82nd Airborne Division Artillery

World War I
The 157th Field Artillery Brigade was organized at Camp Gordon, GA, in September 1917. The initial commander was Colonel Earle Pearce. Originally composed of two direct-support 3-in/75mm regiments (320th and 321st) with a total of 48 gun in 12 firing batteries, a general support regiment with 24 6-in/155mm howitzers in 6 firing batteries, and a trench mortar battery with twelve 6-in mortars. The brigade trained on limited U.S. made pieces before deploying to Europe. On 20 February 1918, Brigadier General Charles D. Rhodes assumed command. The brigade sailed for Europe on 19 May 1918, arriving in Southampton, England on 31 May 1917, then moved to Le Havre, France, on 3 June 1918. On 4 June 1918, the brigade moved to La Courtine, France, for training. On 19 August 1918, the brigade moved to the Marbache sector in Lorraine, rejoined the 82nd Division and assumed command of the sector artillery on 22 August 1918. From 12–16 September, the brigade supported the St Mihiel offensive. After the St Mihiel operation stabilized on 17 September, the brigade moved to the rear with the division, serving in First Army reserve from 26 September to 2 October. On 3 October 1918, the brigade assembled with the division near Varennes-en-Argonne before re-entering the line. From 6–31 October 1918, the brigade supported the division during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. On 25 October 1918, Major General Rhodes (promoted on 14 October) departed, leaving Colonel Pearce in command. On 31 October 1918, the division was relieved and the brigade remained in support of the 80th Division until 6 November, before concentrating near Les Islettes on 10 November. On 3 November 1918, Brigadier General Daniel F. Craig assumed command from Colonel Pearce. The brigade trained in the Les Islettes Area (until 17 November) and then in the Ste-Menehould Area before rejoining the 82nd Division in Prauthoy on 17 December. On 9 February 1919, the 307th Trench Mortar Battery sailed from Brest for the United States, with the rest of the brigade following in May from Bordeaux. The brigade was demobilized at Camp Upton, NY, on 23 May 1919.

Cold War
From 1948 to 1957, the Division Artillery consisted of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery; a medical detachment; a 155mm towed howitzer battalion, the 98th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion; three 105mm towed howitzer battalions, the 319th, 376th and 456th Airborne Field Artillery Battalions; and the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion. Each battalion consisted of a headquarters and headquarters battery, three firing batteries, and the howitzer battalions also had a service battery. The Division Artillery could field 36 (later 54) 105mm howitzers (12/18 per battalion), 12/18 155mm howitzers, 24 40mm anti-aircraft guns and 24 .50-caliber machine guns.

Effective 1 September 1957, the Division Artillery reorganized under the pentomic or Reorganization of the Airborne Division (ROTAD) organization. To support each of the five new battle groups in the division, the division artillery had a separate batteries of five 105mm howitzers that reported directly to the division artillery without intermediate battalions. The division artillery’s five 105mm howitzer batteries were designated as Batteries A, B and C of the 319th Artillery and Batteries D and E of the 320th Artillery. When Battery C, 319th Artillery accompanied the 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry to Okinawa in 1960, Battery C, 320th Artillery was activated to replace it in the Division Artillery. To provide general support and nuclear fires, Battery B, 377th Artillery manned four Honest John (later Little John) rocket launchers. The pentomic Division Artillery, with only 25 105mm howitzers, was a significant reduction in combat power. Partly due to this lack of firepower, the pentomic organization lasted only until 1964.

Lineage
(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps)
 * Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Headquarters, 157th Field Artillery Brigade, and assigned to the 82d Division
 * Organized in September 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia
 * Demobilized 23 May 1919 at Camp Upton, New York
 * Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves and assigned to the 82d Division
 * Organized in January 1922 in the Fourth Corps Area
 * Redesignated 13 February 1942 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 82d Division Artillery
 * Ordered into active military service 25 March 1942 and reorganized at Camp Clairborne, Louisiana
 * Reorganized and redesignated 15 August 1942 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 82d Airborne Division Artillery
 * Withdrawn 15 November 1948 from the Organized Reserve Corps and allotted to the Regular Army

Campaign Participation Credit
World War I: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Lorraine 1918

World War II: Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy (with arrowhead); Rhineland (with arrowhead); Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Armed Forces Expeditions: Dominican Republic; Grenada

Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

Decorations
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for STE. MERE EGLISE

French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for STE. MERE EGLISE

French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for COTENTIN

French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere

Military Order of William (Degree of the Knight of the Fourth Class) for NIJMEGEN 1944

Netherlands Orange Lanyard

Belgian Fourragere 1940

Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the ARDENNES

Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM AND GERMANY

Distinctive Unit Insignia
Description/Blazon

A gold color metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height consisting of a gold Revolutionary cannon palewise, a red fleur-de-lis; around the base a red scroll with the motto "MASS THE FIRE" in gold letters.

Symbolism

Scarlet and yellow are used for Artillery. The representation of the Revolutionary War period cannon is symbolic of the functions of the Battery and the red fleur-de-lis is representative of the battle honors earned in France during World War I.

Background

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 82d Division Artillery on 12 October 1942. It was redesignated for the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 82d Airborne Division Artillery and amended to change the wording of the description and symbolism on 14 January 1966.