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141st Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 141st Field Artillery Regiment (Washington Artillery) is a United States
artillery
regiment
.
is an historic American
military unit that is currently part of the Louisiana Army National Guard
headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana
. It traces its lineage to a militia
artillery battery
back to 1838, and its heritage includes substantial combat service in several major wars. It earned the Presidential Unit Citation (US)
for its service in World War II
.
The Washington Artillery was founded in 1838 as the Native American Artillery. It received its regimental flag in August 1846 after serving under Zachary Taylor
in the Mexican–American War
.
May 26, 1861 the Unit was mustered into the American Civil War
; four companies
served in the Army of Northern Virginia
and a fifth was in the Army of Tennessee
. Elements of the Washington Artillery participated in over sixty major actions. A few notable engagements include: Battle of Antietam
, Battle of Gettysburg
, Battle of Shiloh
, Battle of Fredericksburg
, First Battle of Manassas, and the Battle of Cold Harbor
.
After the Civil War, it was reorganized as an independent unit called the “Louisiana Volunteer Field Artillery” where it served the United States in the occupation of Cuba. It later was called into service to protect the Mexican border in 1916. A year later it received the designation 141st Artillery. In early 1941, the 141st Field Artillery was mobilized for World War II
where it earned the Presidential Unit Citation; a duplicate unit was formed, the 935th Field Artillery Battalion, with both serving in Europe and North Africa. The anti-tank batteries of the battalion were separated in mid-1941, and formed the 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion
.
Between 1959 and 1967, several sister Units were combined to form the 141st Field Artillery Battalion. In 2004 through 2005 and again in 2010, the 141st FA as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade mobilized to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina
struck the gulf coast
of Louisiana and Mississippi while most members of the Washington Artillery were still serving their final weeks of deployment in Iraq. Following the return of the Battalion to Louisiana, a detachment immediately mobilized to New Orleans to aid Law Enforcement with rescue efforts. With the help of the Louisiana State Police
, those efforts transitioned into a support mission for the New Orleans Police Department. Joint Task Force Gator
was created to help combat the rise of looting and other crimes resulting from the loss of law enforcement officers in the New Orleans area. After three-and-a-half years of assisting local police and patrolling the city, the Task Force was released from duty on February 28, 2009.
These are the Campaign streamers awarded to the Regiment:
Mexican–American War
American Civil War
World War I
World War II
Operation Iraqi Freedom
headquartered in the famed Jackson Barracks
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
.
History
The 141st Field ArtilleryField artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
is an historic American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military unit that is currently part of the Louisiana Army National Guard
Louisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force...
headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. It traces its lineage to a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
back to 1838, and its heritage includes substantial combat service in several major wars. It earned the Presidential Unit Citation (US)
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
for its service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Washington Artillery was founded in 1838 as the Native American Artillery. It received its regimental flag in August 1846 after serving under Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
in the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
.
May 26, 1861 the Unit was mustered into the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
; four companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
served in the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
and a fifth was in the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
. Elements of the Washington Artillery participated in over sixty major actions. A few notable engagements include: Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, First Battle of Manassas, and the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
.
After the Civil War, it was reorganized as an independent unit called the “Louisiana Volunteer Field Artillery” where it served the United States in the occupation of Cuba. It later was called into service to protect the Mexican border in 1916. A year later it received the designation 141st Artillery. In early 1941, the 141st Field Artillery was mobilized for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where it earned the Presidential Unit Citation; a duplicate unit was formed, the 935th Field Artillery Battalion, with both serving in Europe and North Africa. The anti-tank batteries of the battalion were separated in mid-1941, and formed the 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion
773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion
The 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion was a tank destroyer battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War.-Early service:...
.
Between 1959 and 1967, several sister Units were combined to form the 141st Field Artillery Battalion. In 2004 through 2005 and again in 2010, the 141st FA as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade mobilized to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck the gulf coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
of Louisiana and Mississippi while most members of the Washington Artillery were still serving their final weeks of deployment in Iraq. Following the return of the Battalion to Louisiana, a detachment immediately mobilized to New Orleans to aid Law Enforcement with rescue efforts. With the help of the Louisiana State Police
Louisiana State Police
The Louisiana State Police is the state police department of Louisiana, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state, headquartered in Baton Rouge. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Louisiana. It falls under the authority of the Louisiana...
, those efforts transitioned into a support mission for the New Orleans Police Department. Joint Task Force Gator
Joint Task Force Gator
Joint Task Force Gator was a Joint Task Force of the Louisiana National Guard mobilized to provide command and control for state military assets deployed in support of New Orleans Law Enforcement for rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina...
was created to help combat the rise of looting and other crimes resulting from the loss of law enforcement officers in the New Orleans area. After three-and-a-half years of assisting local police and patrolling the city, the Task Force was released from duty on February 28, 2009.
Regimental Colours and Streamers
Regimental Colours of the Washington Artillery
|
These are the Campaign streamers awarded to the Regiment:
Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
- Streamer without inscription
American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
|
Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac... Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign... Chattanooga Campaign The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen... Atlanta Campaign The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May... Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War... Franklin-Nashville Campaign The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt.... Appomattox Campaign The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E... |
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
- Streamer without inscription
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
|
|
Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Iraqi GovernanceIraq Campaign MedalThe Iraq Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004. The Iraq Campaign Medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry....
Current
The 141st Field Artillery currently consists of the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery. It is assigned as the Fires Battalion for the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Louisiana Army National GuardLouisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force...
headquartered in the famed Jackson Barracks
Jackson Barracks
Jackson Barracks is a military base in New Orleans, Louisiana. The base was established in 1834 and known as New Orleans Barracks prior to 7 July 1866 when it was renamed in honor of Andrew Jackson who first advocated a US military base here....
.
Commanders
|
M109 howitzer The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin... ) M109 howitzer The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin... ) M119 howitzer The M119 Howitzer is a lightweight 105-mm howitzer used by the United States Army. It can be easily airlifted, even by helicopter, or dropped by parachute. It does not need a recoil pit.-Development:... Infantry UA) |
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External links
- Louisiana National Guard 1/141 Official Home Page (No Longer Updated)
- 1/141st Field Artillery (Washington Artillery) Unofficial Home Page
- Washington Artillery of New Orleans
- Washington Artillery Veteran's Association
- 141st Field Artillery Insignia
- Washington Artillery History Page (Unofficial)
- Washington Artillery Early Uniforms (Unofficial)
- Washington Artillery Service Record / History (Archived 2009-10-19)*"The Washington Artillery, 5th Company, at the Battle of Perryville" – Article by Civil War historian/author Bryan S. Bush