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110th Combat Engineer Battalion

The 110th Engineer Battalion supported humanitarian relief operations in Honduras with 3 troop rotations and several duration support staff. The 110th is supporting efforts to increase strength and awareness of the Missouri Army National Guard through Task Force Arrowhead. In Germany, the Battalion is providing Tactical Support for Regualar Army troops in by portraying oppositions forces. Macon Training Site site improvements are being made with the focus being a rock hauling mission supported by the 110th. Innovative Readiness Training, local community support and improvements are being made through efforts of the Guard and local leaders. Each company is engaged in on-going efforts to improve the quality of life for local communities.

Missouri National Guard Training Sites participated in several youth conservation programs in 1998. Wappapello Training Site provided a site for the National Turkey Federation's J.A.K.E.S. program, or Juniors Acquiring Knowledge Ethics and Sportsmanship. Members of the 135th Combat Engineer Group and the 1140th Engineer Battalion, Cape Girardeau, assisted the group with logistics and transportation. The kids learned about wildlife conservation and hunter safety and participated in activities such as compass courses and archery lessons. This annual event has won national awards due to the efforts of approximately ten cooperating organizations and agencies

Almost 12,000 soldiers trained in Central America by August 1999 as part of "Nuevos Horizontes." The majority of participants in "New Horizons" (as the exercise is called in English) are National Guard and Army Reserve troops deployed for two- or three-week rotations. They provided humanitarian assistance and completing engineering projects in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua -- four nations hit hard last fall by Hurricanes Georges and Mitch. In Honduras, the 135th Engineer Group and the 110th Engineer Battalion (both from the Missouri Army National Guard and the 225th Engineer Group (from the Louisiana Army National Guard) are working on several projects. The Ohio Army National Guard maintained an operations and logistics center at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, to spearhead the projects in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Operations in Honduras are under the direction of Joint Task Force-Bravo, also located at Soto Cano Air Base. JTF Bravo has responsibility for combined arms and counterdrug operations in Central America, along with the civil-military projects.

During the war between the states, a state militia was formed in Kansas City to protect it in case of attack or riot, the unit was never used. After the war, the unit became a social organization rather than a military unit. The 3d Missouri Infantry was organized in 1886. When the Spanish War broke out, the 3d Missouri Infantry was redesignated in May 14, 1898; the 3rd Missouri Volunteers. They were stationed at Camp Alger, Virginia, and old Camp Head, Pennsylvania. The unit served with distinction in the Philippine Islands; mustered out November 7 , 1898.

On July 8, 1916, they were called out for the Mexican Border War. They were stationed in Laredo, Texas. Mustered out September 26, 1916. When World War I came, the 3rd Infantry on March 25, 1917, consolidated with the 6th Infantry and was redesignated the 140th Infantry 35th Division, September 29, 1917. The 110th Engineers came into being during the year 1917; one battalion being organized in Missouri by Major E.M. Stayton of Independence, Missouri; and one battalion in Kansas by Major Leigh Hunt of that state. Upon organization, both battalions reported to Camp Doniphan where they were formed into a regiment under the command of Colonel Sherwood Cheney of the regular Army. The regiment was equipped, trained and moved to France under the command of Colonel Cheney. Colonel Cheney soon was promoted to Brigadier General and Colonel Clark was given command, he in turn was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel E. M. Stayton who commanded the regiment until its deactivation after the war. During the stay in France, the unit took part in the battles of Alsace, Lorrain, and Meuse-Argone. Having participated in these battles, the unit was authorized to place on their regimental flag streamers for these battles.

During the stay in France the unit took part in a number of engagements, the most notable one being in the Argonne Forest where a group of Engineers from the 110th were working with pick and shovel when a group of Germans attacked them. Since the Engineers had no other weapons at hand they beat off the attackers with pick handles and shovels till they could be relieved by the Infantry. During the action in France, eight members of the unit were decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry in action.

The unit was mustered out May 3, 1919. Reorganized as 3rd Missouri Infantry August 6, 1920 from 7th Infantry. Redesignated 3rd Combat Engineers May 1, 1921.

The unit was then reorganized in October 1, 1921 as the 110th Combat Engineer Regiment of the Missouri National Guard. As a National Guard unit, drill was held once a week in the Armory at 3620 Main Street and an encampment of two weeks was attended each summer at Camp Clark, Missouri. The first maneuvers the regiment attended was held in Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1937; the second one was at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, in 1940. During this period, the Military Country Club was obtained.

On December 23, 1940, the regiment was inducted into Federal service for one years training. After induction, the unit remained in Kansas City for ten days then moved to Camp Robinson, Arkansas to join the rest of the 35th Division of which it was a part. The unit immediately went into training as a part of the division and in August of 1941 moved to southern Arkansas, to participate in Second Army Maneuvers. upon completion of the maneuvers in October 1941, the regiment returned to Camp Robinson. Camp life there was resumed until shortly after Pearl Harbor, at which time the regiment along with the rest of the division began the move to Fort Ord, California. The short time at Fort Ord was spent in training and beach defense. On January 17, 1942, the division moved to San Luis Obispo where the 110th Engineers went into intensive training. While at Camp San Luis Obispo the 35th Division was triangulized and the 110th Engineer Regiment as divided into two separate battalions, the first Battalion retaining the 110th designation, while the second Battalion became the second Battalion of the 131st Engineers. Shortly after the split, the second Battalion moved to the Camp Shelby, Mississippi to join the First Battalion of its unit. The unit continued training until April and then moved to the Los Angeles area with the rest of the division. While in that area, the 110th participated in the defense of the beach there and perfected its infantry training.

In January 1943, the 35th Division less the 110th Engineers and certain other of its units, was ordered back to Camp San Luis Obispo. The 110th Engineers continued its duties as Southern California sector troops until April and then moved to Fort Ord to become a part of the Amphibious Force Number 9. Immediately upon arrival at Fort Ord, the unit began amphibious training and in July 1943 set sail for the assault on Kisha. Enroute, a four-day stop was made at Adak where the unit debarked and familiarized themselves with weather and terrain of the Aleutian Islands. After embarking again, the force set sail and on August 15, 1943, landed upon Kiska. What was supposed to be a surprise landing against the Japanese, turned out to be a surprise to the ATF number 9 for the Japanese had pulled out leaving the island deserted. The 110th spent the next seven weeks in unloading supplies, building roads, docks and Headquarter buildings, and on the 25th of September loaded again on a ship and set out for Hawaii arriving there on October 2, 1943.

The eleven month stay on the island of Oahu was spent in training and all types of construction work. The training included a week in the well known Jungle Training Camp there while the construction work included the building of training camps, sewer systems, water systems, rifle ranges, warehouse, roads, training facilities, and various other types of work. On July 1, 1944, the unit was attached to the Seventh Infantry Division and began preparations to accompany the Division to assault the island Yap. After processing the equipment and orienting the officers, the unit left Pearl Harbor on September 15, but had been to sea only twenty-four hours when a radiogram was received informing us that the target had been changed to Leyte Island in the Philippines and the 24th Corps, of which the 110th was a part, would go under the command of General MacArthur for the operation. The time table was changed so that it became necessary to waste time. To do that, the convoy proceeded to Enicuetoh and anchored fore three days then to manus Island in the Admirality Group where eleven days were spent lying around on the ships. Finally, the convoy got under way again and on October 20, 1944, the unit landed on Leyte Island and immediately began unloading the assault supplies. On the fifth night on the beach, the Japanese bombed an ammunition dump close to the 110th Engineers and during the night forty-two members of the unit earned the Soldiers Medal or the Bronze Star for their efforts in evacuating the men and equipment from the burning and exploding area and for cleaning fire lanes through the ammunition dump to stop the spreading flames.

After ten days and nights on the beach, the 110th Engineers as a part of the 1140th Engineer Combat Group, were ordered off the beach and became the Corps Engineers for the 24th Corps. The next five months were spent on road and bridge work in keeping the supply lines open to the front. During that time, it rained as much as forty-two inches a month. In the first part of march 1945, the unit was again attached to the Seventh Division and began preparations for loading for another assault. On march 23, 1945, those preparations were completed and the unit set sail on the 24th of March for Okinawa, landing there on Easter Sunday April the 1st. The landing on Okinawa was accomplished much easier than on Leyte, the absence of mortar, artillery and sniper fire was very noticeable after that experience at Leyte. After approximately ten days, the 110th Engineers again moved behind the infantry as part of the Corps Engineers. The tasks included construction of roads and bridges, clearing of minefields, the location and development of pits for suitable road materials and the operation of water points. Although the landing was easy, the days to come proved that the Japanese were not asleep. Many times during the next four months, the battalion came under artillery fire, both on the job and in the bivouac area making it necessary for all men to sleep below the ground. The Japanese bombers were also busy and the battalion area hit by a number of delayed action bombs.

Upon the termination of the Japanese resistance on Okinawa, the unit was assigned to the island Engineer and immediately began construction of a number installations under his supervision. Included in the tasks assigned, there were a station hospital, camp for transient nurses, camp for transient Red Cross personnel, an ordinance service center, roads, bridges and permanent water supply points.

Shortly after VJ day the unit was alerted to move to Korea as part of the occupation forces of that country. Embarkation was delayed though and the battalion finally arrived in Korea about the middle of October and set up in a school almost in the heart of Seoul, Korea, A city of about 900,000 population and the capital of the country. After a week of transforming the building from a school to a military installation, the unit again engaged in construction work.

After two years and seven months overseas the battalion was deactivated in Korea and the unit designation returned to the states.

It might be interesting to note of the original 550 enlisted men of the unit it was inducted into Federal service that almost 65% of them were subsequently commissioned in the Army of the United States and saw service in all of the theaters of the war through the world. Also the casualties in the unit were exceedingly light considering the service it saw and the fire to which it was exposed. Total killed - 9.

On August 1, 1946, the 110th Combat Engineer Battalion again was authorized to be reorganized under the command of Lieutenant Colonel R. H. Cooley, at the old Armory, 3620 Main Street. At that time the battalion consisted of a Headquarters Company and two letter Companies, A and C, with a detachment of Medics.

In 1948 the battalion came up to full strength by adding Company B; during this period, a drum and bugle Corp was added to the Battalion to make up the loss of the band the old 110th had. It was in 1948 the Battalion made its first two weeks encampment at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

On March 10, 1949 Company D, under Lieutenant Jack T. Martain, was federalized. This adding another letter company to the Battalion. Since this company had been federalized has taken all Battalion honors and prizes.

28 April 1965, reorganization and assignment to 135th Engineer Group brought about the loss of D company. The stationing of units at this time was HHC and A Company in Kansas City, Company B in St. Louis and Company C in Lexington, Missouri.

20 January, 1968. The 110th Engineer Battalion was again reorganized and designated a Company D element. The new stationing plan assigned HHC, Company A and Company B in Kansas City, Company C in Lexington and Company D in Clinton, Missouri with a platoon located in Nevada, Missouri.

01 October 1995. Reorganization of the Battalion brings about the deactivation of Company D.