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7th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 7th Field Artillery Regiment is a United States Army
field artillery
regiment
, whose lineage traces back to the early 20th century.
, Texas
. On 8 June 1917 it was assigned to the First Expeditionary Division, which was later designated as the 1st Division as part of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War I
.
. After fighting across North Africa, the regiment participated in 1st Infantry Division's assault of Omaha Beach
.
The unit would carry this designation throughout its tour of Vietnam
from 25 June 1965, to 19 March 1970. On the 23rd of June, 1965, Private First Class Gerold Worster arrived by plane in Saigon, in the Republic of Vietnam. Not only was Gerold the first soldier from the 1st Infantry Division, known as the "Big Red One", he was also the first member of the 7th Artillery to set foot on Vietnamese soil. Even as he climbed from the plane, his comrades were loading aboard the USNS Gordon for the trip to Vietnam. On 12 July, Charlie Battery of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery made landfall at Cam Ranh Bay, part of a taskforce with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. This force was the first tactical US Army unit to be deployed in the Republic of Vietnam directly from the continental United States.
After returning from Vietnam in March 1970, the 7th Artillery was redesignated the 7th Field Artillery once again on 1 September 1971. The unit insignia was redesigned by replacing the squared shield with a more rounded one, eliminating the three pheons on the bend of the shield, and replacing the seven crosslets with seven blossoms of the Texas bluebonnet, alluding not only to the unit's number, but its birthplace as well. The motto "Nunquam Fractum" was replaced with "Nunquam Aerumna Nec Proelio Fractum" (never broken by hardship or battle). During its Vietnam tour the 105mm howitzers of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery fired more than 1,250.000 rounds in its 55 continuous months of combat while earning 11 new battle honors. With the change of the unit insignia and the loss of the pheons from the shield, the 7th Artillery's Vietnam nickname of "Pheons" was also lost.Vietnam Campaign Participation: *Defense; *Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase II; *Counteroffensive, Phase III; *Tet Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase IV; *Counteroffensive, Phase V; *Counteroffensive, Phase VI; *Tet 69/Counteroffensive; *Summer-Fall 1969; *Winter-Spring 1970Decorations: *Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1966-1967, *Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1967-1968, *Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965-1968, *Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969-1970, *Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1965-1970. Source document: Unpublished history of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery titled "Annual Historical Summary of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery for the period 1 January 1969, to 19 March 1970" U.S. National Archives.
, New York volunteered approximately 60 young soldiers at a time to participate in a rotation schedule during Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm in late 1990 and early 1991. Although the Unit itself was not activated for combat duty as a whole, these soldiers rotated out over a nine-month period to support the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division
s.
as part of Joint Task Force 76 in Operation Enduring Freedom 2004-2005. During this deployment, Alpha Battery was recorded as having shot the first artillery round in anger for the 25(L)ID since Vietnam.
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Not only did they conduct a traditional counter-fire mission, 1-7 FA also set themselves apart as a maneuver taskforce conducting Infantry type mission sets. The use of 1-7 FA as a maneuver asset instead of a Direct Support FA Battalion was a result of the implementation of the Counter Insurgency (COIN) doctrine in Iraq
. The method of removing the insurgency and strengthening the government could not be done through heavy fires, but rather squad size elements and partnerships with specific spheres of influence.
On 15 October 2007, 3-7 FA returned from Iraq to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
and was again awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. They spent the next year conducting a refit and training in preparation for their return to Northern Iraq.
On 16 October 2008, 3-7 FA deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 09-11) to Salah Ad Din Province in Iraq. Operating out of Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher, they were responsible for over 4600 Square Kilometers in and around Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salah Ad Din. From October 2008 to October 2009 they broke from their traditional Artillery role and supported the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a maneuver element partnering with Iraqi Security Forces
and the Iraqi Government to strengthen security and build civil capacity improving the quality of life for the people of the Tikrit Qada (District).
The 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment deployed in April 2011 to Regional Command-East, Afghanistan as TF Steel in support of 3rd BCT, 25th ID.
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...
field artillery
Field 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....
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...
, whose lineage traces back to the early 20th century.
World War I
The regiment was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 7th Field Artillery. It was organized on 15 July 1916 at Fort Sam HoustonFort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. On 8 June 1917 it was assigned to the First Expeditionary Division, which was later designated as the 1st Division as part of the Allied Expeditionary Force in 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...
.
World War II
7th Field Artillery Regiment participated in the amphibious assault landing in Algeria as part of Operation TorchOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. After fighting across North Africa, the regiment participated in 1st Infantry Division's assault of Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
.
Vietnam, the "Pheons"
On 20 January 1964 the unit was redesignated the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. The redesignation included a new design for the unit's distinctive unit insignia (DUI) to an "artillery red" square shield divided by a silver band running from the top right corner to the bottom left corner (as the wearer sees it). In the upper division of the shield appears three silver crescent moons, while the lower division holds seven silver crosslets alluding to the numerical designation of the battalion. The primary charge of the shield however is the three large "artillery red" arrow heads or pheons that rest upon the silver band. It is from these three pheons that the nickname for the battalion "the Pheons" is derived. The unit's motto was shortened to "Nunquam Fractum" (Never Broken) written in silver on an "artillery red" scroll beneath the shield.The unit would carry this designation throughout its tour of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
from 25 June 1965, to 19 March 1970. On the 23rd of June, 1965, Private First Class Gerold Worster arrived by plane in Saigon, in the Republic of Vietnam. Not only was Gerold the first soldier from the 1st Infantry Division, known as the "Big Red One", he was also the first member of the 7th Artillery to set foot on Vietnamese soil. Even as he climbed from the plane, his comrades were loading aboard the USNS Gordon for the trip to Vietnam. On 12 July, Charlie Battery of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery made landfall at Cam Ranh Bay, part of a taskforce with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. This force was the first tactical US Army unit to be deployed in the Republic of Vietnam directly from the continental United States.
After returning from Vietnam in March 1970, the 7th Artillery was redesignated the 7th Field Artillery once again on 1 September 1971. The unit insignia was redesigned by replacing the squared shield with a more rounded one, eliminating the three pheons on the bend of the shield, and replacing the seven crosslets with seven blossoms of the Texas bluebonnet, alluding not only to the unit's number, but its birthplace as well. The motto "Nunquam Fractum" was replaced with "Nunquam Aerumna Nec Proelio Fractum" (never broken by hardship or battle). During its Vietnam tour the 105mm howitzers of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery fired more than 1,250.000 rounds in its 55 continuous months of combat while earning 11 new battle honors. With the change of the unit insignia and the loss of the pheons from the shield, the 7th Artillery's Vietnam nickname of "Pheons" was also lost.Vietnam Campaign Participation: *Defense; *Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase II; *Counteroffensive, Phase III; *Tet Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase IV; *Counteroffensive, Phase V; *Counteroffensive, Phase VI; *Tet 69/Counteroffensive; *Summer-Fall 1969; *Winter-Spring 1970Decorations: *Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1966-1967, *Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1967-1968, *Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965-1968, *Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969-1970, *Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1965-1970. Source document: Unpublished history of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery titled "Annual Historical Summary of the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery for the period 1 January 1969, to 19 March 1970" U.S. National Archives.
Kuwait 1990-1991
The artillery battery elements of the 1/7th FA Unit located in Fort DrumFort Drum
Fort Drum is a United States Army base in New York near the Canadian border.Fort Drum may also refer to:*Fort Drum, Florida, a nearly-uninhabited town in the United States*Fort Drum , Philippines...
, New York volunteered approximately 60 young soldiers at a time to participate in a rotation schedule during Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm in late 1990 and early 1991. Although the Unit itself was not activated for combat duty as a whole, these soldiers rotated out over a nine-month period to support the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
s.
Afghanistan
The 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25(Light) Infantry Division, was in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as part of Joint Task Force 76 in Operation Enduring Freedom 2004-2005. During this deployment, Alpha Battery was recorded as having shot the first artillery round in anger for the 25(L)ID since Vietnam.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment was relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division and assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division on 16 November 2005. On 5 August 2006 1-7 FA deployed to the Province of KirkukKirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Not only did they conduct a traditional counter-fire mission, 1-7 FA also set themselves apart as a maneuver taskforce conducting Infantry type mission sets. The use of 1-7 FA as a maneuver asset instead of a Direct Support FA Battalion was a result of the implementation of the Counter Insurgency (COIN) doctrine in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The method of removing the insurgency and strengthening the government could not be done through heavy fires, but rather squad size elements and partnerships with specific spheres of influence.
On 15 October 2007, 3-7 FA returned from Iraq to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and was again awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. They spent the next year conducting a refit and training in preparation for their return to Northern Iraq.
On 16 October 2008, 3-7 FA deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 09-11) to Salah Ad Din Province in Iraq. Operating out of Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher, they were responsible for over 4600 Square Kilometers in and around Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salah Ad Din. From October 2008 to October 2009 they broke from their traditional Artillery role and supported the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a maneuver element partnering with Iraqi Security Forces
Iraqi Security Forces
The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Government of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Air Force, and the Iraqi Navy....
and the Iraqi Government to strengthen security and build civil capacity improving the quality of life for the people of the Tikrit Qada (District).
Current status
The 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment returned to Fort Riley, KS in October 2009 where they were awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Currently, they are conducting reset operations and training to prepare for future deployments in the Contemporary Operational Environment.The 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment deployed in April 2011 to Regional Command-East, Afghanistan as TF Steel in support of 3rd BCT, 25th ID.
Campaign Participation Credit
- World War I:
- Montdidier-Noyon;
- Aisne-Marne;
- St. Mihiel;
- Meuse-Argonne;
- Lorraine 1917;
- Lorraine 1918;
- Picardy 1918
- World War II:
- Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead);
- Tunisia;
- Sicily (with arrowhead);
- Normandy (with arrowhead);
- Northern France
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
- Vietnam:
- Defense;
- Counteroffensive;
- Counteroffensive, Phase II;
- Counteroffensive, Phase III;
- Tet Counteroffensive;
- Counteroffensive, Phase IV;
- Counteroffensive, Phase V;
- Counteroffensive, Phase VI;
- Tet 69/Counteroffensive;
- Summer-Fall 1969;
- Winter-Spring 1970;
Decorations
- Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit CommendationThe 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....
(Army) for VIETNAM 1966-1967 - Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit CommendationThe 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....
(Army) for VIETNAM 1967-1968 - French Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Palm, World War I for LORRAINE-PICARDY - French Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Palm, World War I for AISNE-MARNE and MEUSE-ARGONNE - French Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Palm, World War II for KASSERINE - French Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Palm, World War II for NORMANDY - French Médaille militaireMédaille militaireThe Médaille militaire is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852.-History:The creator of the médaille was the emperor Napoléon III, who may have taken his inspiration in a medal issued by his father, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland...
, FourragèreFourragèreThe fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :... - Belgian Fourragère 1940: Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at MONS and for action at EUPEN-MALMEDY
- Army Superior Unit Award for Operation Joint Endeavor/Joint Guard 1996-1997