141st Field Artillery Regiment (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=141st Field Artillery Regiment


caption=141st Field Artillery Regiment distinctive insignia
dates=1838-Present
country=United States
branch=Louisiana Army National GuardThe 141st Field Artillery Regiment (Washington Artillery) is a United States artillery regiment.

History

The 141st Field Artillery is an historic American military unit that is currently part of the Louisiana Army National Guard headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It traces its lineage to a militia artillery battery back to 1838, and its heritage includes substantial combat service in several major wars. It earned the Presidential Unit Citation (US) for its service in World War II. The Washington Artillery was founded in 1838 as the Native American Artillery. It received its regimental flag in August 1846 after serving under Zachary Taylor in the Mexican–American War.

During the American Civil War, four companies served in the Army of Northern Virginia and a fifth was in the Army of Tennessee. Elements of the Washington Artillery participated in over sixty major actions. A few notable engagements include: Battle of Antietam, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Shiloh, Battle of Fredericksburg, First Battle of Manassas, and the Battle of Cold Harbor.

After the Civil War, it was reorganized an independent unit called the “Louisiana Volunteer Field Artillery” where it served America in the occupation of Cuba. It later was called into service to protect the Mexican border in 1916. A year later it received the designation 141st Artillery. In early 1941, the 141st Field Artillery was mobilized for World War II where it earned the Presidential Unit Citation; a duplicate unit was formed, the 935th Field Artillery Battalion, with both serving in Europe and North Africa. The anti-tank batteries of the battalion were separated in mid-1941, and formed the 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion.

Between 1959 and 1967, several sister Units were combined to form the 141st Field Artillery Battalion. In mid-2004 the 141st FA as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade mobilized to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Current

The 141st Field Artillery currently consists of the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery. It is assigned as the Fires Battalion for the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana Army National Guard.

Normally headquartered in the famed Jackson Barracks, the extensive damage to the Barracks caused by Hurricane Katrina has relocated the Unit to temporary quarters in New Orleans East until mid-2009.

Commanders

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/3501/ Washington Artillery Service Record / History]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/3501/rosters.htm/ Washington Artillery Civil War Rosters]
* [http://www.washingtonartilleryuniformstandards.bravepages.com/ Washington Artillery Early Uniforms (Unofficial)]
* [http://www.washingtonartillery.info/history.htm Washington Artillery History Page (Unofficial)]
* [http://www.la.ngb.army.mil/1-141/default.htm Louisiana National Guard 1/141 Official Home Page]
* [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/FA/141FieldArtilleryRegiment.htm 141st Field Artillery Insignia]
* [http://www.bryansbush.com/hub.php?page=articles&layer=a0610 "The Washington Artillery, 5th Company, at the Battle of Perryville"] — Article by Civil War historian/author Bryan S. Bush