The history of the Arkansas Army National Guard and Korean War begins with the reorganization of the Arkansas Army National Guard following World War II. During this period, the Arkansas Air National Guard became a separate component of the Arkansas National Guard. The Arkansas Army National Guard provided Field Artillery and Medical units in support of combat operations in Korea.
Reorganization following World War II
editWith the end of hostilities, the Arkansas National Guard was directed by the War Department to begin re-organization with an expected strength approximately double the size of the pre-war organization. The 39th Infantry Division was reconstituted on 30 September 1946. It was composed of units Arkansas and Louisiana, with its headquarters stationed at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Arkansas portion headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.[1]
| Headquarters | Company | Station |
|---|---|---|
| 39th Division Headquarters (Arkansas Part) | Little Rock | |
| 153rd Infantry Regiment | HHC, 153rd IN | Little Rock |
| Service Company | Searcy | |
| Tank Company, | Pine Bluff | |
| Heavy Mortar Company | DeQueen | |
| Medical Company | Little Rock | |
| 1st Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment | Headquarters and Headquarters Company, | Texarkana |
| Company A, 1-153 IN | Hope | |
| Company B, 1-153 IN | Malvern | |
| Company C, 1-153 IN | Prescott | |
| Company D, 1-153 IN | Arkadelphia | |
| 2nd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment | Headquarters and Headquarters Company, | Morrilton |
| Company E, 2-153 IN | Clarksville | |
| Company F, 2-153 IN | Dardanelle | |
| Company G, 2-153 IN | Conway | |
| Company H, 2-153 IN | Russellville | |
| 3rd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Beebe |
| Company I, 3-153 IN | Jonesboro | |
| Company K, 3-153 IN | Walnut Ridge | |
| Company L, 3-153 IN | Batesville | |
| Company M, 3-153 IN Command | Blytheville | |
| 445th Field Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Marianna |
| Battery A, 445th FA | Helena | |
| Battery B, 445th FA | Newport | |
| Battery C, 445th FA | Brinkley | |
| Service Battery, 445th FA | Wynne, Arkansas | |
| 437th Field Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Hazen |
| Battery A, 437th FA | Hot Springs | |
| Battery B, 437th FA | Newport | |
| Battery C, 437th FA | Dumas | |
| Service Battery, 437th FA | Brinkley | |
| 217th Engineer Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Russellville |
| Company A, 217th EN | Russellville | |
| Company B, 217th EN | Monticello | |
| Company C, 217th EN | Magnolia | |
| Company D, 217th EN | McGehee | |
| Medical Detachment, 217th EN | Russellville | |
| 206th Tank Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | El Dorado |
| Company A, 206th Tank BN | Warren | |
| Company B, 206th Tank BN | Camden | |
| Company C, 206th Tank BN | Fordyce | |
| Company D, 206th Tank BN | Crossett | |
| Medical Detachment, 206th Tank BN | Fordyce | |
| 125th Medical Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Little Rock |
| Clearing Company, 125th Med BN | Little Rock | |
| Ambulance Company, 125th Med BN | Little Rock | |
| 739th Ordnance Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Little Rock |
| Company A, 739th Ord BN | Little Rock | |
| Company B, 739th Ord BN | Little Rock | |
| 39th Division Artillery | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Little Rock |
| 39th Replacement Company | Little Rock | |
| 39th Military Police Company | Little Rock |
In addition, the following non-divisional units were stationed within the state immediately following World War II:
| Headquarters | Company | Station |
|---|---|---|
| State Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment | Little Rock | |
| 106th Army Band | Little Rock | |
| 176th Ordnance Detachment | Little Rock | |
| 148th Evac Hospital | Little Rock | |
| 101st Medical Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment | Booneville |
| 216th Medical Company | Russellville | |
| 217th Medical Company | Booneville | |
| 218th Medical Company | Sheridan | |
| 219th Medical Company | DeWitt | |
| 233rd Medical Company | Charleston | |
| 235th Medical Company | Lonoke | |
| 295th Medical Company | Dermontt | |
| 296th Medical Company | Eudora | |
| 212th Signal Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Little Rock |
| Company A | Danville | |
| Company B | Springdale | |
| Company C | Van Buren | |
| Company D | Little Rock | |
| Company E | Malvern | |
| 875th Engineer Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Pine Bluff |
| Company A | Fayetteville | |
| Company B | Heber Springs | |
| Company C | Stuttgart | |
| Medical Detachment | Pine Bluff | |
| 875th Eng Avn Bn | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Pine Bluff |
| 172nd Engineer Company | Pine Bluff | |
| 709th FA Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Paragould |
| Battery A | Rector | |
| Battery B | Augusta | |
| Battery C | Piggott | |
| Service Battery, 437th FA | Wynne | |
| 142nd Field Artillery Group | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Fayetteville |
| 936th Field Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Fayetteville |
| Battery A | Bentonville | |
| Battery B | Berryville | |
| Battery C | Rogers | |
| Service Battery | Harrison | |
| Medical Detachment | Fayetteville | |
| 937th Field Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Fort Smith |
| Battery A | Mena | |
| Battery B | Paris | |
| Battery C | Ozark | |
| Service Battery | Mena | |
| Medical Detachment | Ozark | |
| 151st Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Harrison |
| Battery A | Mountain Home | |
| Battery B | Berrville | |
| Battery C | Marshall | |
| Battery D | Harrison | |
| Medical Detachment | Harrison | |
| 326th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | West Memphis |
| Battery A | Marked Tree | |
| Battery B | West Memphis | |
| Battery C | Harrisburg | |
| Battery D | West Helena | |
| Medical Detachment | Marked Tree | |
| 327th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion | Headquarters and Headquarters Battery | Jonesboro |
| Battery A | Jonesboro | |
| Battery B | Jonesboro | |
| Battery C | Jonesboro | |
| Battery D | Jonesboro | |
| Medical Detachment | Jonesboro |
Additionally, the state was authorized to form several units under the new Arkansas Air National Guard.
Korean War
editThe following Army National Guard units were called to active duty for service during the Korean War:[2]
The 936th Field Artillery Battalion mobilized August 2, 1950, and moved to Camp Carson, CO for training. It arrived in Korea February 10, 1951, and fired its first combat mission March 30, 1951.[2] The unit provided fire support to 3rd, 25th and 1st Republic of Korea Division as well as the 1st Cavalry Division.[3] The 936th fired 348,547 combat rounds in Korea and suffered 10 killed in action and 28 wounded in action. The battalion was deactivated September 25, 1954.[2] The battalion was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:[2]
- First U.N. Counteroffensive
- CCF Spring Offensive
- UN Spring Offensive
- UN Summer – Fall Offensive
- Second Korean Winter.
. The 937th Field Artillery Battalion was mobilized on the same day as the 936th and moved to Fort Hood, TX for training. It arrived in Korea on the same ship as the 936th and fired its first combat mission April 3, 1951.[2] The battalion went in to line with the I Corps on April 30 near Uijongbu, Korea. During the Chinese Spring Drive the battalion fell back to Seoul and was moved to IX Corps. Battery A continued with X Corps and was attached to the 1st Marine Division. On May 17, 1952, the Battalion was attached to 2nd Division, IX Corps. For the action with 2nd Division, Battery C and Headquarters Battery received the Distinguished Unit Citation. The battalion continued in general support to IX Corps from July 28, 1953, until October 9, 1954.[3] The 937th fired 223,400 combat rounds in Korea and suffered 13 killed in action and 156 wounded in action. The battalion was deactivated November 26, 1954.[2] The battalion was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:[2]
- First U.N. Counteroffensive
- CCF Spring Offensive
- UN Spring Offensive
- UN Summer – Fall Offensive
- Second Korean winter
- Korea, Summer – Fall 1952
- Third Korean Winter
- Korea, Summer 1953.
The 217th Medical Company was mobilized August 2, 1950, and underwent training at Fort Benning, Georgia. The Company departed Fort Lawton, Washington, for January 15, 1951, and arrived in Yokohama, Japan on February 2, 1951. The unit then moved to Kyoto, Japan for training until May 3, 1951. The unit arrived in Pusan, Korea May 4, 1951. The 217th conducted its basic mission of air evacuation of patients to Japan in an area from Pusan north to Seoul. Headquarters Platoon and 1st Platoon were stationed at the K-9 Airbase near Pusan. 2nd Platoon was stationed near Pusan, the 3rd Platoon was stationed near Uljomgby and 4th Platoon was stationed near Chucuhon and Yomdgumgpo and Tamjon. The 217th received the following unit awards during the Korean War:[4]
- The Meritorious Unit Citation
- The Distinguished Unit Citation
- The Korean Presidential Citation
- Japan Occupation Citation
The following units also were called to active duty during the Korean War as well, but were reorganized with combat medical units that were already deployed overseas, many to Korea:[2]
- Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 142nd Field Artillery Group — Germany
- Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 101st Medical Battalion — Germany
- 218th Medical Ambulance Company — Fort Hood and Fort Leonard Wood
Arkansas National Guard Fallen Soldiers
editThis list of soldiers is intended to include all Arkansas National Guardsmen who died during combat operations. This list may be shorter than the list contained in various unit histories because those lists may contain Soldiers who were not Arkansas National Guardsmen prior to mobilization but joined the unit following mobilization. Many Soldiers who were drafted were later assigned to mobilized Guard units.
- Corporal Donald Osbourn[5]
- Captain Paul Blew
- Private First Class Fred Rose, Jr.
- Private First Class Jarrell Graham
References
edit- ^ The 39th Infantry Division 1950 / Louisiana National Guard. Jackson Barracks, New Orleans : Military Dept., State of Louisiana, Office of the Adjutant General, 1950
- ^ a b c d e f g h "History of the Arkansas National Guard: Korea". Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Harry, Smith (December 21, 1962). "Arkansas Army and Air National Guard, a History and Record of Events, 1820-1962". Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas Military Department: 43A.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Harry, Smith (December 21, 1962). "Arkansas Army and Air National Guard, a History and Record of Events, 1820-1962". Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas Military Department: 43B.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Diggs, Jack F, History of the 142nd Field Artillery 1889-1976, 1976