377th Field Artillery Regiment

The 377th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the regiment's 2nd Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment is assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

History
First activated on 16 August 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, as the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (377th PFAB), the 377th PFAB, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Weisberg, participated in the development of doctrine for the employment of Parachute Artillery. After training in the United States, the battalion sailed to England, arriving in Liverpool on 18 October 1943. During late 1943 and early 1944, the battalion participated in training in preparation for Operation Overlord.

On 6 June 1944, the 377th PFAB participated in Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion, parachuting onto Drop Zone A east of St. Mere Eglise in support of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. The drop went poorly, and the battalion lost 11 of its 12 75mm pack howitzers. The Paratroopers of the battalion fought as infantrymen until replacement howitzers arrived on 14 June 1944. The battalion executive officer, Major Louis H. Cotton, was wounded during the drop and had to be evacuated.

On 23 October 2013, 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, assigned to the 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA was inactivated as part of Army force reductions.

Lineage
Constituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 377th Field Artillery and assigned to the 101st Division (later redesignated as the 101st Airborne Division)

Organized in November 1921 with Headquarters at Green Bay, Wisconsin

Reorganized and redesignated 30 January 1942 as the 377th Field Artillery Battalion

Redesignated 15 August 1942 as the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion; concurrently, inactivated, withdrawn from the Organized Reserves, and allotted to the Army of the United States

Activated 16 August 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana

Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France

Redesignated (less Battery D) 18 June 1948 as the 515th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion (Battery D concurrently converted and redesignated as the Support Company, 506th Airborne Infantry - hereafter separate lineage)

Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army

Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky

Inactivated 15 April 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky

Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky

Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky

Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 377th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion

Relieved 25 April 1957 from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division; concurrently, reorganized and redesignated as the 377th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System

Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 377th Field Artillery

Withdrawn 15 January 1996 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System

Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 377th Field Artillery Regiment

Distinctive unit insignia
A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, an open parachute attached to a cannon flotant across a flash Or. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “FIRMITER ET FIDELITER” in Red letters. The scarlet of the shield is for Field Artillery. The floating parachute with the cannon attached is symbolic of airborne functions of the organization. The motto: Firmiter et Fideliter (Steadfastly and Faithfully) is expressive of the characteristics of the personnel in performance of their duties. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on 14 November 1942. It was redesignated for the 515th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 26 September 1951. It was redesignated for the 377th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 31 July 1956. On 26 February 1958, the insignia was redesignated for the 377th Artillery Regiment. The insignia was redesignated for the 377th Field Artillery Regiment on 25 January 1972.
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Coat of arms
Gules, an open parachute attached to a cannon flotant across a flash Or. On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, on a mound Vert a griffin, the lower (lion) part of the first and the upper (eagle) part including wings Argent, holding in dexter talons a trident bendwise sinister Azure, the tines impaling a fleur-de-lis of the first, the shaft terminating in an arrowhead of the fifth inflamed Tenné and the sinister talons resting on the top of a shield per pale Gules and of the firth within a border of the fourth. Motto FIRMITER ET FIDELITER (Steadfastly and Faithfully). The scarlet of the shield is for Field Artillery. The floating parachute with the cannon attached is symbolic of airborne functions of the organization. The griffin is a fabulous animal half eagle and half lion. The eagle alludes to the organization having served with the 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagle) Division in World War II and the lion to England, where it underwent training and from whence it “took off” for its air assault drops on Normandy and the Netherlands. The trident refers to “Operation Neptune” which launched the invasion of Normandy symbolized by the fleur-de-lis, an emblem of France, impaled on the tines, and alludes to the Normandy air drop. The arrowhead and orange flames (orange is the Netherlands’ national color) refers to the air drop on the Netherlands. The red and blue shield, suggested by the coat of arms of Bastogne, refers to the gallant defense of Bastogne, and has been “surrounded by” a border in allusion to the town being surrounded by the enemy and is white to simulate snow, the action having taken place during winter. The green mound refers to the Rhineland campaign and Southern Germany. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on 14 November 1942. It was redesignated for the 515th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 26 September 1951. It was redesignated for the 377th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 31 July 1956. On 26 February 1958, the insignia was redesignated for the 377th Artillery Regiment. It was amended to add a crest to the coat of arms on 16 November 1964. The insignia was redesignated for the 377th Field Artillery Regiment on 25 January 1972.
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Current configuration

 * 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th BCT (Abn), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, AK