321st Engineer Battalion (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 321^st Engineer Battalion


caption=Coat of Arms of the 321st Engineer Battalion
dates=
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= U.S. Army
type= Engineer
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison=
garrison_label=
equipment=
equipment_label=
nickname=
patron=
motto= "Semper Tentare," to Always Try
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
battles=World War II
Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=
current_commander=
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Distinctive Unit Insignia
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=

The 321st Engineer Battalion was an Army Reserve battalion with active service in World War II and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

History

The 321st Engineer Battalion was constituted in the National Army on September 5 1918 as the 321st Engineers, and assigned to the 96th Division. Four months later, on 7 January 1919, the unit was disbanded. The unit was reconstituted in the Organized Reserves on June 24 1921 as the 321st Engineers, again assigned to the 96th Division. The battalion was organized in Seattle, Washington in January of 1922. On January 30, 1942, the unit was reorganized as an element of the 96th Infantry Division, and was redesignated as the 321st Engineer Battalion. The Battalion was ordered to active service along with the 96th Infantry Division on August 15 1942. This time, they were organized at Camp Adair, Oregon as the 321st Engineer Combat Battalion. After service in the Pacific Theater, the unit is inactivated at Camp Anza, California on February 3 1946. On December 1 1946, the battalion was activated with headquarters in Reno, Nevada. Later on, on November 10 1948, the headquarters were moved to Boise, Idaho. On November 15, 1953, the battalion was again redesignated as the 321st Engineer Battalion. They were relieved from assignment to the 96th Infantry Division on February 15 1963. The unit was reassigned to the 70th Regional Support Command in 1996 [U.S. Army Center of Military History. "Lineage and Honors: 321st Engineer Battalion."] . The battalion was activated as the lead element of Task Force Pathfinder, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in 2006 [Kolb 2008, pg 3.] .

Combat History

The 321st Engineer Battalion served with the 96th Infantry Division in the Pacific Theater from 1942 to 1946. Major areas of operation include Leyte Island, Philippines, and Okinawa, Japan [Globalsecurity.org: "96th Regional Readiness Command."] .

The battalion was activated as the lead element of Task Force Pathfinder in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in May 2006 to October 2007. Major areas of operation include Al Anbar, Iraq, specifically Ar Ramadi, and Fallujah [Kolb 2008, pg 3-4.] .

Insignia

A silver metal and enamel device, 1 3/32 inches in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a pale Argent, on a chief of the last a setting sun of the first. Attached below the shield a red scroll, upturned, inscribed "Semper Tentare".

Symbolism

The shield is red and white, the colors of the Engineer Corps. The pale stripe represents the Columbia River and the setting sun symbolizes that unit is organized in the westernmost states.

History

The insignia was originally approved for the 321st Engineer Regiment, Organized Reserves on July 14 1930. On September 22, 1942 it was redesignated for the 321st Engineer Battalion [The Institute of Heraldry. "321st Engineer Battalion"] .

Decorations

*Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Okinawa
*Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for the Pacific Theater – 1944
*Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for the Pacific Theater – 1945
*Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for 17 October 1944 to 4 July 1945 [U.S. Army Center of Military History. "Lineage and Honors: 321st Engineer Battalion."] .

Notes

References

Citation
last = Globalsecurity.org
title = 96th Regional Readiness Command
url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/96rsc.htm
accessdate = 2008-04-13

Citation
last = Kolb
first = Richard K.
title = Army Reserve: Serving the Nation for 100 Years
newspaper = VFW Magazine
page = 3 - 4
year = 2008
date = April 2008
url = http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:xI3PO8PSpZcJ:209.61.225.240/resources/levelxmagazine/0804_100%2520Years%2520of%2520Army%2520Reserve.pdf+321st+engineer+battalion&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=46&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Citation
last = The Institute of Heraldry
title = 321st Engineer Battalion
url = http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Eng/321EngineerBattalion.htm
accessdate = 2008-04-13

Citation
last = U.S. Army
first = Center of Military History
title = Lineage and Honors Information: 321st Engineer Battalion
url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/eng/0321enbn.htm
accessdate = 2008-04-13