258th Field Artillery Regiment

258th Field Artillery Regiment
Coat of arms
Founded 1809
Country  United States
Branch New York Army National Guard
Type Field Artillery Branch
Motto(s) PARATUS ET FIDELIS (Ready And Faithful)
Equipment M119 howitzer
Decorations Belgium Fourragere Shoulder Cord
Presidential Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Citation with oak leaf.
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 258th Field Artillery Regiment or "Washington Greys" is a Field Artillery Branch unit of the New York Army National Guard. It once consisted of 4 battalions.

History

Predecessors of the 258th Field Artillery Regiment fought in the War of 1812, the Spanish–American War, the American Civil War, and World War I. The 258th Field Artillery is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812.

The 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery was formed on October 9, 1809 as the 4th Regiment, New York State Artillery by merging two battalions of existing volunteer militias.[1] The unit was brought into federal service in 1812, and again in 1814.[1] In 1847, it was redesignated as the 8th Regiment, New York State Militia. The unit returned to federal service in 1861, 1862 and 1863.[1] The unit briefly returned to federal service in 1898 as the 8th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.[1]

In 1906 the 8th Infantry Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 8th Infantry Battalion. It was reorganized and redesignated 21 January 1908 as the 8th Infantry Regiment. It was then converted and redesignated 23 January 1908 as the 8th Artillery District, Coast Artillery Corps.

The 8th Artillery District was reorganized and redesignated 10 August 1914 as the 8th Coast Defense Command, Coast Artillery Corps, New York National Guard. In 1917 the unit relocated from Manhattan to the new Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx. Mustered into Federal service 22 July 1917 at New York; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917. Companies of the 8th Coast Defense Command were reorganized and redesignated 22 January–1 February 1918 as elements of the 58th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps), the Coast Defenses of Southern New York, and the Coast Defenses of Eastern New York. New York elements of the 58th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps) demobilized 7 May 1919 at Camp Upton, New York; elements of the Coast Defenses of Southern New York in December 1918 at Fort Wadsworth, New York; and elements of the Coast Defenses of Eastern New York in December 1918 at Fort Totten, New York.

The former 8th Coast Defense Command was consolidated with the 8th Coast Defense Command, New York Guard, and reorganized in the New York National Guard as the 193d Field Artillery with Headquarters Federally recognized 11 May 1921 at Bronx. It was redesignated as the 258th Field Artillery on 28 November 1921[2]

In 1941 the regiment was broken up (triangularized) in accordance with an Army policy change. They became the 258th Field Artillery Group, 258th Field Artillery Battalion and the 991st Field Artillery Battalion. All were deployed to Europe. 1st Battalion was re-designated the 258th Field Artillery Battalion, and the 2nd Battalion was re-designated the 991st Field Artillery Battalion. The 991st was attached to the 3rd Armored Division for most of the war. Battery "B" of the 991st was credited with firing the first shells into Germany and Battery "C" was given credit for its role in the capture of Aachen. The 991st was also the first American unit to use captured enemy shells and fire them back. Their name, "Washington Greys" comes from the fact that this unit acted as escort to General George Washington at his inauguration as first president in New York City.

After World War II

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery, in formation , 9 September 2006

In 1957 the 258th FA unit at Kingsbridge Armory had all four batteries with 105mmm towed artillery pieces. In 1959 all the units were switched to 155mm towed. In a few years before I left the unit in 1962, we were again changed to 8" Howitzer towed. Additionally in 1962 one battery was upgraded to the Honest John Rockets.

1st Bn (155mm towed), 2nd Bn (105mm towed), 3rd Bn (105mm towed), and the 4th Rocket/Howitzer Battalion armed with 8" Howitzer and Honest John Rocket were all located in the Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx, NY. They were part of the 42nd Infantry Division Artillery (DIVARTY). The 3rd Battalion was deactivated first; then in 1967 the 2nd Battalion, followed in 1973 by the 4th Battalion.

1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery is currently composed of three batteries and a support company. Battery A is located in New Windsor, New York.[3] Battery B in Bronx, New York.[4] Headquarters and Headquarters Battery in Jamaica, New York[5] and Company G, 427th BSB in Jamaica, NY.[6] The current armament of 1/258th FA is the M119 105mm Towed howitzer. They are programmed to re-equip with the new M777 155-mm towed howitzer in 2019 at Fort Sill, OK.

Since 2001 1-258 FA has sent soldiers to both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is now part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Distinctive unit insignia

  • Description

A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, two bars Gray fimbriated Or in chief three mullets of the second (Gray) fimbriated of the third (Or). Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “PARATUS ET FIDELIS” in Red letters.

  • Symbolism

The shield is the shield of George Washington modified by reversing the colors and using gray piped with gold, instead of silver, and giving a red shield for Artillery. The arms of the Father of our Country are not to be borne by any organization and the shield of the regiment is accordingly modified. The reason for this selection is that it is a tradition that one company of this regiment paraded as an escort to General Washington on the occasion of his inauguration as President on 30 April 1789, and in commemoration of that event, assumed the name of “Washington Greys” which it has borne to this date. It was then an Artillery organization and wore a gray uniform.

  • Background

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 258th Field Artillery Regiment on 19 January 1925. It was redesignated for the 258th Field Artillery Battalion on 12 March 1954. It was redesignated for the 258th Artillery Regiment on 22 March 1962. The insignia was amended to add a motto on 18 October 1968. It was redesignated for the 258th Field Artillery Regiment on 31 July 1972.

Coat of arms

  • Blazon
    • Shield: Gules, two bars Gray fimbriated Or in chief three mullets of the second (Gray) fimbriated of the third (Or).
    • Crest: That for the regiments and separate battalions of the New York Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, the full-rigged ship “Half Moon” all Proper.
    • Motto PARATUS ET FIDELIS (Ready And Faithful).
  • Symbolism
    • Shield: The shield is the shield of George Washington modified by reversing the colors and using gray piped with gold, instead of silver, and giving a red shield for Artillery. The arms of the Father of our Country are not to be borne by any organization and the shield of the regiment is accordingly modified. The reason for this selection is that it is a tradition that one company of this regiment paraded as an escort to General Washington on the occasion of his inauguration as President on 30 April 1789, and in commemoration of that event, assumed the name of “Washington Greys” which it has borne to this date. It was then an Artillery organization and wore a gray uniform.
    • Crest: The crest is that of the New York Army National Guard.
  • Background: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 258th Field Artillery Regiment on 19 January 1925. It was redesignated for the 258th Field Artillery Battalion on 12 March 1954. It was redesignated for the 258th Artillery Regiment on 22 March 1962. The insignia was redesignated for the 258th Field Artillery Regiment on 31 July 1972.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document "258th Field Artillery Regiment".

  1. 1 2 3 4 "1st Battalion - 258th Field Artillery Regiment". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  2. ↑ McKenney, Janice E. (2010). US Army Center of Military History (CMH) Publication 60-11, Army Lineage Series, Field Artillery, Part 2. Washington, DC: US Army Center of Military History. pp. 1285–1295.
  3. ↑ "A Battery 1 Battalion 258th Field Artillery, NYARNG". dmna.ny.gov. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  4. ↑ "B Battery 1 Battalion 258th Field Artillery, NYARNG". dmna.ny.gov. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  5. ↑ "HHB 1 Battalion 258th Field Artillery, NYARNG". dmna.ny.gov. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  6. ↑ "G Co. 427 Brigade Support Battalion, NYARNG". dmna.ny.gov. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 2018-02-27.

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