2nd Battalion- 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment
On 5 August 1917 the 321st Field Artillery Regiment was constituted as part of the National Army and was assigned to the 82nd Division. This regiment, along with its sister regiments, the 319th and the 320th was officially activated as part of the 157th Field Artillery Brigade on 29 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, near Atlanta. Organized initially as horse-drawn artillery, the 320th and 321st were authorized four three-inch guns per battery while the 319th was authorized four six-inch howitzers.
After the regiments training on American soil the 321st arrived in LeHarve, France in early June. They were issued French 1897M1 75mm field guns as its primary artillery piece. The "French 75" was adopted rather than the US made M1902 (3 inch gun), because the "75" had a higher rate of fire, greater accuracy and a highly advanced technological recoil system.
The 321st first saw action during World War I during the Lorraine Campaign. The following month the 321st saw more action during the St.Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. During the final days of WWI the 321st moved from Imecourt to Les Islettes where it was encamped when the Armistice was declared. Upon returning to the United States the 321st was demobilized. It was reconstituted on 5 June 1930 in the Organized Reserves and consolidated with Battery C, 321st Field
During World War II, the 321st Field Artillery was reorganized and redesignated on 13 February 1942 as Battery C, 321st Field Artillery Battalion, before bring ordered into active military service. It was reorganized and redesignated on 15 August 1942 as Battery C, 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division. During the Normandy and D-Day invasion the 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion initially landed on Utah Beach aboard the John S Mosby , a “Liberty” ship. By 9 June 1944, the 321st was firing in support of a coordinated offensive action undertaken by the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) as they crossed the Douve River.
The 321st continued offensive operations supporting the 327th GIR throughout this early campaign. Once across the Douve, the 321st set up its guns near Catz, laying fire on the far banks of the canal. It was relieved from action on 10 July 1944 and sailed for the base camp in England aboard an LST on 13 July 1944.
