157th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)

The 157th Field Artillery Regiment has been both an infantry and field artillery regiment of the Army National Guard. The regiment was first constituted in 1917 from the 1st Colorado Infantry.

The regiment was an infantry regiment as part of the 40th Infantry Division in World War I.

It was an infantry regiment in the 45th Infantry Division during and after World War II. In 1950 it was removed from the 45th and after the Korean War assigned to the artillery. During the Cold War of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the regiment operated the M110 howitzer. The retirement of the M110 system left many National Guard units without a mission. Some units received the MLRS system, and later the HIMARS system. Other units have had a number of different missions thrust upon them as commanders try to keep the units alive under budget cuts and reorganization.

Currently the regiment may have up to four battalions:
 * 1st Battalion (Infantry)
 * 2nd Battalion
 * 3rd Battalion (HIMARS)
 * 4th Battalion

Lineage
Constituted 8-February 1879 in the Colorado National Guard as the 1st Infantry Battalion.
 * Organized 29-December 1881 With Headquarters in Denver

Expanded and redesignated 22-March 1883 as the 1st Regiment Infantry
 * Reduced and redesignated 2-April 1889 as the 1st Infantry Battalion

Expanded and redesignated 15-April 1893 as the 1st Infantry Regiment. (not to be confused with the regular army 1st Infantry Regiment)
 * Consolidated with the 2nd Infantry Regiment (organized 27-may 1887) and mustered into Federal service 1–8 May 1898 at Denver as the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry

Mustered out of Federal Service 8-September 1899 at San Francisco, CA. and reverted to state status as the 1st Infantry Regiment.
 * Expanded in 1900 as the 1st and 2nd Infantry.

1st and 2nd Infantry consolidated 15-June 1916 and designated as the 1st Infantry.
 * Two battalions mustered into federal service 26-june to 29-july 1916 for service on the Mexican border as the 1st and 2nd separate battalions Colorado Infantry.

Entire Regiment drafted into federal service 5-August 1917
 * Reorganized and redesignated 24-September 1917 as the 157th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division.

Consolidated 13 October 1917 with the 1st Colorado Cavalry (organized in 1880) and consolidated unit designated as the 157th Infantry. Demobilized 29 April 1919 at Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming)
 * Former Infantry elements reorganized and redesignated 28 February 1921 in the Colorado National Guard as the 177th Infantry with headquarters federally recognized 26 October 1921 at Denver.

Redesignated 16-November 1921 as the 157th Infantry, an element of the 45th Division. subsequently the 45th Infantry Division.
 * Inducted into federal service 16-September 1940 at home stations.

Inactivated 3-December 1945 at Camp Bowie Texas.
 * Relieved 10-May 1946 from assignment to the 45th infantry Division.

Reorganized and federally recognized 8-January 1947 with headquarters at Buckley Field (Buckley Air Force Base)
 * Location of headquarters changed 3-sept 1947 to Denver.

Regiment broken up 1-August 1955 and elements converted and redesignated as follows; 144th Field Artillery Battalion consolidated 1-February 1959 with the 168th Field Artillery Battalion (See ANNEX 1), the 183rd Field Artillery Battalion, and the 188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, and reorganized and redesignated as the 157th Artillery, a parent Regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Howitzer Battalions.
 * Headquarters and the 1st Battalion as the 144th Field Artillery Battalion.
 * (Headquarters company as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 169th Field Artillery Group;
 * headquarters and headquarters company, 2nd Battalion and Companies E, K, and L as headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Service Battery, and Batteries A, and B, 142nd Field Artillery Battalion;
 * Companies F, and H as Batteries A, and B 137th Field Artillery Battalion;
 * Company G as Battery B 168th Field Artillery Battalion;
 * Headquarters and Headquarters Company 3rd Battalion, Company M, Medical Company, and Tank Company as Service Battery, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and Batteries C, and B, 183rd Field Artillery Battalion;
 * Company I, and Service Company as Service Battery B 169th Field Artillery Battalion;
 * Heavy Mortar Company as Battery A, 188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
 * reorganized 1 January 1968 to consist of 1st, and 2nd Battalions.

Redesignated 1 March 1972 as the 157th Field Artillery.

Distinctive unit insignia
The distinctive unit insignia (DUI) was originally approved for the 157th Infantry Regiment on 12 June 1924. It was subsequently redesignated for the 144th Field Artillery Battalion of the Colorado National Guard on 1 May 1956. The insignia was redesignated for the 157th Artillery Regiment of the Colorado National Guard on 23 March 1961 and then redesignated for the 157th Field Artillery Regiment, Colorado Army National Guard on 28 August 1972.

The DUI is a gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess embattled Gules and Or in chief two wigwams of the second garnished of the first and in base a sea lion brandishing a sword in dexter paw of the last. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Blue scroll inscribed "EAGER FOR DUTY" in Gold letters.

The shield is scarlet and yellow which are the Spanish colors; the parting line embattled in recollection of fortifications. The sea lion of the Philippines recalls that the fortification was the walled city of Manila. The two wigwams recall the Indian service in the frontier days.

Campaign participation credit

 * War with Spain;
 * Manila
 * Philippine Insurrection;
 * Manila
 * Luzon 1899
 * World War I;
 * Champagne 1918
 * Champagne-Marne
 * St. Mihiel
 * Meuse-Argonne
 * World War II;
 * Sicily (with Arrowhead)
 * Naples-Foggia (with Arrowhead)
 * Anzio
 * Rome-Arno
 * Southern France (with Arrowhead)
 * Rhineland
 * Ardennes-Alsace
 * Central Europe

All of the above WW II Campaign credits were earned as the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division.

Decorations

 * French Croix de Guerre with Palm, WWII, Streamer embroidered ITALY
 * Headquarters Battery 2nd Bn. additionally entitled to;
 * WWII-AP
 * Headquarters Battery, 1st Bn. and Service Battery 1st Bn. entitled to Presidential Unit Citation (Army) Streamer embroidered ANZIO

Medal of Honor recipients

 * Edward G. Wilkin
 * James D. Slaton
 * Van T. Barfoot
 * Almond E. Fisher