12th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 12th Field Artillery Regiment is a unit of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

.

Description and Symbolism

The unit's insignia is gold color metal and enamel device 1 inch (2.54 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a Fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...

 Argent crowned Or; on a canton of the like an Aztec banner Vert garnished of the second. The single fleur-de-lis of silver is taken from the arms of Soissons, where the regiment performed such distinguished service that it was cited by the French in Orders of the Army, shown by the pendant Croix-de-Guerre. The regiment had its baptism of fire near Verdun, the arms of which have one fleur-de-lis crowned all gold. The crown on these arms is for Verdun. The canton carried the Aztec banner from the crest of the parent organization, the 3rd Field Artillery. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 12th Field Artillery Regiment on 17 April 1923. It was redesignated for the 12th Field Artillery Battalion on 14 February 1941. It was redesignated for the 12th Artillery Regiment on 10 February 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 12th Field Artillery Regiment.

Blazon

The shield is a Gules, a fleur-de-lis Argent crowned Or; on a canton of the like an Aztec banner Vert garnished of the second. The crest is on a wreath of the colors Argent and Gules, the shoulder sleeve insignia of the regiment Proper (a horizontal oblong of Black charged with the White star and Indian head of the Second Division).

Symbolism

The shield is the single fleur-de-lis of silver is taken from the arms of Soissons, where the regiment performed such distinguished service that it was cited by the French in Orders of the Army, shown by the pendant Croix-de-Guerre. The regiment had its baptism of fire near Verdun, the arms of which have one fleur-de-lis crowned all gold. The crown on these arms is for Verdun. The canton carried the Aztec banner from the crest of the parent organization, the 3rd Field Artillery. The crest of the 12th Field Artillery is self-explanatory. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 12th Field Artillery Regiment on 24 June 1921. It was amended to include the motto on 16 August 1921. It was redesignated for the 12th Field Artillery Battalion on 13 February 1941. It was redesignated for the 12th Artillery Regiment on 10 February 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 12th Field Artillery Regiment.

2nd Battalion

Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for HONGCHON

Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for CHIPYONG-NI

Valorous Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award
The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...

 for FISH HOOK

Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

 for service in OIF 2009-2010

French Croix de Guerrewith Palm, World War I
Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)
The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...

  for AISNE-MARNE

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

French Croix de Guerre, World War I, Fourragere

Belgian Fourragere 1940 (Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes & Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Elsenborn Crest)

1st Battalion

The 1st Battalion, 12th Field Artillery was constituted on 3 June 1916 as an element of the 2nd Division. The 12th Regiment arrived in France and fought bravely in four offenses in World War I. Following the armistice, the 12th joined the U.S. Army of Occupation, stationed in the Colenz area, then later returned to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and inactivated. On 1 May 1939, the regiment was reactivated as a 155mm howitzer battalion. The 12th joined the armies staging in England for the invasion of France. On D-Day plus three, the 12th landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy and participated in the breakout from the beachhead. Later, the 12th was in the thick of the fighting of the Battle of the Bulge and it joined in the race across Germany and on VE Day was in Pilson, Czechoslovakia. The 12th returned to Fort Lewis, Washington where it remained until it was inactivated.

When the Korean War broke out, the 12th was reactivated and in July 1950, departed for Korea where it participated in the fighting on the Pusan Perimeter. Later it face the Red Chinese at the Chong-chon river. The unit became Battery A, 12th field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 2nd Infantry Division. A year later, the battalion endured some of the bloodiest fighting of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

 at T-bone Mountain, Old Baldy, White Horse Mountain and Pork Chop Hill. In 1954, following the s:Korean Armistice Agreement, the battalion returned to Fort Lewis, Washington and then moved to Fort Benning, Georgia.

In 1965, with its Honest John Rockets and 8 inch howitzers, the 1-12th returned to Korea. On 20 February 1971, the unit inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington, and immediately reactivated at Fort Sill, Oklahoma on 1 April 1971. The 1st Battalion, 12th Field Artillery became the world's first Lance Missile Battalion with a wartime mission to provide nuclear and non-nuclear fires.

The 1-12th began converting to the Multiple Launch Rocket System in August 1992.

During the year 2000, the Raider 1-12 FA (MLRS) conducted many battalion and battery-level FTXs and EXEVALs at Fort Sill.

1-12 FA also deployed its 0&1 to Fort Stewart, Georgia, and the NTC for a successful rotation with the 3d BCT, 3d IN Division, in April.

World War I

Aisne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Ile de France 1918

Korean War

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

2nd Battalion

The 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery has a long lineage. First constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as Battery B, 12th Field Artillery. It was later organized 7 June 1917 at Fort Myer, Virginia, as an element of the 2d Division (later redesignated as the 2d Infantry Division). From here the unit was reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1940 as Battery B, 12th Field Artillery Battalion. On 15 October 1948 the unit was inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington. On 10 November 1951 Battery B consolidated with Battery B, 503d Field Artillery Battalion (active), and consolidated unit designated as Battery B, 12th Field Artillery Battalion. The unit inactivated on 20 June 1957 at Fort Lewis, Washington, and relieved from assignment to the 2d Infantry Division; concurrently, redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Battalion, 12th Artillery. Later it redesignated on 1 May 1960 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Howitzer Battalion, 12th Artillery, assigned to the 8th Infantry Division, and activated in Germany (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated). The battalion inactivated 1 April 1963 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 8th Infantry Division. 13 September 1969 the battalion redesignated as the 2d Battalion, 12th Artillery, and activated in Vietnam. The battalion inactivated 29 August 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington. Three days later (1 September 1971 ) it redesignated as the 2d Battalion, 12th Field Artillery. Activated once again on 1 April 1976 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The unit inactivated on 15 September 1984 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The unit moved overseas and activated on 16 July 1987 in Germany but was later inactivated on 15 April 1992. The battalion once again redesignated on 1 October 2005 as the 2d Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment. The battalion was assigned on 1 June 2006 to the newly formed 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2D Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Lewis, Washington.

World War I

Aisne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Ile de France 1918

Korean War

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

Vietnam

Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive: Phase VII, Consolidation I

See also

  • Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery Regiments
    Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery Regiments
    Coats of arms of US Artillery Regiments are heraldic emblems associated with field artillery, air defense artillery, and coast artillery regiments in the US Army...

  • Awards and decorations of the United States military
    Awards and decorations of the United States military
    Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...

  • 2nd Infantry Division (United States)
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