1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
United States Army Coast Artillery Corps
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The U. S. Army Coast Artillery Corps was a corps level organization responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery during World War I, as early as 1882 the need for heavy fixed artillery for seacoast defense was noted in Chester A. In 1885 the Endicott Board was convened under the subsequent Grover Cleveland administration and this board recommended a large-scale program of harbor defenses at 29 ports, including guns, mortars, and mine fields. Most of their recommendations were implemented and new defenses were constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers 1895-1905, as the defenses were constructed, each harbor or rivers installations were controlled by Artillery Districts, renamed Coast Defense Commands in 1913 and Harbor Defense Commands in 1925. An extensive fire control system was developed and provided for the forts of each Coast Artillery District, Army leaders realized that heavy fixed artillery required different training programs and tactics than mobile field artillery. Prior to 1901 each of the seven artillery regiments contained both heavy and light artillery batteries, in February 1901 the Artillery Corps was divided into two types, field artillery and coast artillery. The previous seven artillery regiments were dissolved, and 30 numbered companies of artillery and 126 numbered companies of coast artillery were authorized. 82 existing heavy artillery batteries were designated as coast artillery companies, the company-based organization was for flexibility, as each harbor defense command was differently equipped and a task-based organization was needed. The Coast Artillery would alternate between small unit and regimental organization several times over its history, the head of the Artillery Corps became the Chief of Artillery in the rank of brigadier general with jurisdiction over both types of artillery. The Coast Artillery became responsible for the installation and operation of the mine fields that were planted to be under observation, fired electrically. The mine component was considered to be among the armament of coastal defense works. In 1905, after the experiences of the Spanish–American War, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a new board on fortifications and they updated some standards and reviewed the progress of the Endicott boards program. Most of the changes recommended by this board were technical, such as adding more searchlights, electrification, the board also recommended fortifications in territories acquired from Spain, Cuba and the Philippines, as well as Hawaii and a few other sites. Defenses in Panama were authorized by the Spooner Act of 1902, due to rapid development of the dreadnought battleship type, a new 14-inch gun was introduced in a few locations, primarily Los Angeles, the Philippines, and Panama. The Taft program fortifications differed slightly in construction and had fewer numbers of guns at a given location than those of the Endicott program. By the beginning of World War I, the United States had a defense system that was equal to any other nation. The rapidity of technological advances and changing techniques increasingly separated coastal defenses from field artillery, officers were rarely qualified to command both, requiring specialization. National Guard coast artillery units were formed by the states to attempt to bring the CAC up to strength in wartime
3.
Fort Adams
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Its first commander was Captain John Henry, who was later instrumental in starting the War of 1812. The current Fort Adams was built 1824–1857 under the Third System of coastal forts, today, the fort is part of Fort Adams State Park. The first Fort Adams was designed by Major Louis de Tousard of the Army Corps of Engineers as part of the first system of US fortifications. After some additions in 1809, this fort mounted 17 cannon and was garrisoned during the War of 1812 by Woods State Corps of Rhode Island militiamen. The Secretary of Wars report for December 1811 describes the fort as a star fort of masonry, with an irregular indented work of masonry adjoining it. The barracks are of wood and bricks, for one company, after the War of 1812, there was a thorough review of the nations fortification needs and it was decided to replace the older Fort Adams with a newer and much larger fort. This was part of what became known as the system of US fortifications. The new fort was designed by Brigadier General Simon Bernard, a Frenchman who had served as an engineer under Napoleon. Bernard designed the new Fort Adams in the style and it became the most complex fortification in the Western Hemisphere. It included a tenaille and crownwork, an outer work on the southern side, designed to break up. In the US, it is rivaled in size only by Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, construction of the new fort began in 1824 and continued at irregular intervals until 1857. From 1825 to 1838 construction was overseen by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Gilbert Totten, in 1838 Totten became Chief of Engineers and served until his death in 1864. The new Fort Adams was first garrisoned in August 1841, functioning as an active Army post until 1950, during this time the fort was active in five major wars but never fired a shot in anger. At the start of the Mexican–American War the post was commanded by Benjamin Kendrick Pierce, the forts redoubt, about 1/4 mile south of the main fort, was built during this war. From 1848 to 1853, Fort Adams was commanded by Colonel William Gates, a long serving veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. The forts garrison was ordered to California and many of the soldiers lost their lives when the steamer SS San Francisco was wrecked, in a report of 1854 Fort Adams was armed with 100 32-pounder seacoast guns,57 24-pounder seacoast guns, and 43 24-pounder flank howitzers. The flank howitzers were short-barreled guns deployed in casemates in the tenaille to protect the fort against a landward assault, in September 1861, the academy moved to the Atlantic House Hotel in Newport and remained there for the rest of the war. Among the midshipmen assigned to the Naval Academy while it was at Fort Adams was Robley D, in 1862 Fort Adams became the headquarters and recruit depot for the 15th Infantry Regiment
4.
Oozlefinch
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The Oozlefinch is the unofficial historic mascot of the Air Defense Artillery – and formerly of the U. S. Army Coast Artillery Corps. The Oozlefinch is portrayed as a bird that flies backwards and carries weapons of the Air Defense and Coast Artillery. Oozlefinch has been portrayed in different forms and artistic interpretations through its history. There are many legends about the origins of the oozlefinch, most agree that the legend of began in 1905 at Ft. Monroe, Virginia, then home of the Coast Artillery Corps. A Captain H. M. Merriam, no doubt under the effects of alcohol, soon more people would report seeing this bird and soon even sketches were made. Eventually the legend of this bird would become so great that even a statue was erected at the club in its honor, the Oozlefinch was used on the patch of Railway Artillery Reserve during World War I, In some descriptions, this bird is instead a pelican. The DUI of the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade later included Oozlefinch, describing the insignia thus, On a wreath of the colors an oozlefinch Vert, the Oozlefinchs eyes are very large, allowing it to see very distant and very clearly in the sky. Its vision is unobstructed by eyelids or eyebrows, and the eyes are said to be able to turn 180 degrees so the Oozlefinch can look inward, symbolizing the need of a good leader for inward reflection. Gules and Sable, The color of the shield is red and black-red for the Artillery, in honor, a deuce spot of dice, lozenged. Proper, The honor point of the shield was given to the lowest marked dice, as it was the one which most frequently appeared to some members, the law of probabilities to the contrary notwithstanding. In nombril a gridiron sable, the half of the shield given over to the memory of those who did not belong to the Gridiron Club. The wavy bar, over which the terrapin is passing, represents the adjacent waters of Chesapeake Bay, Oozlefinch Roosts at ADA Museum Coast Defense Study Group
5.
War of 1812
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Historians in the United States and Canada see it as a war in its own right, but the British often see it as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars. By the wars end in early 1815, the key issues had been resolved, the view was shared in much of New England and for that reason the war was widely referred to there as Mr. Madison’s War. As a result, the primary British war goal was to defend their North American colonies, the war was fought in three theatres. Second, land and naval battles were fought on the U. S. –Canadian frontier, Third, large-scale battles were fought in the Southern United States and Gulf Coast. With the majority of its land and naval forces tied down in Europe fighting the Napoleonic Wars, early victories over poorly-led U. S. armies demonstrated that the conquest of the Canadas would prove more difficult than anticipated. Despite this, the U. S. was able to inflict serious defeats on Britains Native American allies, both governments were eager for a return to normality and peace negotiations began in Ghent in August 1814. This brought an Era of Good Feelings in which partisan animosity nearly vanished in the face of strengthened American nationalism, the war was also a major turning point in the development of the U. S. military, with militia being increasingly replaced by a more professional force. The U. S. also acquired permanent ownership of Spains Mobile District, the government of Canada declared a three-year commemoration of the War of 1812 in 2012, intended to offer historical lessons and celebrate 200 years of peace across the border. At the conclusion of the commemorations in 2014, a new national War of 1812 Monument was unveiled in Ottawa. The war is remembered in Britain primarily as a footnote in the much larger Napoleonic Wars occurring in Europe, historians have long debated the relative weight of the multiple reasons underlying the origins of the War of 1812. This section summarizes several contributing factors which resulted in the declaration of war by the United States, as Risjord notes, a powerful motivation for the Americans was the desire to uphold national honour in the face of what they considered to be British insults such as the Chesapeake–Leopard Affair. The approaching conflict was about violations of American rights, but it was also vindication of American identity. Americans at the time and historians since often called it the United States Second War of Independence, in 1807, Britain introduced a series of trade restrictions via a series of Orders in Council to impede neutral trade with France, with which Britain was at war. The United States contested these restrictions as illegal under international law, the American merchant marine had come close to doubling between 1802 and 1810, making it by far the largest neutral fleet. Britain was the largest trading partner, receiving 80% of U. S. cotton, the British public and press were resentful of the growing mercantile and commercial competition. The United States view was that Britains restrictions violated its right to trade with others, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy expanded to 176 ships of the line and 600 ships overall, requiring 140,000 sailors to man. The United States believed that British deserters had a right to become U. S. citizens and this meant that in addition to recovering naval deserters, it considered any United States citizens who were born British liable for impressment. Aggravating the situation was the reluctance of the United States to issue formal naturalization papers and it was estimated by the Admiralty that there were 11,000 naturalized sailors on United States ships in 1805
6.
American Civil War
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The American Civil War was an internal conflict fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865. The Union faced secessionists in eleven Southern states grouped together as the Confederate States of America, the Union won the war, which remains the bloodiest in U. S. history. Among the 34 U. S. states in February 1861, War broke out in April 1861 when Confederates attacked the U. S. fortress of Fort Sumter. The Confederacy grew to eleven states, it claimed two more states, the Indian Territory, and the southern portions of the western territories of Arizona. The Confederacy was never recognized by the United States government nor by any foreign country. The states that remained loyal, including border states where slavery was legal, were known as the Union or the North, the war ended with the surrender of all the Confederate armies and the dissolution of the Confederate government in the spring of 1865. The war had its origin in the issue of slavery. The Confederacy collapsed and 4 million slaves were freed, but before his inauguration, seven slave states with cotton-based economies formed the Confederacy. The first six to declare secession had the highest proportions of slaves in their populations, the first seven with state legislatures to resolve for secession included split majorities for unionists Douglas and Bell in Georgia with 51% and Louisiana with 55%. Alabama had voted 46% for those unionists, Mississippi with 40%, Florida with 38%, Texas with 25%, of these, only Texas held a referendum on secession. Eight remaining slave states continued to reject calls for secession, outgoing Democratic President James Buchanan and the incoming Republicans rejected secession as illegal. Lincolns March 4,1861 inaugural address declared that his administration would not initiate a civil war, speaking directly to the Southern States, he reaffirmed, I have no purpose, directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the United States where it exists. I believe I have no right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. After Confederate forces seized numerous federal forts within territory claimed by the Confederacy, efforts at compromise failed, the Confederates assumed that European countries were so dependent on King Cotton that they would intervene, but none did, and none recognized the new Confederate States of America. Hostilities began on April 12,1861, when Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter, while in the Western Theater the Union made significant permanent gains, in the Eastern Theater, the battle was inconclusive in 1861–62. The autumn 1862 Confederate campaigns into Maryland and Kentucky failed, dissuading British intervention, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which made ending slavery a war goal. To the west, by summer 1862 the Union destroyed the Confederate river navy, then much of their western armies, the 1863 Union siege of Vicksburg split the Confederacy in two at the Mississippi River. In 1863, Robert E. Lees Confederate incursion north ended at the Battle of Gettysburg, Western successes led to Ulysses S. Grants command of all Union armies in 1864
7.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
8.
Rhode Island
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Rhode Island, officially the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Rhode Island is the smallest in area, the eighth least populous, and its official name is also the longest of any state in the Union. Rhode Island is bordered by Connecticut to the west, Massachusetts to the north and east, the state also shares a short maritime border with New York. It boycotted the 1787 convention that drew up the United States Constitution, on May 29,1790, Rhode Island became the 13th and last state to ratify the Constitution. Rhode Islands official nickname is The Ocean State, a reference to the fact that the state has several large bays, Rhode Island covers 1,214 square miles, of which 1,045 square miles are land. Despite its name, most of Rhode Island is located on the mainland of the United States, the official name of the state is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which is derived from the merger of four settlements. Rhode Island is now commonly called Aquidneck Island, the largest of several islands in Narragansett Bay, Providence Plantation was the name of the colony founded by Roger Williams in the area now known as the city of Providence. This was adjoined by the settlement of Warwick, hence the plural Providence Plantations and it is unclear how Aquidneck Island came to be known as Rhode Island, although there are two popular theories. Explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano noted the presence of an island near the mouth of Narragansett Bay in 1524, subsequent European explorers were unable to precisely identify the island that Verrazzano had named, but the Pilgrims who later colonized the area assumed that it was Aquidneck. A second theory concerns the fact that Adriaen Block passed by Aquidneck during his expeditions in the 1610s, historians have theorized that this reddish appearance resulted from either red autumn foliage or red clay on portions of the shore. The earliest documented use of the name Rhode Island for Aquidneck was in 1637 by Roger Williams, the name was officially applied to the island in 1644 with these words, Aquethneck shall be henceforth called the Isle of Rodes or Rhode-Island. The name Isle of Rodes is used in a document as late as 1646. Dutch maps as early as 1659 call the island Red Island, Williams was a theologian forced out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Seeking religious and political tolerance, he and others founded Providence Plantation as a proprietary colony. Providence referred to the concept of providence, and plantation was an English term for a colony. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the longest official name of any state in the Union, advocates for excising plantation asserted that the word specifically referred to the British colonial practice of establishing settlements which disenfranchised native people. Advocates for retaining the name argued that plantation was simply an archaic English synonym for colony, the referendum election was held on November 2,2010, and the people voted overwhelmingly to retain the entire original name. It shares a maritime border with New York State between Block Island and Long Island
9.
Rhode Island Army National Guard
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The Rhode Island Army National Guard is the land force militia for the U. S. state of Rhode Island. It operates under Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code, units of the Rhode Island Army National Guard may be called up for federal service by act of Congress. If federally activated, units operate as part of the Army National Guard of the United States, the Rhode Island Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard and is maintained by the National Guard Bureau. Members and units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army, the same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards in addition to state awards. Note - Most of the information in this section is taken from Civil and Military List of Rhode Island, 1647-1800 by Joseph Jencks Smith published in 1900. The Rhode Island National Guard traces it origins to the earliest known colonial defensive force which was formed on May 13,1638, and called the Traine Band, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The new force was founded as, “Freemen as a subject to call and expected to perform certain military duties in the protection of the people. ”During the Colonial era. Each town had at least one militia company commanded by a captain or a lieutenant, in May 1673 future governor John Cranston was appointed captain in chief of the Colony Military Force. In 1675 Cranston was promoted to major, in 1683 the town companies were organized into two regiments - the Regiment of the Islands and the Regiment of the Main. Each regiment originally was commanded by a major and the two majors presumably reported directly to the governor, in 1714 the Militia of the Island was designated the 1st Regiment and the Militia of the Main Land was designated the 2nd Regiment. The 1st Regiment consisted of six companies and the 2nd Regiment had nine companies, the number of companies in each town varied with its population with Newport and Providence having three apiece. In 1719 the rank of the commanders was increased to colonel. In 1731, a regiment was formed for each of the three then existing counties - Newport, Providence and Kings which were designed the 1st, 2nd, the Newport County regiment had six companies, Providence County had 13 companies and Kings County had 9 companies. The Rhode Island Militia undertook its first military actions against England on July 19,1769, three years later, on the night of June 10,1772, now under Captain Abraham Whipples command, the militia seized and burned the British schooner HMS Gaspée in Narragansett Bay. Major General James Mitchell Varnum was also involved in the war effort, over twenty Rhode Island units had fought for independence including the First Rhode Island Continentals who stood at Yorktown for the surrender of British General Cornwallis. After the war, the militia reorganized into five brigades, the Bristol County, the Kent County, the Newport County, the Providence County, several militia units were mobilized to defend Rhode Island against possible British attack during the War of 1812. Additionally, the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery was mobilized as the 1st Rhode Island Battery, the 1st Rhode Island fought at the Battle of Bull Run, under command of Major Joseph Pope Balch who succeeded to command after Burnside was promoted to brigadier general. The 1st Rhode Island discharged, along with the 1st Battery, during the Spanish–American War, a regiment consisting of three battalions of four companies each was mobilized and called the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry
10.
Fort Wetherill
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Fort Wetherill is a former coast artillery fort that occupies the southern portion of the eastern tip of Conanicut Island, located in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The fort sits atop high granite cliffs, overlooking the entrance to Narragansett Bay, Fort Dumpling, dating from the American Revolutionary War, used to occupy a small site until it was built over by Fort Wetherill. The fort was deactivated and turned over to the State of Rhode Island after World War II and is now operated as Fort Wetherill State Park, the park is managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. In 1776, an 8-gun earthwork fortification was constructed by forces at the site of Dumpling Rock. This old fort was occupied by American, British, and French forces for various periods of time during the Revolutionary War, the patriots called it the Dumpling Rock Battery, the British called it Fort Dumpling Rock. The British abandoned the fort at Dumpling Rock in 1779 when they evacuated Newport, after this it was called Fort Conanicut. In 1798, construction was started on a permanent fortification at Dumpling Rock under the supervision of Major Louis Tousard of the Army Corps of Engineers and this fort was officially called Fort Louis and, later, Fort Brown, but it was commonly called Fort Dumpling throughout its existence. Fort Dumpling was in the form of a stone tower and was frequently used as an artistic motif. The fort was mentioned in the Secretary of Wars report on fortifications for December 1811 as being at the Dumplins and is described as a tower of stone. With a small expense, there can be mounted six or eight heavy guns, in 1899, the U. S. government purchased additional land during the Endicott period of coastal fortification, and built Fort Wetherill at the site of Fort Dumpling. Fort Wetherill was the largest fort of the Coast Defenses of Narragansett Bay and it was named for Captain Alexander Macomb Wetherill, a Jamestown native who was killed in action during the Battle of San Juan Hill. Fort Dumpling was destroyed in the process of building the new fort, in 1901, Battery Varnum was the first modern battery to be completed, mounting two 12-inch guns on barbette carriages and situated in the far southeast corner of the fort. By 1910, the six batteries in the forts pre-World War II arsenal had been brought into service. Several of these batteries are now overgrown with brush, but they offer what is perhaps the longest linear concrete gun line in the coast defenses of New England, during World War I, the fort was garrisoned by five companies of the Rhode Island National Guard. After the war, Fort Wetherill reverted to caretaker status, with only a single Coast Artillery sergeant assigned to watch over it, the 10th Coast Artillery Regiment of the Regular Army also garrisoned forts in Rhode Island 1924-45. The fort also functioned in the year before World War II as a training facility. However, the big guns of the Endicott era were mostly scrapped by 1943, as Fort Wetherill was superseded by new defenses centered on Fort Greene and Fort Church. In 1946, the U. S. military ceased operations at Fort Wetherill, the State of Rhode Island officially acquired the fort on 16 August 1972 and reconfigured the site for public use as a state park
11.
Ordnance sergeant
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Ordnance sergeant was an enlisted rank in the U. S. Army for the latter two thirds of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The Confederate States Army also had ordnance sergeant position during its existence, Ordnance sergeants were assigned to deal with weapons and ammunition. In both armies the rank insignia consisted of three inverted chevrons with a 5-pointed star above it, the United States Congress authorized ordnance sergeants in 1832. There were 44 of them on duty by 1833, Ordnance sergeant was eliminated as a rank by War Department Circular No.303 on 5 August 1920. The top twenty-five percent of the sergeants were converted to master sergeants. Provisions of the United States Army Regulations of 1861 affected ordnance sergeants, the Secretary of War selected ordnance sergeants from the sergeants of the line of the Army. A nominee had to be recommended by his chain of command, nominees must have served eight years, of which four had to be as non-commissioned officer. The number of ordnance sergeants could not exceed one per military post, an ordnance sergeant ranked below a quartermaster sergeant of a regiment and above a first sergeant. An ordnance sergeant was responsible for the care of the ordnance, arms, ammunition, paragraph 134, Ordnance Sergeants will be assigned to posts when appointed, and are not to be transferred to other stations except by orders from the Adjutant-Generals office. Paragraph 138, When a non-commissioned officer receives the appointment of Ordnance Sergeant, paragraph 142, Ordnance Sergeants are to be considered as belonging to the non-commissioned staff of the post, under the orders of the commanding officer. Paragraph 895, Ordnance sergeants who were convicted by courts martial could be discharged, ten of the fifteen members of the Ordnance Corps who have been awarded Medals of Honor served as ordnance sergeants at some point in their careers. During the entire war the Confederate Ordnance Bureau was commanded by Colonel Josiah Gorgas. The arms and accouterments of the sick and disabled of the regiment will be turned over to and he will exercise supervision over the arms and ammunition in the hands of the men, and report any waste or damage to the division ordnance officer through the colonel of the regiment. The Chief of Ordnance specified the following Duties of Ordnance Sergeants,1, to obey the direction of the division ordnance officer of the brigade ordnance officer in all relative to care and preservation of arms and duties connected therewith. To take charge of all supplies, arms, and ammunition of the regiment, issues to be made on written requisitions approved by the colonel or commanding officer of the regiment, which requisitions are to be filed with his Return of property. Provisions of the General Order 46, dated 1 July 1862 included,3. Ordnance-sergeants of regiments will be subject to,4. Since the act of April 19,1862, providing an ordnance-sergeant to each regiment, the acting appointees, authorized under General Orders, No. 24, current series, and made by colonels of regiments, General Order 59 dated 12 May 1863 revoked the responsibility of ordnance sergeants to render reports to the ordnance bureau and transferred that responsibility to regimental commanders. Photography of an Ordnance sergeant at the U. S. Army Quartermaster Museum Rank conversion Katcher, archived from the original on 25 October 2009
12.
Fort Rodman
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Fort Taber District or the Fort at Clarks Point is a historic American Civil War-era military fort on Wharf Road within the former Fort Rodman Military Reservation in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The fort is now part of Fort Taber Park, a 47-acre town park located at Clarks Point, Fort Taber was an earthwork built nearby with city resources and garrisoned 1861-1863 until Fort Rodman was ready for service. After the Civil War began in April 1861, it was apparent that the Fort at Clarks Point was still years from completion, Fort Taber, a small earthwork with six cannon, was built nearby with city resources and named after New Bedfords mayor during that period. It provided a temporary defense until the fort was garrisoned in 1863. Fort Taber is marked by a stone outline today, directly behind the stone fort and it was noted at the time that the stone forts presence interfered with effective fire from Fort Taber, and a battery of field artillery was emplaced east of Fort Taber. The Fort Taber name was used to refer to the Fort at Clarks Point for many years, even by the garrison in letters home. The fort, as built, had emplacements for 72 cannon in three tiers, a fourth tier was originally planned, but this was removed from the design to more timely completion. Construction was halted in 1871, and the fort as planned was never completed, the fort is awaiting restoration and is not open to the public. With new batteries being constructed under the Endicott program in 1898 and it was the primary fort of the Coast Defenses of New Bedford. Along with gun batteries, facilities for planting and controlling an underwater minefield were built, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Endicott period batteries at Fort Rodman were built 1898-1902, with other batteries added later as follows, Battery Barton was named for William Barton of the Revolutionary War. Battery Cross was named for Charles E. Cross, an officer killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg in the Civil War. Battery Craig was named for Presley O. Craig, 2nd U. S. Artillery, Battery Gaston was named for William Gaston, 1st U. S. Dragoons, killed in 1858 fighting Native Americans. Battery Milliken was named for Alfred S. Milliken, an officer killed in World War I. After the American entry into World War I many 5-inch guns were withdrawn from forts for potential service on field carriages on the Western Front, however, Battery Crosss two guns were removed in 1917 and installed on the Army transport ship USAT Kilpatrick. They were returned to Fort Rodman in March 1919, and scrapped in 1921 under a general removal from Coast Artillery service of 5-inch guns. The 8-inch guns of Batteries Walcott and Barton were dismounted for service as railway artillery in June 1918. In 1920 the Driggs-Seabury M1898 3-inch guns of Batteries Craig and Gaston were removed due to a general removal from service of this type of gun, they were not replaced
13.
Point Judith, Rhode Island
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Point Judith is a village and a small cape, on the coast of Narragansett, Rhode Island, on the western side of Narragansett Bay where it opens out onto Rhode Island Sound. It is the location for the principal ferry service that connects Block Island to the mainland and contains the fishing hamlet of Galilee. Point Judith was named in the century after Judith Thatcher who was a passenger on a small vessel with her father when it ran aground on the point and was almost wrecked. Allegedly, Judith rendered great service and as a result the vessel was saved, in remembrance of this the crew called the point after her name. According to Edmund Quincys 1874 biography of his father Josiah Quincy, during the American Revolution, the British controlled Narragansett Bay and raided and burned the farms on Point Judith and the surrounding areas in the late 1770s under Captain Wallace. During World War II, Fort Greene was built with 16-inch guns, Point Judith is the site of the last sinking of an Allied ship in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. The lookout at the lighthouse was just preparing to enter the sighting in his logbook when he heard the sound of the torpedo exploding as it hit the ship, black Point sank within twenty-five minutes. Twelve lives were lost among her crew, while survivors were rescued. The resulting United States Navy and Coast Guard hunt for the U-853 is now referred to as the Battle of Point Judith. A United States Navy frigate, destroyers, destroyer escorts, attacks with depth charges and hedgehogs continued until the U-853s destruction was confirmed the next morning by two blimps which dropped a few bombs on the Germans. U-853 may have been the last U-boat to sink a ship during World War II and her wreck lies in 135 feet of water and is a popular, but dangerous destination for sport divers, at least three divers have been killed there. U-853 is recognized as a war grave with most of the 55 crew bodies remaining inside, jandek has a song of the same name. Point Judith Light Galilee, Rhode Island Jerusalem, Rhode Island
14.
8th Coast Artillery (United States)
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The 8th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery Corps regiment in the United States Army. At that time most of its personnel were transferred to the Harbor Defenses of Portland, in early 1940 the 22nd Coast Artillery was activated to garrison the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth, and probably relieved the 8th Coast Artillery of that duty soon afterwards. Only Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and Battery E activated, HHB for the Harbor Defenses of Portland, Maine, Battery E for the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Battery A activated at Fort Preble 1 July 1939, Battery E inactivated at Fort Constitution 1 September 1939. Battery B activated at Fort Preble 29 July 1940, 1st Battalion Headquarters and Battery C activated 10 February 1941 at Fort Preble. 2nd Battalion Headquarters and Batteries D, E, and F activated at Fort McKinley 10 February 1941, Battery G activated at Fort Preble 1 June 1941. On 11 September 1943 a third battalion was authorized, Battery E 10th Coast Artillery transferred to Portland and redesignated Battery L 8th CA26 July 1943. The 8th Coast Artillery was ordered to Camp Shelby 25 February 1944, released to Army Ground Forces, Battery B ordered to Fort Jackson. 8th Coast Artillery Regiment disbanded 31 May 1944, description A Gold metal and enamel device 1 1/8 in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned, Per fess Gules and Argent, in chief a mullet of the last, in base a pine tree Proper. Symbolism The 8th Regiment was organized under General Orders No,8,27 February 1924, on 30 June 1924, from the companies which comprised the garrison of the Coast Defenses of Portland and Portsmouth. The design is taken from the coat of arms of the old Coast Defenses of Portland, the star has a dual significance. Its five points represent the five forts in the Coast Defenses of Portland, in addition it represents the Pole Star and it is set on a field of artillery red. The pine tree is the emblem of Maine, and is on a white field symbolic of the snows among which this particular pine grows, background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 8th Coast Artillery Regiment on 24 March 1924. It was amended to add the method of wear on 10 November 1924, the insignia was redesignated for the 27th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 14 January 1952. Shield Per fess Gules and Argent, in chief a mullet of the last, crest On a wreath of the colors Argent and Gules a phoenix Purpure ailleroned Or rising from flames Proper. Shield The 8th Regiment was organized under General Orders No,8,27 February 1924, on 30 June 1924, from the companies which composed the garrison of the Coast Defenses of Portland and Portsmouth. The coat of arms is that of the old Coast Defenses of Portland, the star has a dual significance. Its five points represent the five forts in the Coast Defenses, in addition it represents the Pole Star and it is set on a field of artillery red
15.
Submarine mines in United States harbor defense
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The modern era of defending American harbors with submarine mines began in the post-Civil War period. In 1866, the United States Army Corps of Engineers established the Engineer School of Application at Willets Point, NY. Abbot experimented with explosives, fuzes, cabling, and electrical equipment for over a decade before publishing the first manuals on the use of mines in coast defense in 1876–77. From about 1900 until 1946 the mine defense program grew, until upwards of 10,000 controlled mines were maintained by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. In July 1918, the U. S. Army Mine Planter Service was established to maintain U. S. mine defenses. Controlled mines were anchored to the bottom of a harbor, either sitting on the bottom itself or floating at depths which could vary widely and these mines were fired electrically through a vast network of underwater electrical cables at each protected harbor. Mines could be set to explode on contact or be triggered by the operator, the networks of cables terminated on shore in massive concrete bunkers called mine casemates, that were usually buried beneath protective coverings of earth. The mine casemate housed electrical generators, batteries, control panels, the map of Boston Harbors mine fields shows the harbor mine defenses consisting of 30 groups of mines, with 19 mines per group. Each mine was loaded with 200 lb of TNT. So in Bostons case, a total of 57 tons of explosives guarded the harbor. Each of these also had on-shore facilities to store the mines and the TNT used to fill them, rail systems to load and transport the mines. The preferred method of using the mines was to set them to detonate a set period of time after they had touched or tipped. Each mine casemate controlled about 150 to 300 mines, arranged in groups of 19, the mines in a group were generally laid about 100 ft apart, in lines running across the channel being protected, with 50 ft or less on either end of the line. This meant that one group of mines could protect a total distance of about 1,900 ft, about 3 miles of cable were required to connect one group of 19 mines to its distribution box, with the connecting cables radiating out from the box in a hub-and-spoke fashion. Actually, the box was usually located well behind the line of mines. If more groups of mines were needed, multiple mine casemates were generally built, for example, Boston had three mine casemates, with two originally at Fort Dawes on Deer Island and Fort Strong on Long Island. Later in World War II, Fort Strongs mine casemate was deactivated and these panels were located in the casemates operating room, pictured at left-center in the plan shown at right. In addition to these firing controls, the mine casemate contained one or more electric generators, the generators produced direct current, which was used to signal the readiness of the mines
16.
Camp Forrest
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Camp Forrest, located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, was one of the U. S. Armys largest training bases during World War II. It was an army post between 1941 and 1946. The camp, named after Civil War cavalry Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, was originally named Camp Peay, Camp Peay was named after the Tennessee Governor Austin Peay and built in Tullahoma as a National Guard Camp in 1926. Camp Forrest covered 85,000 acres located just beyond the old Camp Peay, the camp was a training area for infantry, artillery, engineer, signal organizations, and cooks. It also served as a center and temporary encampment area for troops during maneuvers. Major General George Patton brought his 2nd Armored Division from Fort Benning, william Northern Field, an air training base, was an addition used as a training site for crews of four-engined B-24 bombers of the Army Air Forces. The camp was home to Red Cross and Army Emergency Relief facilities. Recreation facilities included swimming, archery, tennis, a sports arena, Camp Forrest officially became a prisoner of war camp on May 12,1942. The camp housed Italian and German POWs, prisoners became laborers at Camp Forrest in the hospitals and on farms in the local community. The camp also held Japanese, German and Italian American civilians who were arrested at the outbreak of the war under a program called Alien Enemy Control, many of these internees were incarcerated without legal process. Official government documents made available in the late 1990s indicate that over 25,000 alien enemies were held at locations throughout the United States. Camp Forrests population was over 700, of whom approximately 200 were of Japanese ancestry, German internees at Camp Forrest published a newsletter titled The Latrine. In 1943, Camp Forrest internees were transferred to other internment camps to make room for actual POWs captured on the field of battle, in 1945 the U. S. government implemented an Intellectual Diversion Program to educate Germans on the American way of life. This program used educational and recreational media to change views of POWs, Tullahoma was greatly affected by the installation of Camp Forrest. Because of maneuvers and operations, civilians had to adjust to blocked roads, traffic jams, crowded stores, soldiers camped out on lawns and fields, many crops and fences were destroyed. In 1940 the population in Tullahoma was 4,500, by the end of the war, the population had grown to 75,000. Many military people who moved in for construction and operation of the camp remained after the war, in 1946 the war was over and Camp Forrest and Northern Field were declared surplus property. Buildings were sold at auction, torn down and carted away, water and sewage systems and electrical systems were sold as salvage
17.
10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command
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The 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command is a theater level Army air and missile defense organization and directly subordinated to United States Army Europe. On order, 10th AAMDC deploys worldwide to conduct joint and combined/coalition air missile defense ops for US European Command, 10th AAMDC serves as the United States Army in Europes executive agent for all theater air and missile defense ops and air missile defense force management. The commands lineage dates from the 10th Coast Artllery, Fort Adams, the flashes symbolize the speed and efficiency of the unit while X suggests the numerical designation of the unit. The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 10th Artillery Group on 10 November 1969. It was amended to correct the description on 1 December 1969 and it was redesignated for the 10th Air Defense Artillery Group on 5 April 1972. It was redesignated for the 10th Air Defense Artillery Brigade on 2 June 1983, the insignia was redesignated for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command with the description updated effective 17 October 2011. However, the designation was the 357 A&MDD. It was,17 June 1944 - Established in the US Army as 357th Coast Artillery Transport Detachment,10 October 2007 - Redesignated 357th Air & Missile Defense Detachment. 16 April 2008 - Activated in Kaiserslautern Germany, scarlet and yellow are the colors associated with Air Defense Artillery. The blue stylized wings suggest the sky and flight in reference to the air defense function, the X-shape formed by the wings refer to the Roman numeral ten, the unit’s numerical designation. The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved for the 10th Air Defense Artillery Brigade on 5 January 1984. It was redesignated for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command with the description updated effective 17 October 2011, the two stars symbolize the unit’s participation in World War II and the Korean War. The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and the two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations are represented by the three merlons of the wall, the swooping gold hawk refers to the firepower of the unit. The battlement with the anchor alludes to the overseas service. The flashes symbolize the speed and efficiency of the unit while X suggests the numerical designation of the unit, the distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 10th Artillery Group on 10 November 1969. It was amended to correct the description on 1 December 1969 and it was redesignated for the 10th Air Defense Artillery Group on 5 April 1972. It was redesignated for the 10th Air Defense Artillery Brigade on 2 June 1983, the insignia was redesignated for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command with the description updated effective 17 October 2011. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command Lineage
18.
5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1861 as the 5th Regiment of Artillery. On 4 May 1861, in conformity with the proclamation of the President, congress confirmed this act of the President,12 July of the same year, but all appointments dated from 14 May. Four companies were assigned to Fort Jefferson, Florida on 10 Nov.1865, differing in organization from the older regiments, the new one comprised only field batteries, being in this regard the first entire regiment so equipped in the Regular Army. But it must not be inferred that the Fifth was designated by law as a artillery regiment. Nowhere in the act of 29 July do the words field or light artillery occur, nevertheless, Regiment activated 19 April 1944 at Camp Rucker, Alabama, disbanded 26 June 1944. 2nd Battalion consolidated with the 214th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion and consolidated unit redesignated as the 24th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, inactivated 26 August 1960 at Camp Hanford, Washington. 24th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion redesignated 13 March 1952 as the 24th Antiaircraft Gun Battalion, activated 16 April 1952 in Korea. Redesignated 23 May 1955 as the 24th Antiaircraft Artillery Missile Battalion, activated 1 June 1955 at Fort Banks, Massachusetts. Inactive 1 September 1958 at Bedford, Massachusetts, 5th Artillery reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 5th Air Defense Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. Withdrawn 16 November 1988 from the /combat Arms Regimental system and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental system with headquarters at Fort Stewart, Army Coast Artillery Corps Coats of arms of U. S. Air Defense Artillery Regiments Coats of arms of U. S. Light Artillery, Battery H 5th U. S, volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitman http, //www. history. army. mil/books/R&H/R&H-5Art. htm
19.
Project Nike
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Project Nike, was a U. S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States first operational anti-aircraft missile system, a great number of the technologies and rocket systems used for developing the Nike Ajax were re-used for a number of functions, many of which were given the Nike name. The missiles first-stage solid rocket booster became the basis for many types of rocket including the Nike Hercules missile and NASAs Nike Smoke rocket, a much longer-ranged collision-course system was developed by General Electric, named Project Thumper, eventually delivering the BOMARC missile. Bell Labs proposal would have to deal with bombers flying at 500 mph or more, at these speeds, even a supersonic rocket is no longer fast enough to be simply aimed at the target. The missile must lead the target to ensure the target is hit before the missile depletes its fuel and this means that the missile and target cannot be tracked by a single radar, increasing the complexity of the system. By this point, the US had considerable experience with lead-calculating analog computers, starting with the British Kerrison Predictor, for Nike, three radars were used. The acquisition radar searched for a target to be handed over to the Target Tracking Radar for tracking, the Missile Tracking Radar tracked the missile by way of a transponder, as the missiles radar signature alone was not sufficient. The MTR also commanded the missile by way of pulse-position modulation, once the tracking radars were locked the system was able to work automatically following launch, barring any unexpected occurrences. The computer compared the two directions, along with information on the speeds and distances, to calculate the intercept point. The entirety of this system was provided by the Bell Systems electronics firm, the Douglas-built missile was a two-stage missile using a solid fuel booster stage and a liquid fueled second stage. The missile could reach a speed of 1,000 mph. The missile contained an unusual three part payload, with explosive charges at three points down the length of the missile to help ensure a lethal hit. The missiles limited range was seen by critics as a serious flaw, after disputes between the Army and the Air Force, all longer-range systems were assigned to the Air Force during 1948. They merged their own research with Project Thumper, while the Army continued to develop Nike. During 1950 the Army formed the Army Anti-Aircraft Command to operate batteries of anti-aircraft guns, ARAACOM was renamed the US Army Air Defense Command during 1957. It adopted a simpler acronym, ARADCOM, in 1961, the first successful Nike test was during November 1951, intercepting a drone B-17 Flying Fortress. The first type, Nike Ajax, were deployed starting in 1953, the Army initially ordered 1,000 missiles and 60 sets of equipment. They were placed to protect strategic and tactical sites within the US, as a last-line of defense from air attack, they were positioned to protect cities as well as military installations
20.
Fairchild Air Force Base
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Fairchild Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately 12 miles southwest of Spokane, Washington. The host unit at Fairchild is the 92d Air Refueling Wing assigned to the Air Mobility Commands Eighteenth Air Force, Fairchild AFB was established in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot. It is named in honor of General Muir S. Fairchild, a World War I aviator, he was the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force at the time of his death. The 92d Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Charles Brian McDaniel and its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Christian Pugh. Fairchild is home to a variety of units and missions. Most prominent is its air refueling mission, with two wings, one active, the 92d Air Refueling Wing, and one national guard, the 141st Air Refueling Wing, both flying the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Other units here include the Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school, medical detachments, a weapons squadron and the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency. Over 5,200 active duty Air Force, Air National Guard, Fairchilds annual economic impact on the Spokane community is approximately $427 million, constituting 13 percent of the local economy. 92nd Air Refueling Wing, 92d Operations Group The 92nd OG provides air mobility for America through air refueling, airlift, 92d Maintenance Group Provides maintenance support to world-class aircraft and equipment. 92d Mission Support Group Provides the foundation for support and morale of Fairchild, born in Bellingham, he graduated from Olympia High School and attended the University of Washington in Seattle. Fairchild received his wings and commission in 1918, and served as a pilot during World War I and he held various air staff positions during World War II and received his fourth star in 1948, and died on 17 March 1950 while serving as USAF Vice Chief of Staff. Today, Fairchild’s aircraft and personnel make up the backbone of the Air Force’s tanker fleet on the west coast, Fairchild’s location,12 miles west of Spokane, resulted from a competition with the cities of Seattle and Everett in western Washington. As an added incentive to the War Department, many Spokane businesses, at a cost of more than $125,000, these people bought 1,400 acres and presented the title to the War Department in January 1942. That year, the government designated $14 million to more land. Spokane Air Depot was served by a connection to the Great Northern Railway. From 1942 until 1946, the served as a repair depot for damaged aircraft returning from the Pacific Theater. In the summer of 1946, the base was transferred to the Strategic Air Command, beginning in the summer of 1947, the 92nd and 98th Bomb Groups arrived. Both of the units flew the most advanced bomber of the day, in January 1948, the base received the second of its three official names, Spokane Air Force Base
21.
Fort McHenry
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It was first built in 1798 and was used continuously by U. S. armed forces through World War I and by the Coast Guard in World War II. It was replaced early on the morning of September 14,1814 with a garrison flag. The larger flag signaled American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore, Fort McHenry was built on the site of the former Fort Whetstone, which had defended Baltimore from 1776 to 1797. The Frenchman Jean Foncin designed the fort in 1798, and it was built between 1798 and 1800, the new forts purpose was to improve the defenses of the increasingly important Port of Baltimore from future enemy attacks. The new fort was constructed in the form of a star surrounded by a dry moat — a deep. The moat would serve as a shelter from which infantry might defend the fort from a land attack, in case of such an attack on this first line of defense, each point, or bastion could provide a crossfire of cannon and small arms fire. Fort McHenry was named after early American statesman James McHenry, a Scots-Irish immigrant and he was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland and a signer of the United States Constitution. Afterwards, he was appointed United States Secretary of War, serving under presidents Presidents George Washington, beginning at 6,00 a. m. on 13 September 1814, British warships under the command of Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane continuously bombarded Fort McHenry for 25 hours. The American defenders had 18-, 24- and 32-pounder cannons, the British guns had a range of 2 miles, and the British rockets had a 1. 75-mile range, but neither guns nor rockets were accurate. The British ships were unable to pass Fort McHenry and penetrate Baltimore Harbor because of its defenses, including a chain of 22 sunken ships, the British vessels were only able to fire their rockets and mortars at the fort at the weapons maximum range. The poor accuracy on both sides resulted in little damage to either side before the British, having depleted their ammunition. Thus the naval part of the British invasion of Baltimore had been repulsed, only one British warship, a bomb vessel, received a direct hit from the forts return fire, which wounded one crewman. At one point during the bombardment, a bomb crashed through the powder magazine. Fortunately for the defenders, either the rain extinguished the fuse or the bomb was a dud. Francis Scott Key, a Washington lawyer who had come to Baltimore to negotiate the release of Dr. William Beanes, an oversized American flag had been sewn by Mary Pickersgill for $405.90 in anticipation of the British attack on the fort. Francis Scott Keys grandson, Francis Key Howard, was one of political detainees. Taney occurred at the gates between Court and Federal Marshals and the commander of Union troops occupying the Fort under orders from President Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Fort McHenry also served to train artillery at this time, this service is the origin of the Rodman guns presently located and displayed at the fort
22.
Distinctive unit insignia
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A distinctive unit insignia is a metallic heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit, DUIs may also be called distinctive insignia, a crest or a unit crest by soldiers or collectors. The term crest however, in addition to being incorrect, may be misleading, the term crest properly refers to the portion of an achievement of arms which stands atop the helmet over the shield of arms. The U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry is responsible for the design, development, Distinctive ornamentation of a design desired by the organization was authorized for wear on the Mess Jacket uniform by designated organizations per General Order 132 dated December 31,1902. The distinctive ornamentation was described later as coats of arms, pins, the authority continued until omitted in the Army uniform regulation dated December 26,1911. Various organizations which carry colors or standards have generally submitted coats of arms having certain historical significance, as fast as approved these coats of arms will for the basis for regimental colors or standards which will eventually replace the present regimental colors or standards when these wear out. The use of coats of arms as collar ornaments in lieu of the insignia of corps, departments. The first unit to wear this insignia was the 51st Artillery which received approval for wear on March 18,1922 and it was designed by Master Gunner and Master Sergeant Edward C. Kuhn, the artist responsible for creating all authorized coats of arms, up until 1965, only regiments and separate battalions were authorized a coat of arms and distinctive units insignia. Now all major commands, field hospitals, corps, logistics commands and certain other units – groups, the unit commanding officer requests approval of a distinctive unit insignia. A check is made by the Institute of Heraldry to determine the availability of a current copy of the lineage, if such is not available, one is requested from the United States Army Center of Military History. The units history is reviewed to determine if the unit may inherit a previously approved distinctive unit insignia or if a new design should be made, if a new design is to be made, careful study is made of the history and battle honors of the unit. The most important decorations, honors, combat service and missions are represented in the design of the insignia, sometimes two centuries of history are condensed into symbolism for distinctive unit insignia. A proposed design is created and sent to the officer for review. Upon concurrence by the commander an official letter of approval of the distinctive unit insignia is sent to the unit. Manufacturing drawings and specifications are sent to a manufacturer which provides samples of the finished distinctive unit insignia to the Institute of Heraldry for approval. Once approved the manufacturer may produce this insignia, each manufacturer has an identifying hallmark assigned by the Institute of Heraldry which is applied to the back of the insignia. The shield shape design is used to identify color bearing organizations, other design patterns will be used for non-color bearing units
23.
Seacoast defense in the United States
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Seacoast defense was a major concern for the United States from its independence until World War II. Before airplanes, Americas enemies could only reach her from the sea, after the 1940s, it was recognized that fixed fortifications were obsolete and ineffective against aircraft and missiles. However, in prior eras foreign fleets were a realistic threat, the defenses heavily depended on fortifications but also included submarine minefields, nets and booms, ships, and airplanes. Therefore, all of the armed forces participated in seacoast defense, designs evolved and became obsolete with changes in the technology available to both the attacking forces and the defenders. At the beginning of the American Revolution, many coastal fortifications already protected the Atlantic coast, prior to independence from Britain, local communities or colonies bore the cost and responsibility for their own protection. Urgency would wax and wane based on the climate in Europe. Most defenses were artillery protected by earthworks, as protection from pirate raids, though seldom used, the forts were a deterrent. Additional forts, called Patriot batteries, were built during the Revolution, when the United States gained independence in 1783, the seacoast defense fortifications were in poor condition. Twenty significant forts at thirteen harbors were approved for construction, mostly with traditional low walled structures with low sloped earthworks protecting wood or brick walls. The conventional wisdom was that soft earth would cushion the effect of fire against the walls. The angled walls also reduced the chance for more destructive straight-on hits from cannonballs, most First System forts were relatively small, and with some exceptions mounted only one tier of cannon, on the roof of the fort. Additional water batteries outside the fort provided more firepower, lacking trained engineers to supervise the work, Secretary of War Henry Knox placed a number of European engineers under contract. Although some fine forts were constructed, for the most part enthusiasm and funding waned, most of the partially finished earthworks and wooden structures deteriorated before they were needed to defend against the British in 1812. In 1802, Congress separated the artillerists and engineers into separate corps and directed the Corps of Engineers to create a military academy at West Point, one of the driving forces for establishing the new academy was the need to divorce the United States from its reliance on foreign engineers. In 1807-1808, new concerns over a war with Great Britain, prompted President Thomas Jefferson to renew fortification programs. One common weakness among the typical low-walled open bastion or star forts was exposure to fire, especially to new devices designed to explode in mid air. Gun emplacements which were at an angle to the sea were vulnerable to a solid shot running parallel to the taking out a row of guns. In the late 1770s, a French engineer, the Marquis de Montalembert and his design protected a forts gunners by placing most of them in covered casemate walls with openings for the guns
24.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
25.
United States Army Institute of Heraldry
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The United States Army Institute of Heraldry, also known as The Institute of Heraldry, furnishes heraldic services to the U. S. Armed Forces and other U. S. government organizations, including the Executive Office of the President, limited research and information services concerning official symbolic items are also provided to the general public. The Institute of Heraldry is located at Fort Belvoir, an installation within the metropolitan area of Washington. The staff consists of thirty-two civilians, Heraldic and other military symbols have been used by the U. S. Armed Forces and government agencies since the beginning of the American Revolution. S, in 1924, formal staff responsibility for specific military designs was delegated to the Quartermaster General. As the needs for symbolism by the services and the national government expanded. The expansion of the Army during World War II, and the subsequent increased interest in symbolism and it was further expanded by Pub. L. 85–263, approved September 1957,71 Stat,89, which delineated the authority of the Secretary of the Army to furnish heraldic services to the military departments and other branches of the federal government. On 1960-08-10, Army General Order Number 29 placed the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry under the control of the Quartermaster General. The Army Adjutant General’s office assumed responsibility of the institute in 1962, in 1987, another realignment subordinated the Institute to the U. S. In April 1994, the Institute of Heraldry moved from Cameron Station to Fort Belvoir, in October 2004, another realignment assigned responsibility for the Heraldic Program to Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, part of the United States Army. Approve designs for distinctive unit insignia, Regimental Distinctive Insignia, and shoulder sleeve insignia, authorize heraldic items for U. S. Army Organizations. Authorize the use of Army insignia when incorporated into items for commercial sale, design and develop insignia seals, medals, badges, band regalia and flags. Establish Army policy for flag design and display, monitor the Heraldic Quality Control System in accordance with Army Regulation 672-8, to ensure heraldic items are manufactured according to government specifications or purchase descriptions. Prepare heraldic item specifications and provide engineering support to manufacturers, provide manufacturers with government-loaned tools and specifications for heraldic items. Blazon, Or a chevron Gules, on a chief Sable a label of the first, blazon, On a wreath Or and Gules, a griffin salient of the first. The griffin, a fabulous animal half eagle and half lion, is symbolic of wisdom, the role of the griffin as guardian of treasure is symbolic of the institutes singular responsibility to safeguard the heraldic art of the federal government. The eagle also alludes to the United States and the lion to Great Britain, dexter, The large white star edged with blue symbolizes all the States, which comprise the United States, and was suggested by the union of the United States Flag
26.
4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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Constituted 1 June 1821 in the Regular Army as the 4th Regiment of Artillery and organized from new and existing units with headquarters at Pensacola, Florida. B Battery, 4th Artillery was part of the Union Armys crack Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. As a result of reductions in military appropriations, the following reductions and increases in the force levels affected this regiment. The Regiment was disbanded 3 October 1944 in the Canal Zone, the remainder of the regimental assets were used to organize the 4th Coast Artillery Battalion. The 4th Artillery Regiment was again reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 4th Air Defense Artillery, withdrawn 13 September 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System. Arrived in North Africa on 21 February 1943, and landed on Sicily during August 1943, reconstituted 28 June 1950 in the Regular Army Constituted 16 December 1940 in the Regular Army as the 95th Coast Artillery Regiment. Regiment reorganized and redesignated 12 December 1943 as follows, 1/95th CAR became the 93rd AAA Gun Battalion, 2/95th CAR became the 752nd AAA Gun Battalion, thereafter separate lineage. 3/95th CAR became the 866th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, Battalion arrived on the Philippines on 20 October 1944. Battalion arrived on Okinawa on 26 April 1945, where it remained into the Occupation period and they have transitioned from SHORAD to a mixed Patriot and Avenger Battalion. S. Artillery Regimental Brass Band exits that depicts the band during the Civil War. Coats of arms of U. S. Air Defense Artillery Regiments 4th U. S, light Artillery, Battery H 4th U. S. Light Artillery, Battery I 4th U. S, light Artillery, Battery K 4th U. S. Light Artillery, Battery M List of United States Regular Army Civil War units Stanton, Shelby L
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7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1898 as the 7th Regiment of Artillery. The 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment traces its antecedents to 8 March 1898 in the Regular Army as Battery A and it was organized on 29 March 1898 at Fort Slocum, New York. The Battery was reorganized and redesignated on 13 February 1901 as the 72nd Company and it was redesignated on 2 February 1907 as the 72nd Company, Coast Artillery Corps. The company was reorganized and redesignated in July 1916 as the 1st Company, Fort Screven, Georgia and on 31 August 1917 as the 1st Company, Coast Defenses of Savannah. The company was reorganized and redesignated on 1 June 1922 as the 72nd Company, Coast Artillery Corps and on 1 July 1924 as Battery A and it was inactivated on 7 April 1930 at Fort Hancock, New Jersey. The company was reactivated on 1 July 1939 at Fort Hancock, New Jersey, the regiments HHB was transferred to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri on 15 March 1944 and was inactivated there on 7 April 1944, before being disbanded entirely on 14 June 1944. The company was reconstituted on 28 June 1950 in the Regular Army and concurrently consolidated with the lineage and honors of Battery A, 126th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. It was reorganized and redesignated on 28 June 1943 as Battery A, 126th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion and inactivated on 3 January 1946 at Camp Patrick Henry, the consolidated unit was redesignated as Battery A, 7th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. The consolidated unit carried honors for participation in 6 campaigns during the Second World War, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and England 1944. The unit was redesignated on 13 December 1951 as Battery A, 7th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and activated on 20 December 1951 at Camp Edwards, the unit was redesignated on 30 June 1955 as Battery A, 7th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. It was inactivated on 1 September 1958 in Germany, the unit was concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 7th Artillery, which had been first organized in 1916. The consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 7th Artillery, the Battalions organic elements were constituted on 8 February 1957 and activated on 15 February 1957. 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery was activated on 13 September 1972 at Fort Bliss, the Battalion was reactivated on 16 December 1988 in Germany. On 21 December 1998, Headquarters US Army Europe announced plans to realign its air defense units to comply with the Armys Patriot Standardization Plan. The 1-7th Air Defense Artillery, with its Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and B and C Batteries subsequently moved from Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Kaiserslautern, Germany, to Fort Bliss, there it joined the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. In June 2006, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and 1-7th Air Defense Artillery moved to Fort Bragg, the insignia is worn in pairs. Symbolism The panther is taken from the coat of arms of the Coast Defenses of Sandy Hook where the Regiment was organized on 1 July 1924. The motto translates to “He Fears No Encounter. ”Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 7th Coast Artillery Regiment on 31 July 1924
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43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first constituted 1918 in the Regular Army. Attached above a wreath Or and Gules, an épi Or around and behind a French locomotive affronté Gules, attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “SUSTINEMUS” in Black letters. Symbolism The shield is red for Artillery, the bend is taken from the arms of Lorraine, which is gold with three golden alerions on a red bend, with the colors reversed. The three oozlefinches are used instead of the alerions, the green oozlefinch was the device on the shoulder patch worn by the railway artillery reserve in France, of which this Regiment was a unit. The locomotive and épi show the character of the Regiment, the motto translates to “We Support” and alludes to the mission of railway artillery. Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 43d Coast Artillery Regiment on 1 February 1937. It was redesignated for the 43d Artillery Regiment on 13 January 1959, the insignia was redesignated for the 43d Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971. It was amended to correct the symbolism on 17 November 1983, shield Gules, on a bend Or three oozlefinches Vert. Crest On a wreath of the colors, Or and Gules, shield The shield is red for Artillery. The bend is taken from the arms of Lorraine, which is gold with three golden alerions on a red bend, with the colors reversed, the three oozlefinches are used instead of the alerions. The green oozlefinch was the device on the patch worn by the railway artillery reserve in France. Crest The locomotive and épi show the character of the Regiment, the coat of arms was originally approved for the 43d Coast Artillery Regiment on 2 March 1929. It was redesignated for the 43d Artillery Regiment on 13 January 1959, the insignia was redesignated for the 43d Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971. It was amended to correct the blazon and symbolism on 17 November 1983, 1st Battalion 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment 2nd Battalion 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment 3rd Battalion 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment World War I, St. S. Army Coast Artillery Corps Coats of arms of U. S. Air Defense Artillery Regiments Coats of arms of U. S, Artillery Regiments This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from
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44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army first Constituted 1918 in the Regular Army. 16 March 1988 is when the Battalion was activated at Fort Campbell, the 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery, was for a long period the divisional air defense battalion for the 101st Airborne Division, but now appears to have taken up the C-RAM role. The battalion is separated from the units of the brigade. The 2nd Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery Regiment was the first Pershing missile battalion in June 1962 under the 1st Field Artillery Missile Brigade at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Lt. Col. Patrick W. Powers took command on 13 October 1962, receiving the colors from Dr. Finn J. Larsen, on 1 September 1971 the 2/44th was deactivated and reformed as the 3rd Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment. September 1952, Lt. Col. Patrick William Powers Col. James E. Convey Description A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1⁄8 inches consisting shield, crest and motto of the coat of arms. Symbolism The shield is red for Artillery with a gold bend from the arms of Lorraine, the units of this organization changed designation five times from 1917 to 1918. They were part of the 6th and 7th Provisional Regiment, C. A. C, part of the 51st and 52nd Artillery, C. A. C. and were organized as a unit called the Howitzer Regiment, 30th Artillery Brigade, C. A. C. Later designated the 81st Artillery, C. A. C. and changed to the 44th Artillery, the variegated chameleon alludes to this fact. Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 44th Coast Artillery Regiment on 1 February 1937. It was redesignated for the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment on 13 March 1941, the insignia was redesignated for the 54th Armored Field Artillery Battalion on 22 July 1954. It was redesignated for the 44th Artillery Regiment on 31 December 1958, effective 1 September 1971, the insignia was redesignated for the 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. Shield Gules, a bend double cottised potenté counterpotenté Or, crest On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, a double quatrefoil Or charged with a chameleon displayed paleways barry of four Gules and Vert. Shield The shield is red for Artillery with a gold bend from the arms of Lorraine, crest The units of this organization changed designation five times from 1917 to 1918. They were part of the 6th and 7th Provisional Regiment, C. A. C, part of the 51st and 52nd Artillery, C. A. C. and were organized as a unit called the Howitzer Regiment, 30th Artillery Brigade, C. A. C. Later designated the 81st Artillery, C. A. C. and changed to the 44th Artillery, the variegated chameleon alludes to this fact. The coat of arms was approved for the 44th Coast Artillery Regiment on 2 March 1929. It was amended to correct the blazon of the shield on 23 May 1936 and it was redesignated for the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment on 11 March 1941
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51st Coast Artillery Regiment
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The 51st Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. Battery C 56th Artillery redesignated as 2nd Battalion HHD&CT 51st Artillery on 1 August 1921, on 22 October 1921 51st Artillery reassigned to Camp Eustis, VA. On 1 July 1924 51st Artillery, CAC, redesignated as 51st Coast Artillery Regiment, 51st Coast Artillery reassigned to Fort Monroe on 8 May 1931. 1st Battalion reassigned to Camp Buchanan, San Juan, PR. on 20 October 1939, 51st Coast Artillery Regiment Redesignated 51st Coast artillery Regiment on 8 March 1942, and 2nd Battalion authorized. 2nd Battalion HHB, Battery C, and 3rd platoon Battery G activated at Borinquen Army Airfield on 16 March 1942 Battery D 2nd Battalion activated at Borinquen Airfield 1 May 1942. HHB 1st Battalion, Battery B and Battery G reassigned to Port of Spain, Trinadad on 8 December 1943 followed by 2nd Battalion HHB, and Batteries A, C, and D. On 1 June 1944 the regiment is broken up into Battalions as Follows- 1st Battalion reorganized and redesignated as 51st Coast Artillery Battalion, 2nd Battalion reorganized and redesignated as 52nd Coast Artillery Battalion. HHB 51st CA redesignated as the 145th Coast Artillery Group, on 28 February 1946 51st and 52nd Coast artillery Battalions deactivated and disbanded. Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/4 inches in height consisting of a shield blazoned. Symbolism The field of the shield is red, the Artillery color, service in Lorraine is shown by the bend, a distinctive feature of the Lorraine arms, “Or, a bend Gules, ” reversing the tinctures. The caterpillar on the bend symbolizes the tractor, background The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 16 March 1922. Shield Gules, on a bend Or a caterpillar passant Vert, crest On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, a lion’s face Gules jessant-de-lis Or. Shield The field of the shield is red, the Artillery color, service in Lorraine is shown by the bend, a distinctive feature of the Lorraine arms, “Or, a bend Gules, ” reversing the tinctures. The caterpillar on the bend symbolizes the tractor, the coat of arms was approved on 5 February 1920. Unknown unknown Coats of arms of U. S. Air Defense Artillery Regiments Coats of arms of U. S, kuhn This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document 51st coast artillery Regiment. Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from, volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitman Encyclopedia of United States Army insignia and uniforms By William K. Emerson
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52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first organized in 1917 as a railway gun unit. It continued in that role unit 1943, when the regiment was broken in separate railway gun battalions, the south Florida units arrived with conventional high explosive warheads. In August 1963, the Army assigned the troops under the control of the 13th Artillery Group to the 53rd Artillery Brigade, the soldiers could now go off TDY status and bring their families, cars, and personal effects to south Florida. They could also move into more permanent living facilities and get access to amenities available at permanent installations, attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “SEMPER PARATUS” in Red letters. Symbolism The shield is red for Artillery, the gold potenté bend is an adaptation of the cottised bend on the arms of Champagne. Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 538th Field Artillery Battalion on 29 December 1951. It was redesignated for the 52nd Artillery Regiment on 19 December 1958 and it was redesignated for the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971. Shield Gules, a bend potenté Or, crest On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, a locomotive affronté Gules, charged with the numeral “52” Or. Shield The shield is red for Artillery, the gold potenté bend is an adaptation of the cottised bend on the arms of Champagne. Crest The crest alludes to World War I service in France, the coat of arms was originally approved for the 52nd Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps on 9 April 1921. It was redesignated for the 286th Coast Artillery Battalion and amended to delete the crest on 3 August 1944 and it was redesignated for the 538th Field Artillery Battalion on 20 November 1944. The insignia was redesignated for the 52nd Artillery Regiment and amended to add a crest on 19 December 1958, effective 1 September 1971, the insignia was redesignated for the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. The History of the 52nd Artillery, C. A. C and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document 52nd ADA Artillery. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document 52nd Air Defense Artillery Lineage, goldstein, Philip M. 52nd Railway Artillery Battalion, FORT HANCOCK & SANDY HOOK PROVING GROUNDS
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55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army that was first constituted in 1917 in the Regular Army. In addition, many individual transfers were made from the 1st, 2nd, 6th, & 9th Cos, MANG, the 55th Arty departed New York for Europe 3-25-18. After additional training, the 55th Arty was assigned to the 31st Bde, CAC, in August 1918, the 55th Arty departed Brest, arriving New York 1-22-19 and moved to Camp Mills, NY, until 1-26-19, when it moved to CD Long Island Sound. 1st Bn was stationed at Fort H. G. Wright, there most of the regiment’s NG and NA personnel were discharged. On 1-29-19 the 55th Arty CAC was transferred with 31st Bde to Fort Winfield Scott, the 31st Bde was then transferred to Fort Lewis, WA, arriving 10-4-19, and its strength was gradually built up to near peacetime levels. In April 1921, the 55th Arty was assigned to Hawaii, the 31st Bde was broken up and personnel from the 57th Arty were reassigned to the 55th Arty and to the 59th Arty slated for the Philippines. This enabled the 55th to activate HHD&CTs of the 1st, 2nd, in addition, Service Btry was activated. The 55th Arty arrived in Honolulu 5-12-21 and was posted to Fort Kamehameha, the three battalions were restructured with three batteries each by reassigning personnel from three companies manning fixed seacoast armament. This resulted in the activation of Btrys G, H, & I, on 6-1-22, each component of the 55th Arty received an additional serially numbered company designation. These additional designations were dropped on 7-1-24, when the regiment was redesignated 55th CA Regt, personnel shortages resulted in a 10-31-25 reorganization, the 3rd Bn was inactivated at Ft. Shafter, its personnel reassigned to 1st Bn, replacing personnel transferred to the 64th CA Regt. The reorganized 1st Bn, 55th CA, moved to Ft. Kamehameha, at this time Btry C, 55th CA, transferred to the 64th CA Regt as Btry I. A new Btry C was constituted and activated in the 55th CA, in the mid-1930s, 2nd Bn HHB moved to Fort DeRussy although its firing batteries remained at Fort Ruger. On 2-17-41, AA detachments were organized in Btrys E & F to man fixed 3-inch AA guns at Ft. Ruger and Sand Is. On 12-7-41, the 55th CA was posted around Oahu, Btrys A, B, & C on Oahu’s southwest coast between Pearl Harbor and Kaena Point, Btrys D & E on the northeast coast, and Btry F on Sand Is. On 12-27-41, Btry D moved from Ft. Ruger to the Island of Kauai, battery D was reinforced to its authorized wartime strength. Detachments from Btry A formed Btry 80-X in December 1941, a second detachment helped form the 804th CA Btry, Btry F at Sand Is. was designated the 807th CA Btry, while a second detachment helped organize the 715th CA Btry 10-21-42. During World War II, various changes were made in the makeup of the 55th CA, the 55th CA Regt was reorganized and HHB reconstituted and activated, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bn HHBs were activated at Ft. Ruger 5-22-43. Btry G was activated at Ft. Kamehameha, the 1st Bn HHB and Btrys A, B, & C, and 2nd Bn HHB were stationed at Ft. Kamehameha, Btry D on Kauai, Btry E at Wilridge
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56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 56th Air Defense Artillery is a training regiment in the United States Army. This number has had two lineages started under it, a 1917 unit that served in France during World War I, and the 506th Artillery CAC, which was renumbered in December 1940. After the renumbering a separate lineage was started for the 506th CA in 1943. Constituted 29 July 1921 in the OR as the 506th Artillery CAC, the 506th Arty was organized at LaCrosse, WI, in August 1922 and redesignated 506th CA Regt 20 February 1924. Withdrawn from OR and allotted to RA as inactive 1 October 1933, the 506th CA redesignated 56th Coast Artillery Regt 16 December 1940. The 56th CA was activated 2 June 1941 at Fort Cronkhite, the 56th CA was to be composed of HHB, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Bn HHBs, six firing batteries, and Battery G Search Light. Activation continued into October 1941 with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bns organized, by December, the decision had been made to inactivate the regiment as no longer required, and the process began with reassignment of personnel. However, the inactivation was halted and the regiment was deployed to South America, HHB 2nd Bn, Btrys C & D, and detachments from Btrys A, B, E, & F were designated for Chile, Peru, and Venezuela. Half of the 2nd Bn HHB, Btry C, and a SL Section of Btry G departed Ft. Cronkhite 2-10-42 for New Orleans POE and Venezuela, arriving 3-2-42. The other half of HHB 2nd Bn, Btry D, and 2nd Plt, Btry G, departed Ft. Cronkhite for Peru 2-18-42 via the San Francisco POE, arriving 3-2-42. A provisional detachment of personnel from Btrys A, B, E, Cronkhite, where the 56th was being reorganized with new personnel. The remaining elements of the 56th CA Regt in HDSF continued to man 155 mm guns at Ft. Cronkhite and Drakes Bay. The regiment served in the Northern California Sector of the WDC until September, the battalions of the 56th remained at Ft. Cronkhite during the summer of 1942 while being reorganized. The rebuilt 2nd Bn, Btrys C & D, remained at Ft. Cronkhite until the summer of 1942. On 9-27-42, 2nd Bn arrived at Westport, WA, orders were received mid-September 1942, to move 3rd Bn, 56th CA, to the Southern California Sector, WDC. On 10-1-42, the reinforced 3rd Bn, 56th CA, was reassigned to Southern California Sector. On 4-6-43, HHB at Ft. Cronkhite was reassigned to the Southern California Sector as well, one detachment of HHB was assigned to 3rd Bn command post at Ventura, the other platoon to HD Los Angeles. On 1-11-44, Southern California Sector ordered all elements of the regiment in the sector to Ft. Cronkhite, HHB, Btry G, and Medical Det. were ordered to Camp Cooke, CA, and disbanded 2-11-44
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59th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 59th Coast Artillery Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army. Redesignated 20 February 1924 as the 59th Coast Artillery, Concurrently batteries C, D, E, remainder of regiment activated 30 May 1941 at Fort Mills. Surrendered 6 May 1942 to the Japanese forces on Corregidor Island, inactivated 2 April 1946 at Fort Mills. Redesignated 26 December 1947 as the 59th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and activated 1 January 1948 at Fort Bliss, redesignated 24 February 1953 as the 59th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. Inactivated 1 September 1958 at Fort Bliss, reorganized and redesignated 31 July 1959 as the 59th Artillery a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches in height consisting of a shield blazoned, Per fess vair and Argent. Attached above from a wreath Argent and Azure a demi-lion rampant Gules grasping in dexter claw a sword Or, attached above and to the sides of the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “DEFENDIMUS” in Red letters. Symbolism The vair on the shield is from the arms of the Coast Defenses of New York, the crest it taken from the arms of St. Menehould in red for Artillery. The motto translates to “We Defend. ”Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 59th Artillery Regiment on 15 August 1930. It was redesignated for the 59th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 23 November 1953, the insignia was redesignated for the 59th Artillery Regiment on 5 December 1958. It was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 59th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, shield Per fess vair and Argent, in base a thistle Proper. Crest On a wreath Argent and Azure a demi-lion rampant Gules armed and langued of the second grasping in dexter claw a sword Or. Shield The vair on the shield is from the arms of the Coast Defenses of New York, crest The crest it taken from the arms of St. Menehould in red for Artillery. The coat of arms was approved for the 59th Artillery Regiment on 1 April 1921. It was amended to correct the motto on 28 April 1927 and it was redesignated for the 59th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 21 April 1949. The insignia was redesignated for the 59th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 23 November 1953 and it was redesignated for the 59th Artillery Regiment on 5 December 1958. It was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 59th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Artillery Regiments This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document 59th Air Defense Artillery. Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from, volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitman Encyclopedia of United States Army insignia and uniforms By William K. Emerson
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60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
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The 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense unit of the United States Army. The 60th Coast Artillery, during the World War II era, was part of USAFFEs Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays and this anti-aircraft unit was to provide air defense over Manila Bay and the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula. The 60th CA was equipped with 3-inch guns, 37mm Guns. 50-caliber machine guns, one battery, with a platoon of searchlights, was located at Fort Wint, in Subic Bay. Demobilized 24 February 1919 at Ft. Washington, Maryland Reconstituted 26 October 1922 in the Regular Army as the 60th Artillery Battalion, Antiaircraft and organized at Fort Crockett, expanded, reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1924 as the 60th Coast Artillery. Surrendered 6 May 1942 to the Japanese forces on Corregidor Island, inactivated 2 April 1946 at Fort Mills, Philippine Islands. Redesignated 1 August 1946 as the 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and activated at Fort Bliss, redesignated 7 December 1949 as the 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion Automatic Weapons Battalion, Mobile. Redesignated 27 July 1950 as the 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, inactivated 17 June 1957 at Southampton, England. Reorganized and redesignated 31 July 1959 as the 60th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 60th Air Defense Artillery. Blazon Shield, Per fess embattled Sable and Gules fimbriated Or a pile in bend of the third the lower portion obscured by the second tincture, crest, On a wreath of the colors Or and Sable a carabao skull Sable horned Or. Symbolism Shield, The shield is divided horizontally into two parts, the line being embattled to represent defense. The lower half is red for Artillery, the upper half bears the colors of black and gold, a searchlight beam pierces the darkness of this portion of the shield signifying the never ending vigilance which this organization exercises in searching for enemy aircraft. The star has a double significance and it is symbolic of the state of Texas, the Lone Star State, where the unit was reorganized after World War I, and its battleground in the heavens. Crest The carabao horns are symbolic of service in the Philippine Islands where the 60th Battalion, background, The coat of arms was originally approved for the 60th Coast Artillery Regiment on 1924-05-21. It was amended to change the blazon of the shield and correct the motto on 1924-10-03 and it was redesignated for the 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and amended to correct the description on 1949-11-16. The insignia was redesignated for the 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 1954-09-08 and it was redesignated for the 60th Artillery Regiment on 1958-12-15. It was redesignated for the 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1971-09-01, attached below and to the sides a Red scroll inscribed “COELIS IMPERAMUS” in Gold letters. Symbolism, The insignia is divided horizontally into two parts, the line being embattled to represent defense. The lower half is red for Artillery, the upper half bears the colors of black and gold, a searchlight beam pierces the darkness of this portion, signifying the never ending vigilance which this organization exercises in searching for enemy aircraft
United States
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document "10th Coast Artillery". (dead link 12 September 2017)