319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment / 82nd Airborne Division Artillery
The 82d Airborne Division Artillery deploys anywhere worldwide within 18 hours of notice in order to plan, coordinate and execute lethal and non-lethal fires in support of 82d Airborne Division and other selected maneuver units.
The 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment consists of the 1-319th, 2-319th, and 3-319th Airborne Field Artillery Battalions. In addition, the Regiment has a Headquarters Battery (HHB), and a Delta Battery (Italy).
The 82nd Airborne Division Artillery was organized in 1917 to provide fire support for the new All American Division. Division Artillery performed distinguished service in support of the Division's operation in campaigns throughout France during World War I. The Division was deactivated after that conflict, and was not recalled to active service until 1942.
The 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, under the command of Maxwell D. Taylor, was the first airborne artillery unit to serve in a U. S. Army Division.
In World War II, the Division Artillery received battle streamers for its service in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Naples, Rome-Arno, Normandy, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe.
After a victory parade in New York City following its return from the war, the Division Artillery accompanied the Division to its present home at Fort Bragg. Since that time, Division Artillery units have served in combat in the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and Southwest Asia. The units of Division Artillery are Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (AFAR), 1-319th AFAR, 2-319th AFAR, 3-319th AFAR, and Delta Battery, 319th AFAR.
Because of the Nazi threat, both the 319th Field Artillery and the 82nd Infantry Division were activated 25 March 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. In August, prior to deployment to Europe, the unit was redesignated as the 319th Glider Field Artillery Regiment, with Batteries A through E. That same month, the 82nd was redesignated as the Army's first Airborne Division.
The 319th's first taste of combat came after an airborne/gliderborne assault into Sicily on 9 July 1943. Advancing up the toe of Italy, the 82nd was able to capture the Naples port and the Foggia airfields. The 319th, in direct support of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was credited with much of the success of the campaign.
Following a rest in England, the 319th left the British coast on 6 June 1944, bound for France in 40 gliders. The battalion landed two miles northeast of St. Mere Eglise and three miles from the landing zone. Only a seven-gun battery could be mustered; the remainder of the guns were damaged in the landing. For 37 days, the 75mm truck-drawn tubes provided continuous and accurate fire support, often within 100 meters of friendly troops.
The next combat operation began in Nijmegan, Holland on 17 September 1944. About 2 hours after landing as part of Operation "Market Garden", the battalion was firing on German defenders. Fighting was heavy, resulting in the expenditure of over 34,000 rounds in two months.
Christmas time 1944 was tough for the 319th. From December 1944 until February 1945, they fought back against the German assault in the Ardennes area during the "Battle of the Bulge".
After nearly two years overseas war ended for the All Americans. Troopers of the 82d were awarded three Medals of Honor. (First Sergeant Leonard Funk, Jr., Private First Class Charles N. Deglopper, Private John R. Towle), 70 Distinguished Service Crosses, 894 Silver Star Medals, 2,478 Bronze Star Medals, and numerous foreign decorations.
In July 1945 the Division was ordered for occupation duty where they became known as "America's Guard of Honor." General George S. Patton was so impressed with the 82d, he was quoted as saying, "In all my years in the Army, and of all the honor guards I have ever seen, the 82d honor guard is undoubtedly the best."
In 1965, the "All Americans" were again called to duty under hostile fire. On 29 April 1965 the 82d, under the code name "Power Pack" deployed to Santo Domingo, the revolution-torn capital of the Dominican Republic. Peace and stability were soon restored and again the members of the Division distinguished themselves in their duty. The 1st Brigade and elements from the Regiment served as part of the Inter-American Peace Force for over a year, returning to Fort Bragg in the summer of 1966.
On 12 February 12, during the communist Tet offensive in Vietnam, the 3d Brigade and elements of the Regiment deployed to the North Vietnamese-infected I Corps. After participating in combat operations in the Hue/Phu Bai area, the brigade moved south where they became part of the pacification efforts near Saigon. On 12 December 1969, the 3d Brigade returned to Fort Bragg and the 82d after serving almost 22 months in Vietnam.
On 25 October 1983, two brigade task forces and elements of the Regiment were deployed to the Caribbean Island of Grenada. Within 18 hours of notification, 82d troopers were not only wheels-up from Fort Bragg, but were in a firefight with enemy forces. After a successful mission, the 82d was again called upon.
On 20 December 1989, more than 2,000 Division paratroopers conducted a night combat airborne assault onto Torrijos International Airport, Panama. After the jump and the airport seizure, the 82d successfully carried out multiple follow-on combat missions throughout the country. The Division's decisive action left the Panamanian defense forces destroyed, a ruthless dictator removed, and a duly elected democratic government in power.
The 82d's most recent combat was Operation DESERT STORM. On 8 August 1990, the Division became the vanguard of the largest American deployment since the Vietnam War. As the first unit deployed to Saudi Arabia, the 82d drew President Bush's "Line in the Sand" to deter Saddam Hussein's million man army from further aggression. On 23 February 1991, the lead elements of the Division, along with the French 6th Light Armored Division had already pushed into Iraq. During the short "100 Hour War" Division units drove deep into Iraq and were responsible for the capture of several thousand Iraqi soldiers and the destruction of massive amounts of equipment, Weapons and ammunition. The 82d began redeployment to Fort Bragg on 7 March 1991, after the liberation of Kuwait was complete and a cease-fire agreed to.
