15th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)

The 15th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916.

History
The 15th Field Artillery (FA) Regiment was organized in Syracuse, New York on 1 June 1917. Assignment to the 2nd Infantry Division (2nd ID) followed on 21 September 1917, and earned them the unofficial nickname as the Indianheads. The coat of arms of the 15th FA contains a French 75mm howitzer with the Indianhead of the 2nd ID patch incised in the wheel. The 15th FA participated in six major campaigns during World War I and helped win the "War to end all Wars". By 1940, the 15th FA Regiment was reorganized as the 15th FA Battalion (Bn) and served in five major campaigns in the European Theater of Operations with the 2nd ID during World War II.

Following a short period of peace the Indianheads of the Fighting Fifteenth were called upon in 1950 to fight in Korea. The 15th FA Battalion participated in ten major campaigns during the Korean War while once again serving with the 2nd ID. 1LT Lee R. Hartell was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (Posthumously) for heroic actions with the 15th FA Battalion during the Korean War, while serving as a forward observer. Also, MSG Jimmie Holloway earned the Distinguished Service Cross (posthumous) in a separate combat action.

Major changes in the US Army in 1957, caused several redesignations to the 15th FA Bn: A Battery was redesignated as the 1st Howitzer (How) Bn, 15th Artillery (Arty); B Battery was redesignated as the 2nd How Bn, 15th Arty; C Battery as the 3rd How Bn, 15th Arty; D Battery as the 4th How Bn, 15th Arty; E Battery as the 5th How Bn, 15th Arty; F Battery as the 6th How Bn, 15th Arty; HHB as the 7th How Bn, 15th Arty, and HHB, 2nd Bn, 15th FA as the 8th Bn, 15th Arty.

In the 1960s, North Vietnam threatened to invade South Vietnam. Both the 6th Bn, 15th Arty and the 7th Bn, 15th Arty were deployed to South Vietnam in 1967. The 6/15th served in nine major campaigns from May 1967 to November 1969, while the 7/15th, served in 13 major campaigns from July 1967 to November 1971. The 7/15th was deactivated after the Vietnam War, having served throughout much of II Corps in places like Phu Cat, Pleiku, and An Khe, as well as various firebases throughout the Central Highlands. It was reactivated in the late 1980s to serve with the 7th Infantry Division, until it was once again deactivated The 1st Bn, 15th FA has served continuously with the 2nd ID at Camp Casey, Korea, from 1988 to the present defending the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. Simultaneously, the 2nd Bn, 15th FA serves as a direct support artillery battalion with the 10th Infantry Division (Mountain) at Fort Drum, New York.

Lineage
Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 15th Field Artillery

Organized 1 June 1917 at Syracuse, New York

Assigned 21 September 1917 to the 2d Division

Inactivated (less 2d Battalion) 31 October 1929 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; concurrently, relieved from assignment to the 2d Division and assigned to the 4th Division

Relieved 1 January 1930 from assignment to the 4th Division and assigned to the 2d Division (later redesignated as the 2d Infantry Division)

Activated (less 2d Battalion) 1 December 1934 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1940 as the 15th Field Artillery Battalion

Reorganized and redesignated 20 February 1956 as the 15th Armored Field Artillery Battalion

Relieved 20 June 1957 from assignment to the 2d Infantry Division; concurrently, reorganized and redesignated as the 15th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System

Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 15th Field Artillery

Withdrawn 16 June 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System

Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 15th Field Artillery Regiment

Distinctive unit insignia
A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/16 inches (2.70 cm) in height consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules five closets wavy Argent, on a canton Or a bend sinister of the field.
 * Description

The regiment was organized in 1917 by transfer of men from the 4th Field Artillery. The old regiment is indicated by the canton. It was part of the Second Division overseas and took part in the heaviest of fighting. The extent of the operations is indicated by the five wavy bars on the shield representing the four historic French rivers, the Aisne, Marne, Meuse and finally the Rhine, which the regiment crossed.
 * Symbolism

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 15th Field Artillery Regiment on 14 September 1922. It was amended to correct the wear policy on 9 November 1926. It was further amended to correct the description on 9 November 1928. It was redesignated for the 15th Field Artillery Battalion on 20 October 1950. It was redesignated for the 15th Artillery Regiment on 10 February 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 15th Field Artillery Regiment.
 * Background

Coat of arms

 * Blazon
 * Shield- Gules five closets wavy Argent, on a Canton or a Bend Sinister of the field.
 * Crest- On a wreath of the colors a French 75mm Field gun the wheel charged with the shoulder insignia of the regiment (a vertical black oblong with the white star and Indian head of the Second Division) all proper.
 * Motto- "Allons!" - "Lets Go!


 * Symbolism
 * Shield- The regiment was organized in 1917 by transfer of men from the 4th Field Artillery. The old regiment is indicated by the canton. It was part of the Second Division overseas and took part in the heaviest of fighting. The extent of the operations is indicated by the five wavy bars on the shield representing the four historic French rivers, the Aisne, Marne, Meuse, Moselle and finally the Rhine, which the regiment crossed.
 * Crest- The crest symbolizes the regiment’s service in World War I as an artillery unit known as the "Indianheads of the Fighting Fifteenth" in the Second Division later known as the 2nd Infantry Division.


 * Background- The coat of arms was originally approved for the 15th Field Artillery Regiment on 21 January 1922. It was redesignated for the 15th Field Artillery Battalion on 20 October 1950. It was redesignated for the 15th Artillery Regiment on 10 February 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 15th Field Artillery Regiment.

Current configuration

 * 1st Battalion 15th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
 * 2nd Battalion 15th Field Artillery Regiment
 * 3rd Battalion 15th Field Artillery Regiment
 * 4th Battalion 15th Field Artillery Regiment
 * 5th Battalion 15th Field Artillery Regiment
 * 6th Battalion 15th Field Artillery (United States)

Campaign participation credit
World War I: Aisne; Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Lorraine 1918; Ile de France 1918

World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953

Vietnam: Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII; Consolidation I; Consolidation II; Cease-Fire

War on Terrorism: Campaigns to be determined

Decorations
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered HONGCHON

Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered MAHMUDIYAH, IRAQ

Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered FLORIDA 1962-1963

Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968-1969

Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2004-2005

French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I, Streamer embroidered AISNE-MARNE

French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I, Streamer embroidered MEUSE-ARGONNE

French Croix de Guerre, World War I, Fourragere

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 at Elsenborn Crest

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered NAKTONG RIVER LINE

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1950-1953