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Further Reading

C Battery / 1-4 Air Defense Artillery

On order, C/1-4 ADA deploys with or without equipment, provides short range Air Defense in support of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team during all phases of the operation, and redeploys safely.

Originally formed at West Point, New York on 20 October 1786 as Captain Henry Burbeck's Company of Artillery, 1st Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery began a long and proud history leading up to present day. Following its creation the unit underwent a series of redesignations as part of the newly formed Regular Army of the United States, these changes involved naming the unit after the commanding officer.

In April 1802 the unit was consolidated with several other Artillery Units to form a larger unit, still named after its commander it now held the designation of Captain Henry M. Muhlenberg's Company, Regiment of Artillerists. Several more changes in who was commanding the unit meant further redesignations but the size of the unit remained relatively unchanged. It was in this configuration that the battalion first went to war during the War of 1812, participating in the 1815, Louisiana Campaign.

In June of 1821, the battalion was combined with the newly formed 4th Regiment of Artillery picking up the designation of Company D. Under this new designation the D Company, 4th Artillery took part in the Mexican War, fighting through all but one battle in that campaign to include the final assault on the Fortress at Chapultepec.

The start of the Civil War brought the entire 4th Regiment of Artillery into battle and elements of the Regiment fought in almost every major battle of the war. Streamers with names like Antietam, Manassas, Wilderness, Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Appomattox hang proudly from the Regimental Colors. It was the guns of A Battery, 4th Artillery under the command of Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing that stood at The Angle on the 3rd of July, 1863 and helped turn back the Confederates Assault under General George Pickett contributing directly to the victory at Gettysburg. Company D took part in the battle of Cold Harbor and the Siege of Petersburg, additionally the Colors of 1st Battalion, 4th Artillery show participation in the campaigns in Virginia from 1861-1864.

Following the end of the Civil War Company D along with several other elements of 4th Artillery participated in actions against Indians in the West.

In 1901, as part of the formation of the Coast Artillery Corp, the 4th Regiment was broken up and its components assigned as separate numbered companies. The unit that is now known as 1-4 ADA went from being Company D to holding the title of 39th Company, Coast Artillery, Artillery Corps. It was in this function of Coastal Artillery that the 39th Company protected portions of Alabama until being inactivated in September 1921. Units that today are part of 4th Air Defense Artillery deployed to Europe and took part in World War I in the Lorraine earning the Lorraine Cross as seen on the unit shield.

In 1924 the requirement to protect the Panama Canal led to the assignment of several Coastal Artillery units to the Canal Zone. Redesignated as Battery D, 4th Coast Artillery Battalion, the unit continued to serve as a part of the defense of this vital American interest until the latter half of World War II when the unit was used during the Leyte and Ryukyus campaigns. Other elements of the 4th Regiment of Artillery fought across North Africa and up the Italian Peninsula.

By 1950 the changing nature of the battlefield ensured that changes were in store for elements of the 4th Artillery. Released from duties in and around the Canal Zone the unit was consolidated, redesigned and moved to England where it turned in its big guns for weapons designed to combat aircraft. Now known as Battery D, 4th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, the men of Battery D helped protect England during the start of the Cold War until being recalled to the United States and disbanded in November of 1954.

Once again the Battalion was consolidated and reconstituted in the summer of 1958. Now called Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Missile Battalion, 4th Artillery, the unit served as part of the defenses of the Continental United States in the upper New York State Region until again being inactivated in March 1970. During this time period elements of the Regiment were also deployed to Southwest Asia where they fought in support of operations in Vietnam.

In 1971 the Regimental Colors were moved to Fort Bragg where they came under the care of the sole remaining unit on active duty. On 13 September, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where the Regimental colors have remained to present date deploying with that unit on Operation Just Cause in Panama and to the deserts of Southeast Asia as part of Desert Storm. Also on the 13th of September, 1st Battalion was activated in Washington State serving at Forts Lawton and Lewis until again going inactive on 16 April 1988.

In 1996 the decision was made to assign 1-4 Air Defense Artillery as the 1st Armored Divisions organic Air Defense Battalion. In February of that year Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment was activated as part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team and assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas. Exactly one year later the remaining elements of the Battalion (Headquarters, Alpha, Bravo and Delta Batteries) were activated at McCully Barracks, Germany.