15th
Battalions
15th Field Artillery
Regiment
INDIANHEADS
15th Battalions
Most of the eight
battalions of the 15th Field Artillery have been deactivated. These battalions include the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
and 8th.
The 1/15th and 2/15th are the only two battalions of the 15th Field Artillery that are active today. The 1/15th is stationed at Camp Casey, Korea, and the 2/15th at Fort Drum, New York.
IMPORTANT: We would like to add more information to this web page. If you served with any of these battalions, or can add to the history on this web site, please contact Dave Holdorf with complete information about your battalion. Allons!
The Eight Battalions
of the
15th Field Artillery
Regiment
1st Bn, 15th FA
Camp Casey, Korea (Active Duty)
2nd
Bn, 15th FA
Ft. Drum,
New York (Active Duty)
Ft.
Wainwright, Alaska (1950-60's)
The 3rd Bn, 15th FA traces its lineage back to Battery C, 1st Bn, 15th FA, which was organized as part of the 15th FA Regiment on 1 June 1917, at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. The 15th FA Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division on 21 September 1917. Prior to 1956, honors and awards were earned in WW-I as Battery C, 1st Bn, 15th FA, and in WW-II and the Korean War as Battery C, 15th FA Bn. In 1956, the 15th FA Bn was redesignated as the 15th Armored Field Artillery (AFA) Bn while assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. On 20 June 1957, Battery C, 15th AFA Bn was inactivated and redesignated as the 3rd Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery.
Concurrently, it was withdrawn from the Regular Army and assigned to the Army Reserve as part of the 79th Infantry Division. It was reactivated in Reading Pennsylvania on 6 April 1959, and in 1963, it was reassigned to the 157th Infantry Brigade (Chester, PA) and redesignated on 31 January 1968 as the 3rd Bn, 15th FA. Further, in 1976, the 3rd Bn, 15th FA was relocated to Ft. McClellan, Alabama. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Bibliography: McKenney, Janice E., Army Lineage Series, "Field Artillery Regular Army and Army Reserve" US Army Center of Military History, Government Printing Office, 1985, Page 239.
The 4th Bn, 15th FA traces its lineage back to Battery D, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, which was organized as part of the 15th FA Regiment on 1 June 1917, at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. The 15th FA Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division on 21 September 1917. Battery D was absorbed by Battery A, 15th FA Bn on 1 October 1940. Prior to 1956, honors and awards were earned in WW-I as Battery D, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, and in WW-II and the Korean War as Battery A, 15th FA Bn. In 1956, Battery A, 15th FA Bn was redesignated as Battery A, 15th Armored Field Artillery (AFA) Bn while assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. On 20 June 1957, the former Battery D, 15th FA Bn was reconstituted into the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Bn, 15th Artillery. It was then redesignated on 19 March 1959 as the 4th Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery and allotted to the Army Reserve as part of the 90th Infantry Division in San Antonio, Texas. Subsequently, the 4th Bn, 15th Artillery was inactivated on 31 December 1965 and relieved from assignment to the 90th Infantry Division. While in inactive status it was redesignated as the 4th Bn, 15th FA on 1 September 1971. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Bibliography: McKenney, Janice E., Army Lineage Series, "Field Artillery Regular Army and Army Reserve" US Army Center of Military History, Government Printing Office, 1985, Page 241.
5th Bn, 15th FA The 5th Bn, 15th FA traces its lineage back to Battery E, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, which was organized as part of the 15th FA Regiment on 1 June 1917, at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. The 15th FA Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division on 21 September 1917. On 1 October 1940, Battery E was absorbed by Battery B, 15th FA Bn. Prior to 1956, honors and awards were earned in WW-I as Battery E, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, and in WW-II and the Korean War as Battery B, 15th FA Bn. In 1956, the 15th FA Bn was redesignated as the 15th Armored Field Artillery (AFA) Bn while assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. On 20 June 1957, the former Battery E, 15th FA Bn was reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB), 5th Bn, 15th Artillery. Redesignated 19 March 1959, as HHB, 5th Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery. Concurrently, it was withdrawn from the Regular Army and assigned to the Army Reserve as part of the 83rd Infantry Division. It was reactivated in Dayton, Ohio as the 5th Bn, 15th Artillery on 20 March 1959.
Bravo Battery Buzzards
5th Battalion, 15th Field Artillery
Ft Ord, California
Subsequently, it was inactivated at Dayton, Ohio on 31 December 1965, and redesignated on 1 September 1971 as the 5th Bn, 15th Field Artillery. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Bibliography: McKenney, Janice E., Army Lineage Series, "Field Artillery Regular Army and Army Reserve" US Army Center of Military History, Government Printing Office, 1985, Page 243.
6th Bn, 15th FA (Also see: 6/15 FA)
The 6th Bn, 15th FA traces its lineage back to Battery F, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, which was organized as part of the 15th FA Regiment on 1 June 1917, at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. The 15th FA Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division on 21 September 1917. On 1 October 1940, Battery F was absorbed by Battery C, 15th FA Bn. Prior to 1956, honors and awards were earned in WW-I as Battery F, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, and in WW-II and the Korean War as Battery C, 15th FA Bn. In 1956, the 15th FA Bn was redesignated as the 15th Armored Field Artillery (AFA) Bn while assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. On 20 June 1957, the Former Battery F, 15th FA was reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 6th Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery, and was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division in Korea. The 6th Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery was inactivated in Korea on 1 July 1963 and was subsequently reactivated on 1 November 1966 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. On 22 May 1967, the "Indianheads" of the 6th Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery were deployed to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) as a 105mm Towed Howitzer Bn. The Bn was initially assigned at Lai Khe,RVN, and was attached to the 1st Infantry Division. On 1 April 1968, they were redesignated as the 6th Bn, 15th Artillery. On 15 July 1968, the Bn was transferred to the 23rd Artillery Group at Tan Son Nhut, RVN, and then on to Tay Ninh, RVN. They were further reassigned to the 54th Artillery Group at Long Thanh, RVN, on 15 August 1969, and assigned directly to the 2nd Field Force Vietnam Artillery on 21 October 1969. The 6th Bn, 15th Artillery left RVN on 22 November 1969, and was inactivated at Ft. Lewis, Washington. The Bn was redesignated as the 6th Bn, 15th Field Artillery on 1 September 1971. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Bibliography: McKenney, Janice E., Army Lineage Series, "Field Artillery Regular Army and Army Reserve" US Army Center of Military History, Government Printing Office, 1985, Page 245.
Stanton, Shelby L., "Vietnam Order of Battle", Galahad Books, New York, 1986, Page 99.
7th Bn, 15th FA (Also see: 7/15 FA) The 7th Bn, 15th FA traces its lineage back to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), 1st Bn, 15th FA, which was organized as part of the 15th FA Regiment on 1 June 1917, at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. The 15th FA Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division on 21 September 1917. Reorganized and redesignated 15 March 1921, as HHD and Combat Train, 1st Bn, 15th FA. Redesignated 1 July 1924, as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) and Combat Train, 1st Bn, 15th FA. On 1 October 1940, HHB, 1st Bn, 15th FA was absorbed by HHB, 15th FA Bn. Prior to 1956, honors and awards were earned in WW-I as HHD, 1st Bn, 15th FA, and in WW-II and the Korean War as HHB, 15th FA Bn. In 1956, the 15th FA Bn was redesignated as the 15th Armored Field Artillery (AFA) Bn while assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. On 20 June 1957, the former HHB, 1st Bn, 15th FA was reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as HHB, 7th Bn, 15th Artillery. On 8 August 1962, it was redesignated as HHB, 7th Howitzer Bn, 15th Artillery, and on 17 September 1962, was activated at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and further redesignated 1 June 1964 as the 7th Bn, 15th Artillery. On 8 June 1967, the "Indianheads" of the 7th Bn, 15th Artillery were deployed to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) as an 8-inch, Self-Propelled (SP M110) Howitzer Bn. After arriving in RVN on 1 July 1967, it was initially assigned to the 41st Artillery Group at Phu Cat, RVN. In the fall of 1967, some M110 weapons platforms were converted to the M107, 175mm Gun configuration in order to double the firing range to more than 32,000 meters (almost 20 miles). From July 1967 to February 1968, the 7th Bn, 15th Artillery provided Heavy Artillery support to the 1st Air Cavalry Division in the Central Highlands (Binh Dinh, Kontum and Pleiku Provinces). Battery A was located at LZ English, HHB and Battery B were located at LZ Uplift, and Battery C had a two-gun Platoon at LZ Pony and a two-gun Platoon at LZ Diamond Head supporting the, Republic of Korea Capital Division, while Service Battery maintained the Base Camp at Phu Cat. When the 1st Air Cavalry Division moved north to Thua Thien Province in the 1st Corps Tactical Zone (CTZ) the 7th Bn, 15th Artillery remained in the Central Highlands supporting the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 4th Infantry Division, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), and the US Special Forces. The 7th Bn, 15th Artillery relocated to An Khe in January of 1970 and in late 1970, control of the Bn was transferred to the 52nd Artillery Group at Phu Cat. The 7th Bn, 15th Artillery left RVN on 28 November 1971, after firing more than 360,000 rounds of heavy artillery fire, suffered approximately 19 KIA’s, and approximately 200 WIA’s. The Bn was redesignated as the 7th Bn, 15th Field Artillery on 1 September 1971, and was subsequently inactivated at Ft. Lewis, Washington on 31 July 1972. The 7th Bn, 15th FA was later reactivated and served with the 7th Infantry Division (Light) during Operation "Just Cause" in Panama. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Bibliography: McKenney, Janice E., Army Lineage Series, "Field Artillery Regular Army and Army Reserve" US Army Center of Military History, Government Printing Office, 1985, Page 247.
Stanton, Shelby L., "Vietnam Order of Battle", Galahad Books, New York, 1986, Page 100.
8th Bn, 15th FA The 8th Bn, 15th FA traces its lineage back to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), 2nd Bn, 15th FA, which was organized as part of the 15th FA Regiment on 1 June 1917, at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. The 15th FA Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division on 21 September 1917. Reorganized and redesignated 15 March 1921, as HHD and Combat Train, 2nd Bn, 15th FA. Redesignated 1 July 1924, as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) and Combat Train, 2nd Bn, 15th FA. On 1 October 1940, HHB, 2nd Bn, 15th FA was absorbed by and redesignated as HHB, 15th FA Bn. Prior to 1956, honors and awards were earned in WW-I as HHD, 2nd Bn, 15th FA, and in WW-II and the Korean War as HHB, 15th FA Bn. In 1956, the 15th FA Bn was redesignated as the 15th Armored Field Artillery (AFA) Bn while assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. On 20 June 1957, the former HHB, 2nd Bn, 15th FA was reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as HHB, 8th Bn, 15th Artillery. On 21 March 1961, it was redesignated as HHB, 8th Missile Bn, 15th Artillery, and on 19 April 1961, was activated at Ft. Bliss, Texas. The Bn was further redesignated 20 December 1965 as the 8th Bn, 15th Artillery. The Bn was redesignated as the 8th Bn, 15th Field Artillery on 1 September 1971, and was inactivated at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida.
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Meritorious Unit Commendation |
The 8th Bn, 15th Field Artillery was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for the period 20 October 1962 – 1 June 1963 for its support during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Bibliography: McKenney, Janice E., Army Lineage Series, "Field Artillery Regular Army and Army Reserve" US Army Center of Military History, Government Printing Office, 1985, Page 247.
Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3, "Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register", HQs, Department of the Army, 28 October 1986, Page 21.
Portions of this page were written by:
Dan Gillotti (15th Historian)
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