PROCLAMATION
3rd
Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Unit History
The 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery was constituted July 1, 1916 in
the Regular Army as Battery C, 18th Field Artillery and organized June
1, 1917 at Fort Bliss, Texas. On November 12, 1917, the Battalion
was attached to the 3rd Division and deployed to France to fight
along-side the Allied Forces against the Germans. The Battalion
distinguished itself during World War I earning the French Croix De
Guerre with Gilt Star on the battle streamers for the Champagne Marne
and Aisne-Marne campaigns and was instrumental in helping to defeat the
Germans during the all out frontal assault known as the "Ludendorff
Offensive." After the German surrender, the Battalion served a
short tour of occupation duty and redeployed the the United States.
During World War II, the 18th Field Artillery sailed to Europe and
Fought in the Ardennes, Northern France, the Rhineland and Central
Europe. The Battalion served as a part of General George S.
Patton's 3rd Army as he marched across France and toward the German
border. In December 1944 the Battalion provided crucial close
fires in support of the relief effort of III Corps as it fought to
Liberate the surrounded 101th Airborne Division at Bastogne, Belgium in
the Battle of the Bulge. After shattering the 5th Panzer Army's
tanks and troops, the Battalion followed the 3rd Army's dash through the
German Westwall, over the Rhine, past Frankfurt and to the
Czechoslovakian border. At the end of World War II, the Battalion
served a brief tour as part of the Army of Occupation and returned to
the United States where it was inactivated on March 3, 1946 at Camp
Kilmer, New Jersey. The Battalion was then reactivated August 1,
1946 here at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
After 22 years of re-designations, reorganizations, and reassignments,
the Battalion again answered to the Nation's call in 1965 when it
deployed to Vietnam. The Battalion served in Vietnam from 1965
until 1971, and earned several unit citations and commendations for its
action in Chu Lai and Quang Ngai provinces, as well as during the TET
Offensive in 1968 and the counteroffensive in 1969. After
supporting many different units and operation, the Battalion again stood
down and returned to the United States in 1971 to begin a 20 year rest
from the rigors of combat.
The
Battalion was ordered to deactivate in April 1989. However, in
August of 1990, as the Battalion was preparing for drawdown and
deactivation, Saddam Hussain of Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait.
The 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery, once again answered the call to
arms as they were deployed to Saudi Arabia in November 1990. The
Battalion was attached to the 3rd Armored Cavalry regiment and in
February 1991, when the Desert Shield transitioned to Desert Storm, the
Battalion provided direct support in support of 3rd Armored Cavalry
Regiments flanking attack toward Al-Basrah. When the Gulf War
ended, the Battalion returned to Fort Sill where it has remained since.
In
February of 1997, the Battalion received the M109A6 Paladin Howitzer,
and was certified as a Paladin Battalion after successfully completing
the New Equipment Training and conducting a successful Battalion Annual
External Evaluation in June 1997. The 3rd Battalion, 19th Field
Artillery stands before you today ready to deploy, fight and win on any
battlefield if the call of arms is once again sounded.
Source:
The Fort Sill
Historical Archives |