By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:56:00 +0000

I’ve always felt a bond to F Battery since my short stint in the Artillery. Way back in 1992, the army was first down sizing in the post-Cold War era. One of the units slated for deactivation was “F Battery, 5th Air Defense Artillery Battalion, 5th Regiment.” I was the battery executive officer. In addition to all the logistical, budgetary, and administrative things which had to occur, I was responsible for supervising the collection, packing, and shipping of all items of unit heraldry and history. My contact at the Army’s Heraldry Center (Anniston Army Depot at the time) forwarded the information linking our battery directly back to Martin’s Battery. As XO, I stood in front of the formation on cold day in Korea, and read the full lineage and honors of the battery as the CO rolled up the guidon. After the ceremony, I mounted the guidon in the required packing box (to avoid creases and folds), and shipped it off. If what the historian from Anniston said was right, then I watched over the last active service of what was Martin’s Battery. Then again, with the way the Army redesignates units over time, maybe Foxtrot battery will see service again.

Comments on: 5th United States Artillery, Battery F

By: Craig