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Arkansas Army National Guard and the Korean War

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The history of the Arkansas Army National Guard and Korean War begins with the reorganization of the Arkansas Army National Guard following World War II. During this period, the Arkansas Air National Guard became a separate component of the Arkansas National Guard. The Arkansas Army National Guard provided Field Artillery and Medical units in support of combat operations in Korea.

Reorganization following World War II

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See also: 39th Infantry Division (United States)

With the end of hostilities, the Arkansas National Guard was directed by the War Department to begin re-organization with an expected strength approximately double the size of the pre-war organization. The 39th Infantry Division was reconstituted on 30 September 1946. It was composed of units Arkansas and Louisiana, with its headquarters stationed at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Arkansas portion headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.[1]

Headquarters Company Station
39th Division Headquarters (Arkansas Part) Little Rock
153rd Infantry Regiment HHC, 153rd IN Little Rock
Service Company Searcy
Tank Company, Pine Bluff
Heavy Mortar Company DeQueen
Medical Company Little Rock
1st Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Texarkana
Company A, 1-153 IN Hope
Company B, 1-153 IN Malvern
Company C, 1-153 IN Prescott
Company D, 1-153 IN Arkadelphia
2nd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Morrilton
Company E, 2-153 IN Clarksville
Company F, 2-153 IN Dardanelle
Company G, 2-153 IN Conway
Company H, 2-153 IN Russellville
3rd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company Beebe
Company I, 3-153 IN Jonesboro
Company K, 3-153 IN Walnut Ridge
Company L, 3-153 IN Batesville
Company M, 3-153 IN Command Blytheville
445th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Marianna
Battery A, 445th FA Helena
Battery B, 445th FA Newport
Battery C, 445th FA Brinkley
Service Battery, 445th FA Wynne, Arkansas
437th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Hazen
Battery A, 437th FA Hot Springs
Battery B, 437th FA Newport
Battery C, 437th FA Dumas
Service Battery, 437th FA Brinkley
217th Engineer Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company Russellville
Company A, 217th EN Russellville
Company B, 217th EN Monticello
Company C, 217th EN Magnolia
Company D, 217th EN McGehee
Medical Detachment, 217th EN Russellville
206th Tank Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company El Dorado
Company A, 206th Tank BN Warren
Company B, 206th Tank BN Camden
Company C, 206th Tank BN Fordyce
Company D, 206th Tank BN Crossett
Medical Detachment, 206th Tank BN Fordyce
125th Medical Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company Little Rock
Clearing Company, 125th Med BN Little Rock
Ambulance Company, 125th Med BN Little Rock
739th Ordnance Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company Little Rock
Company A, 739th Ord BN Little Rock
Company B, 739th Ord BN Little Rock
39th Division Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Little Rock
39th Replacement Company Little Rock
39th Military Police Company Little Rock

In addition, the following non-divisional units were stationed within the state immediately following World War II:

Headquarters Company Station
State Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment Little Rock
106th Army Band Little Rock
176th Ordnance Detachment Little Rock
148th Evac Hospital Little Rock
101st Medical Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment Booneville
216th Medical Company Russellville
217th Medical Company Booneville
218th Medical Company Sheridan
219th Medical Company DeWitt
233rd Medical Company Charleston
235th Medical Company Lonoke
295th Medical Company Dermontt
296th Medical Company Eudora
212th Signal Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company Little Rock
Company A Danville
Company B Springdale
Company C Van Buren
Company D Little Rock
Company E Malvern
875th Engineer Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company Pine Bluff
Company A Fayetteville
Company B Heber Springs
Company C Stuttgart
Medical Detachment Pine Bluff
875th Eng Avn Bn Headquarters and Headquarters Company Pine Bluff
172nd Engineer Company Pine Bluff
709th FA Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Paragould
Battery A Rector
Battery B Augusta
Battery C Piggott
Service Battery, 437th FA Wynne
142nd Field Artillery Group Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Fayetteville
936th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Fayetteville
Battery A Bentonville
Battery B Berryville
Battery C Rogers
Service Battery Harrison
Medical Detachment Fayetteville
937th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Fort Smith
Battery A Mena
Battery B Paris
Battery C Ozark
Service Battery Mena
Medical Detachment Ozark
151st Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Harrison
Battery A Mountain Home
Battery B Berrville
Battery C Marshall
Battery D Harrison
Medical Detachment Harrison
326th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery West Memphis
Battery A Marked Tree
Battery B West Memphis
Battery C Harrisburg
Battery D West Helena
Medical Detachment Marked Tree
327th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Jonesboro
Battery A Jonesboro
Battery B Jonesboro
Battery C Jonesboro
Battery D Jonesboro
Medical Detachment Jonesboro

Additionally, the state was authorized to form several units under the new Arkansas Air National Guard.

Korean War

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The following Army National Guard units were called to active duty for service during the Korean War:[2]

The 936th Field Artillery Battalion mobilized August 2, 1950, and moved to Camp Carson, CO for training. It arrived in Korea February 10, 1951, and fired its first combat mission March 30, 1951.[2] The unit provided fire support to 3rd, 25th and 1st Republic of Korea Division as well as the 1st Cavalry Division.[3] The 936th fired 348,547 combat rounds in Korea and suffered 10 killed in action and 28 wounded in action. The battalion was deactivated September 25, 1954.[2] The battalion was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:[2]

  • First U.N. Counteroffensive
  • CCF Spring Offensive
  • UN Spring Offensive
  • UN Summer – Fall Offensive
  • Second Korean Winter.
A pair of M-40 155mm Gun Motor Carriages of Battery B, 937th Field Artillery Battalion, from Paris, Arkansas, providing fire support to U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division, Munema, Korea, November 26, 1951

. The 937th Field Artillery Battalion was mobilized on the same day as the 936th and moved to Fort Hood, TX for training. It arrived in Korea on the same ship as the 936th and fired its first combat mission April 3, 1951.[2] The battalion went in to line with the I Corps on April 30 near Uijongbu, Korea. During the Chinese Spring Drive the battalion fell back to Seoul and was moved to IX Corps. Battery A continued with X Corps and was attached to the 1st Marine Division. On May 17, 1952, the Battalion was attached to 2nd Division, IX Corps. For the action with 2nd Division, Battery C and Headquarters Battery received the Distinguished Unit Citation. The battalion continued in general support to IX Corps from July 28, 1953, until October 9, 1954.[3] The 937th fired 223,400 combat rounds in Korea and suffered 13 killed in action and 156 wounded in action. The battalion was deactivated November 26, 1954.[2] The battalion was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:[2]

  • First U.N. Counteroffensive
  • CCF Spring Offensive
  • UN Spring Offensive
  • UN Summer – Fall Offensive
  • Second Korean winter
  • Korea, Summer – Fall 1952
  • Third Korean Winter
  • Korea, Summer 1953.

The 217th Medical Company was mobilized August 2, 1950, and underwent training at Fort Benning, Georgia. The Company departed Fort Lawton, Washington, for January 15, 1951, and arrived in Yokohama, Japan on February 2, 1951. The unit then moved to Kyoto, Japan for training until May 3, 1951. The unit arrived in Pusan, Korea May 4, 1951. The 217th conducted its basic mission of air evacuation of patients to Japan in an area from Pusan north to Seoul. Headquarters Platoon and 1st Platoon were stationed at the K-9 Airbase near Pusan. 2nd Platoon was stationed near Pusan, the 3rd Platoon was stationed near Uljomgby and 4th Platoon was stationed near Chucuhon and Yomdgumgpo and Tamjon. The 217th received the following unit awards during the Korean War:[4]

  • The Meritorious Unit Citation
  • The Distinguished Unit Citation
  • The Korean Presidential Citation
  • Japan Occupation Citation

The following units also were called to active duty during the Korean War as well, but were reorganized with combat medical units that were already deployed overseas, many to Korea:[2]

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 142nd Field Artillery Group — Germany
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 101st Medical Battalion — Germany
  • 218th Medical Ambulance Company — Fort Hood and Fort Leonard Wood

Arkansas National Guard Fallen Soldiers

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This list of soldiers is intended to include all Arkansas National Guardsmen who died during combat operations. This list may be shorter than the list contained in various unit histories because those lists may contain Soldiers who were not Arkansas National Guardsmen prior to mobilization but joined the unit following mobilization. Many Soldiers who were drafted were later assigned to mobilized Guard units.

  • Corporal Donald Osbourn[5]
  • Captain Paul Blew
  • Private First Class Fred Rose, Jr.
  • Private First Class Jarrell Graham

References

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  1. ^ The 39th Infantry Division 1950 / Louisiana National Guard. Jackson Barracks, New Orleans : Military Dept., State of Louisiana, Office of the Adjutant General, 1950
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "History of the Arkansas National Guard: Korea". Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Harry, Smith (December 21, 1962). "Arkansas Army and Air National Guard, a History and Record of Events, 1820-1962". Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas Military Department: 43A. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Harry, Smith (December 21, 1962). "Arkansas Army and Air National Guard, a History and Record of Events, 1820-1962". Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas Military Department: 43B. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Diggs, Jack F, History of the 142nd Field Artillery 1889-1976, 1976
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