements of the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion were instrumental in the defense of Waegwan and Taegu and the UN's defensive perimeter. As the war progressed, Chinese Communist Forces credited elements of the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion with helping to save the Greek Expeditionary Force from annihilation. After the end of open hostilities the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion left Korea for Camp Chitose, Japan, in December of 1951. The 82nd Field Artillery Battalion remained in Japan until it was deactivated on 15 October 1957 and was relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division.
[edit] From Korea to Vietnam and Beyond
In early 1958, the old units of the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion were reactivated again to form the 82nd Artillery Regiment, by now known by its unofficial nickname of the "Dragons". All U.S. Army field artillery and anti-aircraft artillery were combined as a single branch known as the Artillery Branch. This time three battalions of the 82nd Artillery Regiment served in Europe in separate commands. The 1st Missile Battalion, 82nd Artillery was designated as an Honest John Rocket Battalion (nuclear capable), while the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 82nd Artillery retained their guns with at least the 2nd being equipped with 280 mm cannons capable of firing nuclear rounds. The 1st Missile Battalion, 82nd Artillery was formed in Italy on 24 June 1958. On 1 July 1960, the 5th Battalion, 82nd Artillery (105 mm/155 mm Howitzers, Towed) was formed and assigned to duty with the 1st Cavalry Division in Korea. The 1st Missile Battalion, 82nd Artillery was deactivated in Italy on 20 April 1964.
However, this did not last long with all three battalions being deactivated in 1963 and 1964.
With the outbreak of the conflict in Southeast Asia, the 1st Battalion, 82nd Artillery was again reactivated on 10 January 1968. It was assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington, for organization and training until its deployment to Vietnam on 24 July 1968. As Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Bill Barta, serving as Battalion S-3 at that time, has said "the battalion had started with myself, four 2nd Lieutenants and a stack of manuals". But under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Paul Cothern Jr. the men of the 1st Battalion, 82nd Artillery quickly and successfully underwent rigorous battalion tests, including a difficult Technical Proficiency Inspection (TPI) to test its nuclear readiness and riot control training for possible use in U.S. cities. Upon completing its processing for overseas movement, the battalion was effectively transformed into a combat ready artillery unit with three 155 mm Towed Howitzer Batteries and one 8" Self-Propelled Battery. This was all accomplished within the space of just 138 days.
The personnel of the 1st Battalion flew directly to Chu Lai, South Vietnam, from Fort Lewis, Washington, via commercial charter jets. Upon arriving in Vietnam, the 1st Battalion was assigned the mission of providing General Support artillery for the 11th Infantry Brigade and 198th Infantry Brigade of the 23rd Infantry Division. Initially A Battery occupied Hill 54 on 5 August 1968. B Battery moved to Landing Zone Gator on 8 August 1968, and C Battery became operational in the Duc Pho area with four guns on Landing Zone Liz and two at Landing Zone Thunder. D Battery later moved to Landing Zone Dottie. At the same time, HHB and Service Battery began to occupy and build up its base camp at Landing Zone Hurricane right outside of the Chu Lai Combat Center on Highway 1.
According to the official Americal unit history, during its first full year in Vietnam the 1st Battalion was credited as having one of the most outstanding combat records of any US artillery unit at any time in history. This was accomplished in spite of numerous enemy attempts to capitalize on the unit's lack of combat experience by launching several major attacks against various elements of the unit beginning with a sapper/mortar attack against D Battery on Landing Zone Dottie on 23 August 1968. On 22 September 1968, D Battery was hit again, along with A Battery on Hill 54 and B Battery on Landing Zone Gator. None of these attacks were successful, resulting in only minor injuries and no equipment losses.
For the remainder of 1968, the various firing batteries of the battalion were kept busy supporting a number of operations within the Americal Division's Area of Operations. This involved making numerous movements including its first aerial movements, to fire support bases throughout the entire Americal Division's Area of Operations in support of all three of the division's infantry brigades. At one point guns from the 1st Battalion simultaneously occupied nine separate firing positions with the two farthest positions, C Battery on Landing Zone Thunder and A Battery on Landing Zone Sooner, being approximately 144 Kilometers apart.
1969 is marked by the defense of Landing Zone Snoopy from sapper and mortar attacks by members of B Battery. In addition, on the night of 23 February 1969, the elements of the 1st Battalion responded to an all out post-Tet offensive by the enemy by firing no less than three hundred independent fire missions in a single three-hour period. These missions were successfully conducted while elements of the 1st Battalion on Landing Zones Gator, Cork and Dottie were themselves under rocket, mortar and sapper attacks.
In July of 1970, elements of the 1st Battalion were deployed with other Americal units to support the 1st Army of the Republic Vietnam Division and several U.S. infantry elements at Kham Duc near the Laotian border. During this operation, the 1st Battalion suffered some of its heaviest losses of the war. On the night of 5 August 1970, the enemy struck A Battery's position near the airfield at this former Special Forces Camp. Covered by small arms and mortar fire, sappers penetrated the perimeter and blew up a guard bunker and the generator pit, but were met by the M16 and M60 fire from the cannoneers. At dawn the artillerymen counted a total of 14 North Vietnamese Killed In Action (KIA) inside their perimeter at the cost of three of their own KIA and many more Wounded In Action (WIA). As a further result of this action, three members of A Battery received the Silver Star, nine received the Bronze Star with "V" device and two received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device.
By the end of its first two years in combat the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery received credit for over 1,500 confirmed enemy KIA and 400 probable enemy KIA; the destruction of over 2,000 military structures; 500 bunker complexes; 150 tunnel complexes; "countless" trenches and spider holes; 50 rice caches; 300 secondary explosions; 40 mortar tubes; 10 anti-aircraft weapons; and "numerous beasts of burden". These results are even more remarkable considering the fact that only about 35% of the unit's fire missions were observed
The gun crews were not the only ones to rack up impressive statistics during this period. The battalion and battery FDC sections performed under very adverse conditions of terrain and weather while faced with very difficult tactical situations created by the necessity of employing multiple platoon-sized firing elements during this period. Service and support troops also faced tremendous challenges as indicated by the fact that battalion supply personnel racked up a monthly average of approximately 60,000 road miles for a total of over 1,600,000 miles of convoy driving with only ten minor vehicle accidents through December of 1970. During the period from its deployment in 1968 till December of 1970, men of the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery were awarded 5 Silver Stars, 49 Bronze Stars with "V" device, and 37 Army Commendation Medals with "V" device.
In the spring of 1971, the 1st Battalion deployed further to the north to participate in its twelfth and final major operation of the war. Batteries A, B, and C were deployed along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in support of Lam Son 719, the North Vietnamese incursion into Laos. During this time period D Battery was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division to support their operations near Da Nang. During operations in the north, A Battery and HHB were deployed at Landing Zone Vandegrift alongside QL 9 in support of the 1/77th Armor, 3/187 Infantry and the 4/3 Infantry in operations north of the QL 9 near the infamous "Rockpile". B Battery was sent by helicopter lift to Landing Zone Sheppard near the Khe Sanh Combat Base, with one platoon soon moving to Vandegrift and later the rest of the Battery moving to Khe Sanh Combat Base. C Battery was sent to FSB Charlie 2 just west of Quang Tri City near the DMZ and later moved to Lang Vei on the Laotian border and still later moved to the Khe Sanh Combat Base.
In one 10 hour period, the guns on Vandegrift, along with the guns from B Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Arty (105 mm SP Battery w/15 guns total), are estimated to have fired between 7,000 to 9,000 rounds at an NVA division that was trying to mount an attack against Vandegrift.
A Battery also had the dubious distinction of being the first U.S. unit to suffer a KIA in this operation when it was rocketed at Landing Zone Elliot just south of the infamous "Rockpile" along QL 9.
During the 69 days of the operation, the guns of the 1st Battalion fired 76,124 rounds of 155 mm ammunition on 2,486 fire missions or an average of just under 35 missions per day. The majority of these missions were in direct support of at least five separate infantry and armor battalions. This expenditure represented an average of 13 rounds per gun per day or 1,119 rounds per day for the 1st Battalion. During the 69 days of the operation, the 1st Battalion lost four KIA and twenty WIA plus three more fatalities due to non-hostile causes.
The battalion stood down and returned to the states in the final months of 1971 where it was soon deactivated. The 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery was reactivated on 21 June 1975, with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. The soldiers of the 1st Battalion 82nd Field Artillery were again deployed during the Gulf War. Additionally, members of the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery have been deployed to several other areas of the world on a variety of missions including to Bosnia. Members of the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery have also helped to help fight the western states wildfires in the summer of 2000.
[edit] Iraqi deployment in March 2004
In Iraq, Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion 82nd Field Artillery found themselves in the midst of a dynamic battlefield. To support the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division in the dangerous Al Thawra District of Baghdad, Charlie Battery began conducting dismounted foot patrols in an area the soldiers call "Squaretown." From Squaretown, insurgent forces have launched mortar attacks and the soldiers are concerned about weapons being transported through the area near the outskirts of Camp War Eagle.
Most of the soldiers of 2-82 Field Artillery are located on Camp Steel Dragon in the Green Zone. Many of the fire supporters are located in different camps. The 2-82 Field Artillery fire supporters attached within the Grey Wolf Brigade Combat Team are serving at 3rd Brigade Headquarters, with Task Force 3-8 Cavalry, and with Task Force 1-9 Cavalry. Task Force 2-7 Cavalry and their fire supporters are serving with the 39th Brigade Combat Team at Camp Cooke in Taji. The soldiers of C Battery and the COLT Platoon are attached to Colonel Lanza's 5th BCT and are located on Camp Falcon on the south side of Baghdad. The rest of the 2-82 Field Artillery soldiers, along with nearly 100 soldiers of B Company, 1-160 Infantry, belong to Task Force Steel Dragon.
A typical day for 3-82 at Thunder involves anywhere from 1 to 2 daytime patrols and 1 to 2 nighttime patrols in our sector. These patrols can have any number of focuses from checking on projects in sector to searching for new ones to start or gathering intelligence. The main focus in the sector is helping to rebuild the neighborhood and help the Iraqi Security Forces to take an ownership in the areas. They have started two school projects that are approximately $100,000.00 a piece and several others in smaller amounts.
In October 2003, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery formed Fox Battery, a hybrid mechanized/motorized battery comprised of 2nd Brigade (Black Jack) fire supporters. The first platoon consisted of six M7A2 Bradley Fire Support Vehicles taken from Task Force 1-5 Cavalry and Task Force 2-12 Cavalry. The second platoon's composition was six M707 Striker HMMWVs belonging to the COLT platoon of D/9 Cavalry. The battery's existence proved to be vital during the Mahdi Army's uprisings in April 2004 with the mechanized platoon filling the gaps in Black Jack's armor shortage. The second platoon ran counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and Main Supply Route (MSR) security during this time. Fire supporters from F/3-82 Field Artillery were called upon in August 2004 to go with Task Force 1-5 Cavalry (Black Knights) to retake the southern city of Najaf, with the rest of the battery relieving Task Force 1-5 Cavalry in Area of Operations Black Knight. In November 2004, Fox Battery soldiers were sent with Task Force 1-5 Cavalry and Task Force 2-12 Cavalry to provide outer cordon for operations in Fallujah. The battery then accompanied 3-82 Field Artillery to Forward Operating Base Kalsu in December 2004 to run heavy counter-insurgency operations prior to the January 2005 elections. The COLT platoon is credited for smashing a massive insurgent operation to kill voters on Election Day, without firing a shot. Fox Battery was deactivated in May 2005, with the entire battery receiving the Combat Action Badge for their efforts. Fox Battery was the most decorated unit in 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery with numerous Bronze Star, Army Commendation, and Purple Heart medals being awarded to almost everyone.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment are currently home based at Fort Hood, Texas, as part of the 1st Cavalry. The 5th Battalion is located at Fort Bliss, Texas as part of the 4th Brigade (Long Knife). In the history of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, this is a continuation of a long association with the 1st Cavalry Division.
