203rd Engineer Battalion (United States)

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203rd Engineer Battalion
203d Engineer Bn coa.png
Coat of arms
Active1921
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Branch Missouri Army National Guard
Type Combat engineer
SizeRegiment
Motto(s)"Don't Kick Our Dog"
MarchYa Gotta Quit Kickin My Dog Aroun
Commanders
Commander LTC Charles Ledgerwood
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia (left) 203EngBnDuiLeft.png

The 203rd Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard.

Contents

The 203rd Engineer Battalion can trace its history back to Missouri volunteer militia units that formed in 1883, when the militia units in southwest Missouri were reorganized into the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the National Guard of Missouri in 1890 and mustered into federal service during the Spanish–American War. [1] The 2nd Missouri Infantry was called up to serve during the Mexican border dispute in 1916; redesignated as the 128th, 129th, and 130th Machine Gun Battalions in 1917; transformed into the 203rd Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps in 1921; inducted into federal service in September 1940; and was later sent to Alaska for the Aleutian Campaign.

History and lineage

The 203rd Coast Artillery was originally organized as the 2nd Infantry Regiment, Missouri National Guard, on 15 October 1890. Some of the companies of this regiment claimed descent from companies of the earlier 5th Missouri Infantry Regiment, organized on 26 November 1883 from companies originally formed as far back as 1876, and disbanded on 19 April 1887. On 12 May 1898, the 2nd Missouri Infantry was mustered into federal service for the Spanish–American War and was mustered out from 27 February – 3 May 1899. The 2nd Missouri was reorganized in the Missouri National Guard in June 1899. It was mustered into service on the Mexican border on 28 June 1916, and was mustered out on 17 January 1917. On 5 August 1917, the regiment was drafted into federal service after American entry into World War I. National Guard units were formed into divisions, and the 2nd Missouri Infantry became part of the 35th Division, its elements being used to form different units. The Supply Company and Headquarters Company (less Band) formed the 110th Trench Mortar Battery. The 1st Battalion and the Machine Gun Company formed the 128th Machine Gun Battalion, the 2nd Battalion formed the 129th Machine Gun Battalion, and the 3rd Battalion formed the 130th Machine Gun Battalion. The Band was assigned to the 311th Cavalry Regiment. The 35th Division served overseas in France in the Meuse-Argonne, Alsace, and Lorraine Campaigns, and the former 2nd Missouri Infantry was mustered out of service in May 1919. [2] [3] The 2nd Artillery (Antiaircraft) was constituted in the Missouri National Guard on 28 April 1921 as from new and existing units as follows: [4]

The regimental headquarters was organized and federally recognized on 2 June 1921 at Aurora, Missouri. On 1 October 1921, the regiment was redesignated as the 203rd Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft), Coast Artillery Corps, and assigned to the VII Corps. From 9 July to 5 August 1922, the 1st and 2nd Battalions performed riot control during a coal miners' strike at Moberly and Macon, Missouri. On 19 April 1924, the regiment was reorganized as the 203rd Coast Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft). On 18 March 1933, the headquarters location changed to Webb City, Missouri. On 1 October 1933, the regiment was relieved from the VII Corps and assigned to the General Headquarters Reserve. From 30 April to 4 May 1934, the 2nd Battalion performed riot control duty during a coal miners' strike at Mindenmines, Missouri. The entire regiment was used for flood control duty in southern Illinois from 21 January to 5 April 1937. Normal summer training usually took place at Camp Clark, Missouri. Because of the lack of locations suitable for live firing of 3-inch antiaircraft guns and machine guns in Missouri, the regiment conducted such training at locations like Camp Custer, Michigan, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Camp Hulen, Texas, and Fort Barrancas, Florida. The regiment participated in major maneuvers at Fort Riley, Kansas, and Camp Ripley, Minnesota, in 1937 and 1940. [5]

Organization of 203rd Coast Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft), 1939 [6]
UnitLocationFederally recognizedNotes
HeadquartersWebb City2 June 1921
Medical Department Detachment Sarcoxie 22 July 1921
Headquarters Battery Monett 26 November 1923
Service BatteryAurora3 May 1921
Headquarters, 1st Battalion Neosho 17 January 1921
Headquarters Detachment and Combat Train, 1st Battalion Lamar 17 January 1921
Battery A (Searchlight) Pierce City 25 January 1921Originally organized as Headquarters Battery 25 January 1921; redesignated Battery D 25 October 1923; redesignated Battery A 1 November 1923
Battery B Joplin 18 January 1921
Battery CNeosho21 January 1921
Battery D Carthage 19 January 1921Originally organized as Battery A 19 January 1921; redesignated Battery D 1 November 1923
Headquarters, 2nd BattalionLamar28 April 1921
Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Battalion Springfield 28 April 1921
Battery E Anderson 22 January 1921
Battery FSpringfield24 January 1921
Battery GWebb City20 January 1921
Battery H Nevada 7 July 1920Originally organized as Battery A 7 July 1920; redesignated Battery H 19 April 1924

The regiment was inducted into federal service on 16 September 1940 and was assigned to the 33rd Coast Artillery Brigade (Antiaircraft). [7] The 3rd Battalion was constituted on 27 May 1942 at Fort McDowell, California. The regiment was broken up on 12 February 1944 as follows:

Units redesignated in 1946 as follows:

108th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron redesignated 1 November 1949 as 203rd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (mobile), reorganized and redesignated 1 December 1952 as 203rd Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. redesignated 1 October 1953 as 203rd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (90mm).

Distinctive unit insignia

A houn’ dawg statant Proper on a gold ribbon scroll bearing the motto "DON’T KICK OUR DOG" in red. The insignia is made in pairs.

The 203d Coast Artillery Regiment was known as "The Houn’ Dawg Regiment."

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 203d Coast Artillery Regiment on 12 January 1925. It was amended to have the insignia manufactured in pairs on 18 December 1926. The insignia was redesignated for the 203d Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 10 October 1950. It was redesignated for the 203d Armor Regiment on 26 October 1961. It was authorized for the 203d Engineer Battalion on 14 January 1969.

Coat of arms

Current Force Structure

The current makeup of the 203rd Engineer Battalion is a Combat Heavy Engineer Battalion made up around 800 soldiers. The current force structure includes one vertical construction company the 276th Engineer Company based in Pierce City MO. The 1141st Engineer Company(Sapper) based in Kansas City MO. The 1135th Engineer Company (Route Clearance) based in Richmond MO. The 294th horizontal Engineer Company based out of Carthage MO. The HHC and FSC Company is based out of Joplin MO

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "House Resolution No. 831" (PDF). Missouri House of Representatives. 13 March 2003.
  2. ↑ Composition of National Guard Divisions and Disposition of Former National Guard Units. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1918. p. 22.
  3. ↑ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 64.
  4. ↑ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Volume 2. The Arms: Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Coast Artillery, 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 1103-1104.
  5. ↑ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Volume 2. The Arms: Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Coast Artillery, 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 1103-1104.
  6. ↑ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 701-705.
  7. ↑ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Volume 2. The Arms: Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Coast Artillery, 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 1103-1104.
  8. ↑ Daily Capital News, 21 March 1959
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