4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery


caption=42d Field Artillery Regiment coat of arms
dates= *1918-1919
*1933-1946
*1959-1970
*?-present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= Regular Army
type= Field Artillery
role=
size= Battalion
command_structure=1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
garrison=Fort Hood
garrison_label=
equipment=
equipment_label=
nickname=Straight Arrows
patron=
motto="Festina Lente"
("Hurry Slowly")
colors=
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march=
mascot=
battles=World War I
World War II
Vietnam War
Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=
decorations=Presidential Unit Citation
Superior Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award
battle_honours=
current_commander=
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief=
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colonel_of_the_regiment=
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notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=The 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery nicknamed the Straight Arrows— is a field artillery battalion in the United States Army. Their motto is "Festina Lente" ("hurry slowly").

Unit assignment

Based at Fort Hood, Texas the 4/42 FA is under the command of U.S. 1st Brigade 4th Infantry Division. Each of the two gun batteries (A, B) support a different battalion in the brigade. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) provides the necessary support components for the running of the battalion and is also the home to the Fire Support Specialists or "Fisters." The battalion was the first in the Army to transition to the new Conservative Heavy Division (CHD) design.

The battalion deployed to Iraq in late April 2003. Combat operations were conducted initially in the area of Taji Airfield, just outside of Baghdad. The battalion moved north to the Tikrit area, leaving Battery B at Taji in support of Task Force Gunner until approximately October 2004. The battalion (less B Btry until fall) was stationed at FOB Arrow near the village of Ad Dwar, slightly to the southeast of Tikrit along the Tigris River. During their time at FOB Arrow, the battalion functioned in their traditional role of providing fire support to the 1st Brigade and other units in the area, and also conducted infantry operations in their sector. Some of these operations included combat patrols, raids, and general patrolling and stability operations in and around Ad Dwar. The battalion also participated in Operation Red Dawn in December 2003, and had unit members on the objective during the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. 4/42 continued to conduct combat operations until their redeployment in March 2004. During this first deployment to Iraq, the battalion was responsible for capturing several former regime members that were wanted by the coalition, capturing scores of weapons and explosives, and engaging in direct combat with insurgents and terrorists in their area. The battalion also helped to rebuild schools and provide security to the local poplulation and insured safe and secure access to public services such as power and water, and also provided security for food distribution and fuel/petroleum sales. The battalion was deployed again in December 2005 And stationed at Camp Taji, 14 kilometers north of Baghdad. They returned December 2006.

Lineage

*Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army as Battery D, 42nd Field Artillery, an element of the 14th Division
*Organized 10 August 1918 at Camp Custer, Michigan
*Demobilized 7 February 1919 at Camp Custer, Michigan
*Reconstituted 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as Battery D, 42nd Field Artillery.
*Absorbed 1 October 1940 by Battery A, 42nd Field Artillery Battalion. (Battery A, 42nd Field Artillery, redesignated 1 October 1940 as Battery A, 42nd Field Artillery Battalion, and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia, as an element of the 4th Division — later redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division
*Inactivated 16 February 1946 at Fort Ord, California
*Consolidated 28 June 1950 with Battery A, 42nd Coast Artillery [organized in 1907] , and consolidated unit designated as Battery A, 42nd Field Artillery Battalion
*Former Battery D, 42nd Field Artillery, reconstituted 1 April 1957 in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Howitzer Battalion, 42nd Artillery, activated 6 May 1959 at Fort Lewis, Washington
*Redesignated 1 October 1963 as the 4th Battalion, 42nd Artillery
*Inactivated 15 December 1970 at Fort Carson, Colorado
*Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery

Decorations

*Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered LUXEMBOURG (42nd Field Artillery Battalion cited; WD GO 30, 1946)
*Belgian Fourragère 1940 (42nd Field Artillery Battalion cited; DA GO 43, 1950)
*Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM (42nd Field Artillery Battalion cited; DA GO 43, 1950)
*Army Superior Unit Award for successful participation in the Army's Advanced Warfighting Experiment; March 1997
*Valorous Unit Award, for service in Iraq during Operation Red Dawn (Capture of Saddam Hussein)

Killed in action

Vietnam War

* November 11, 1966 - Charles Edward Brown Jr. (Battery C)
* December 11, 1966 - Dennis William Anderson (Battery B)
* December 14, 1966 - Kim Sovereen Bird (Battery C)
* May 29, 1967 - George Joseph Carr (Battery B)
* July 12, 1967 - Fred Garland Bragg Jr. (Battery B)
* July 12, 1967 - Le Roy Harland Charboneau (Battery B)
* July 12, 1967 - James Michael Haider (Battery B)
* November 9, 1967 - Robert E Scharon III (Battery B)
* November 20, 1967 - Thelbert G Page (HHB)
* November 26, 1967 - Jonathan Blue Jr. (HHB)
* November 30, 1967 - Jack Rogers (Battery A)
* February 2, 1968 - John Paul Culp (Battery B)
* May 27, 1968 - Larry Anthony Carvetta (Battery B)
* May 27, 1968 - Tom Galvez (Battery B)
* May 27, 1968 - Frank William Garapolo (Battery B)
* May 27, 1968 - John Richard Lindel (Battery B)
* May 27, 1968 - James Daniel McKelvey (Battery B)
* June 1, 1968 - Gary Koyle Darrah (Battery B)
* June 1, 1968 - Robert Lee Graham (Battery B)
* June 1, 1968 - Joseph Cephus King Jr. (Battery B)
* August 28, 1968 - Marcelino Nieves-Colon Jr. (Battery C)
* September 7, 1968 - Michael John Abruzzesa (Battery A)
* September 7, 1968 - John Wayne Johnson (Battery A)
* September 7, 1968 - George Dennis Taylor (Battery A)
* November 11, 1968 - John Daniel Shermos (HHB)
* March 3, 1969 - Jerry Glenn Ervin (Battery B)
* February 21, 1970 - Jeffrey Thomas Beardsley (Battery C)
* May 13, 1970 - Richard Alan Patterson (Battery C)
* September 11, 1970 - James Leonard Knobles (HHB)

Iraq War 1st Tour 2003 to 2004

* August 13, 2003 - Sgt. Steven W. White (HHB) - Killed when his armored personnel carrier hit an anti-tank mine.
* September 18, 2003 - Spc. Richard Arriaga (HHB) - Killed when ambushed by small arms fire and a rocket propelled grenade near Tikrit Iraq.
* September 18, 2003 - Sgt. Anthony O. Thompson (HHB) - Killed when ambushed by small arms fire and a rocket propelled grenade near Tikrit Iraq.
* September 18, 2003 - Spc. James C. Wright (HHB) - Killed when ambushed by small arms fire and a rocket propelled grenade near Tikrit Iraq.

=Second Tour 2005 to 2006=
* June 27, 2006- SFC Terry O.P. Wallace (HHB) - Killed when an IED hit his Humvee outside of Camp Taji
* September 14, 2006 - CPL Russell M. Makowski (B) - Killed By an IED while on dismounted patrol outside the Taji Market.

External links

* [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/lineage/branches/fa/0042fa04bn.htm U.S. Army Center for Military History] - Official U.S. Army Lineage