77th Field Artillery Battalion, Korean War History






    Distinctive Unit Insignia and Motto

Description from The Institute of Heraldry, Army, Pentagon: A Gold color and metal enamel device 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Or, four chevronels Gules, in base a mullet of seven points Azure, on a chief per fess dancetté of the second and third, a laurel wreath of the first. Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “GIVE IT A GO” in Red letters.

Symbolism: Red and yellow are used for Artillery organizations. The four chevronels are used to indicate the battalion’s battle honors of World War II. The seven pointed star represents Australia, the place in which the battalion was originally activated. The red and blue chief is for Korea, the jagged line being indicative of the mountainous terrain. The laurel wreath is emblematic of the honor with which the organization acquitted itself in action and refers to the various decorations awarded it.

Background: The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 8 December 1953.

Lineage from US Army Center of Military History has been included with event history from the 1st Cavalary Division: Constituted in the Army of the United States 25 February 1943 as the 271st Field Artillery Battalion and assigned to the 1st Calvary Division. The battalion was activated 11 October 1943 at Camp Strathpine, Australia. Assets from the 82nd, 61st and 99th Field Artillery battalions were used. The 271st was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in support of the 5th, 7th, 8th and 12th Cavalry Battalions. The commanding officer of the 271st was Colonel Wendorff. The 271st had a Headquarters Battery, Batteries A, B and C, and a Service Battery. On 06 March 1944, the 12th Cavalry, along with the 271st Field Artillery Battalion landed on Los Negros Island. On 09 November 1944, the 12th Cavalary Regiment launched its attack in Leyte Valley with the support of the 271st Field Artillery. This action began a long and bitter struggle which lasted nearly two months. The campaign for Leyte proved the first and most decisive operation in the American reconquest of the Philippines. The 271st participated in the Occupation of Japan in 1945-48.

On 25 March 1949, they were redesignated as the 77th Field Artillery Battalion and allotted to the Regular Army, serving with the First Cavalry Division in Korea and Japan. 22 September 1950 -Task Force Lynch formed (named after Lt. Colonel Lynch, Commander of 3rd Battalion)—TF Lynch would later be the lead element in a larger group Task Force “777” (so named because it included the 77th Field Artillery Battalion and the 7th Cavalry Regiment). 26 April 1951 – Another trouble spot flares up and this disturbance brought about the commitment of additional Divisional units to the front. The 7th Cavalry Regiment, and the 77th and 82nd Field Artillery Battalions were sent forward in support of the 3rd Infantry Division. 16 December 1951 - The 8th Cavalry was relieved on the line and moved into reserve. This left to field Artillery Battalions, the 61st and 77th, as the only Cavalry units still in a tactical situation 30 December 1951 - The 77th Field Artillery fires last 1st Cavalry Division round in Korean War. The 77th Field Artillery left Korea and arrived at the port of Muroran on 16 January closing out the move of the 1st Cavalry Division from Korea to Hokkaido Japan just 18 months after the July 1950 landing at Pusan. The battalion was inactivated 15 October 1957 in Japan.

Campaign Participation Credit - 77th Field Artillery Battalion

Korean War
UN Defensive 8 July-15 September 1950
UN Offensive  16 September-2 November 1950
CCF Intervention 3 November 1950-24 January 1951
First UN Counteroffensive 25 January-21 April 1951
CCF Spring Offensive 22 April-8 July 1951
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 9 July-27 November 1951
Second Korean Winter 28 November 1951-11 January 195
Third Korean Winter 15 December 1952-16 February 1953
Korea, Summer 1953 1 May-27 July 1953

DECORATIONS
Army Presidential Unit Citation:
   21-27 September 1950 (Btry C); DA GO 35-52

Army Presidential Unit Citation:
   3-12 October 1951 (Btry C) ; DA GO 74-52

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: UIJONGBU CORRIDOR
   16 August - 26 September 1950, DA GO 35-51

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: WAEGWAN-TAEGU
   18 April-11 May 1951, DA GO 20-53

Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece):
   During period of war, Korea, DA GO 2-56

Special thanks to "Old Sarge" for the information on this page while researching his book "The Guns of Korea; U. S Army Field Artillery Battalions in the Korean War"

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Last Update - January 29, 2022