U.S. 82nd Field Artillery Regiment
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The 1st Battalion (Bn), 82nd Field Artillery Regiment (FA Regt) 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 FA. That same year the complete 82nd FA Regt, 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 FA Regt was assigned to the 15th Cavalry Division (Cav Div).
History
The 82nd FA Regt was relieved from its assignment with the 15th Cav Div in May 1918, but stayed at Fort Bliss, Texas. The first round fired in anger by the 82nd FA Regt occurred on 16 June, 1919, when guns of the 1st Bn, 82nd FA, 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 River into El Paso, Texas, and had wounded several U.S. civilians. The worst sniper incident was the killing of PVT Sam Tusco from the 82nd FA Regiment on 15 June, 1919.In this very first action, the 82nd FA 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 FA Regiment was re-designated as the 82nd FA Battalion (Horse) and served as the Division Artillery for the newly activated 1st Cavalry Division. The 82nd FA 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 FA Bn (Horse) was reorganized as the 1st Bn, 82nd FA but lost its designation as (Horse). On 1 December, 1934, Battery C, 1st Bn, 82nd FA was inactivated and the 2nd Bn, 82nd FA was reactivated. Consequently, the 82nd FA Regt was comprised of both 1st Bn and 2nd Bn of the 82nd FA Regt.
World War II
As WWII began, the 82nd FA Regt was reorganized and re-designated at Fort Bliss, on 3 January, 1941. The 1st Bn, 82nd FA was reorganized as the 82nd FA Bn and the remainder of the 82nd FA Regt was reorganized as the 61st FA Bn and the 62nd FA Bn and formed the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery (DivArty). With the onset of WW II the 82nd FA Bn 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 FA Bn against the Japanese during WWII occurred at Oro Bay, New Guinea, in January of 1944. The 82nd FA Bn then participated in actions in the Admiralty Islands, Leyte and Luzon. During the Luzon campaign, the 82nd FA Bn 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 FA Bn accompanied the rest of the 1st Cavalry as occupation forces in Japan beginning on 8 September, 1945. The base camp for the 82nd FA was known as "Camp Whittington" near Kumagaya, Japan.
The Korean Conflict
In July of 1949, the 82nd FA Bn 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 Bn 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 FA Bn were instrumental in the defense of Waegwan and Taegu and the UN's defensive perimeter. As the war progressed, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) credited elements of the 82nd FA Bn with helping to save the Greek Expeditionary Force from annhilation. After the end of open hostilities the 82nd FA Bn left Korea for Camp Chitose, Japan, in December of 1951. The 82nd FA Bn remained in Japan until it was deactivated on 15 October 1957 and was relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division.
From Korea to Vietnam and Beyond
In early 1958, the old units of the 82nd FA Bn were reactivated again to form the 82nd Artillery Regt, 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 (Arty) Branch. This time three battalions of the 82nd Arty Regt served in Europe in separate commands. The 1st Missile Bn (Msl Bn), 82nd Arty was designated as an Honest John Rocket Bn (Nuclear capable), while the 2nd and 3rd Bns, 82nd Arty retained their guns with at least the 2nd being equipped with 280 mm cannons capable of firing nuclear rounds. The 1st Msl Bn, 82nd Arty was formed in Italy on 24 June, 1958. On 1 July, 1960, the 5th Bn, 82nd Arty (105 mm/155 mm Howitzers, Towed) was formed and assigned to duty with the 1st Cav Div in Korea. The 1st Msl Bn, 82nd Arty 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 Bn, 82nd Arty 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 LTC (Ret) Bill Barta, serving as Bn 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 LTC Paul Cothern Jr. the men of the 1st Bn, 82nd Arty 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 Ft Lewis, Washington, via commercial charter jets. Upon arriving in Vietnam, the 1st Bn was assigned the mission of providing General Support artillery for the 11th Infantry Brigade (Inf Bde) and 198th Inf Bde of the 23rd (Americal) Infantry Division (ID). Initially A Btry occupied Hill 54 on 5 August 1968. B Btry moved to LZ Gator on 8 August 1968, and C Btry became operational in the Duc Pho area with four guns on LZ Liz and two at LZ Thunder. D Btry later moved to LZ Dottie. At the same time, HHB and Service Battery began to occupy and build up its base camp at LZ 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 Bn 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 Btry on LZ Dottie on 23 August 1968. On 22 September 1968, D Btry was hit again, along with A Btry on Hill 54 and B Btry on LZ 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 (AO). This involved making numerous movements including its first aerial movements, to fire support bases (FSBs) throughout the entire Americal Division's AO in support of all three of the division's infantry brigades. At one point guns from the 1st Bn simultaneously occupied nine separate firing positions with the two farthest positions, C Btry on LZ Thunder and A Btry on LZ Sooner, being approximately 144 Kilometers apart.
1969 is marked by the defense of LZ Snoopy from sapper and mortar attacks by members of B Btry. In addition, on the night of 23 February 1969, the elements of the 1st Bn 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 Bn on LZs Gator, Cork and Dottie were themselves under rocket, mortar and sapper attacks.
In July of 1970, elements of the 1st Bn were deployed with other Americal units to support the 1st ARVN Division and several U.S. infantry elements at Kham Duc near the Laotian border. During this operation, the 1st Bn suffered some of its heaviest losses of the war. On the night of 5 August 1970, the enemy struck A Btry'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 NVA 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 Btry 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 Bn, 82nd FA 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 Bn, 82nd FA 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 Bn 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 ARVN incursion into Laos. During this time period D Btry was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (AIRMOBILE) to support their operations near Da Nang. During operations in the north, A Btry and HHB were deployed at LZ Vandegrift alongside QL 9 in support of the 1/77th Armor, 3/187 Inf and the 4/3 Inf in operations north of the QL 9 near the infamous "Rockpile". B Btry was sent by helicopter lift to LZ Sheppard near the Khe Sanh Combat Base, with one platoon soon moving to Vandegrift and later the rest of the Btry 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 Btry, 5th Bn, 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 LZ Elliot just south of the infamous "Rockpile" along QL 9.
During the 69 days of the operation, the guns of the 1st Bn 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 Bn. During the 69 days of the operation, the 1st Bn 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 Bn, 82nd FA was reactivated on 21 June 1975, with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. The soldiers of the 1st Bn 82nd FA were again deployed during the Gulf War. Additionally, members of the 1st Bn, 82nd FA have been deployed to several other areas of the world on a variety of missions including to Bosnia. Members of the 1st Bn, 82nd FA have also helped to help fight the western states wildfires in the summer of 2000.
Iraqi deployment in March 2004
In Iraq, soldiers of the 82nd FA 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, the 1-82 FA 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 FA are located on Camp Steel Dragon in the Green Zone. Many of the fire supporters are located in different camps. The 2-82 FA fire supporters attached within the Grey Wolf Brigade Combat Team are serving at 3d Brigade HQs, with TF 3-8 Cav, and with TF 1-9 Cav. TF 2-7 Cav 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 COL Lanza's 5th BCT and are located on Camp Falcon on the south side of Baghdad. The rest of the 2-82 FA soldiers, along with nearly 100 soldiers of B Company, 1-160 IN, belong to TF 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 approx $100,000.00 a piece and several others in smaller amounts.
In October 2004, 3rd BN,82d 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 TF 1-5 CAV and TF 2-12 CAV. The second platoon's composition was six M707 Striker HMMWVs belonging to the COLT platoon of D/9 CAV. The battery's existence proved to be vital during the Medhi's Army uprisings in April 2004 with the mechanized platoon filling the gaps in Black Jack's armor shortage. The second platoon ran counter IED and MSR security during this time. Fire supporters from F/3-82 FA were called upon in August 2004 to go with TF 1-5 CAV to retake the southern city of Najaf, with the rest of the battery relieving TF 1-5 CAV in AO Black Knight. In November 2004, Fox Battery soldiers were sent with TF 1-5 CAV and TF 2-12 CAV to provide outer cordon for operations in Fallujah. The battery then accompanied 3-82 FA to FOB Kalsu in December 2004 to run heavy counter-insurgency ops 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 BN, 82d Field Artillery with numerous Bronze Star, Army Commendation , and Purple Heart medals being awarded to almost everyone.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bns of the 82nd FA Regt Regiment are currently home based at Fort Hood, Texas, as part of the 1st Cavalry. In the history of the 82nd FA Regt, this is a continuation of a long association with the 1st Cavalry Division.
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