World War II
The 142nd Field Artillery Regiment was ordered to active federal service 6 January 1941 and moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where the 3rd Battalion was disbanded. In February the regiment moved to Camp Bowie, Texas and began extensive training. On 25 February 1943 the 142nd Field Artillery Regiment was disbanded. The headquarters was redesignated the 142nd Field Artillery Group, the 1st Battalion became the 936th and the 2nd became the 937th. These were independent battalions equipped with the 155 mm howitzer.
The 142nd Field Artillery Group left Camp Bowie 25 September 1943 and arrived in England on 3 November 1943. It crossed Utah Beach 10 June 1944 and participated in the European offensive with up to five battalions attached. When the war ended the 142nd Field Artillery Group was twenty-five miles from the Elbe River.
The 936th Field Artillery Battalion left Camp Bowie 9 August 1943, arrived in Algiers 2 September 1943 and landed in Naples, Italy 11 November 1943. It participated in the drive across the Rapido River, the liberation of Rome and the assault on Mount Cassino. When the war ended the 936th was across the Po River, about forty five miles from Venice. It had fired 139,364 rounds in combat and was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:
- Naples-Foggia,
- Rome-Arno,
- North Apennines, and
- Po Valley.
The 937th Field Artillery Battalion left Camp Bowie on 10 August 1943, arrived in Algiers 2 September 1943 and landed in Naples, Italy 11 November 1943. It participated in the drive across the Rapido River and the liberation of Rome. It then prepared for and participated in the amphibious landings in southern France 15 August 1944. One of vessels carrying the 937th FAB was hit by a German bomber, resulting in one killed in action, two missing in action, eighty-three wounded and the loss of the fire-direction equipment and one battery of howitzers. The 937th fired over 200,000 combat rounds and was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:
- Naples-Foggio,
- Rome-Arno,
- Southern France, (with arrowhead)
- Rhineland, and
- Central Europe
Read more about this topic: 142nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
Famous quotes containing the words world war, world and/or war:
“One ... aspect of the case for World War II is that while it was still a shooting affair it taught us survivors a great deal about daily living which is valuable to us now that it is, ethically at least, a question of cold weapons and hot words.”
—M.F.K. Fisher (1908–1992)
“And as my wit doth best devise,
Love’s dwelling is in ladies’ eyes,
From whence do glance love’s piercing darts,
That make such holes into our hearts;
And all the world herein accord,
Love is a great and mighty lord;”
—George Peele (1559–1596)
“What war has always been is a puberty ceremony. It’s a very rough one, but you went away a boy and came back a man, maybe with an eye missing or whatever but godammit you were a man and people had to call you a man thereafter.”
—Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (b. 1922)