Paducah Armory

The National Guard has been in Paducah since the late 1940s, when they were the 201st Engineers Float Company. The unit was reorganized as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 1/123rd Armor in 1953, and they remained so designated until 1995, when they became the 2113th Transportation Company (light equipment), with a detachment at Hickman. The main mission of the 2113th is to transport military equipment and supplies. The Headquarters of the 1/123rd Armor is presently at Fort Knox, but four companies are located around the state.

The Paducah National Guard has never been overseas, but they were mobilized for the Berlin Crisis in 1961. A few volunteers went to Desert Storm, but the unit was not mobilized. OMS #12 dates from 1958, and is a metal building with two garage doors and two small offices. The OMS looks exactly like the OMS shop at Buechel, and like the Maryland Avenue Armory in Frankfort.

The Guard participates in many community activities, including burial details, color guards, the Special Olympics, the POW Flag Raising ceremony, and a Memorial Day ceremony. They also participate in several parades, and various community social and sporting events occur in the drill hall.

The Paducah Army National Guard armory sits in a residential area close to downtown. The current armory is the only one ever constructed in Paducah. The armory is a one-story brown brick building with a two-story drill hall in the center. Prior to construction of the armory, two other leased buildings served as armories. One of these was located at the McCracken County Fairgrounds, while the other one was located downtown on Clemons Street.

A large one-story brick annex was added to the back of the armory in the 1960s, and was originally used as an OMS shop before the current OMS was disassembled and brought from another site to Paducah. The annex was open on the inside until the early 1970s, when the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 1/123rd Armor was stationed in Paducah. At that time, the interior of the building was enclosed for use as office space. Currently, the annex is undergoing another renovation, as the Veterans Administration is preparing to take over the space for use as a clinic. Other renovations include the closing of the former rifle range into office space.

Photos and information courtesy Kentucky Heritage Council -- Report No. 25" Inventory and Evaluation of National Guard Armories in the State of Kentucky" - 1999 by Kate Carothers.

L.D. ROGERS, a former member of the Paducah unit shared the following:

I have read the brief history that you have on the web about the Paducah Guard Unit and I would like to share with what I know about the unit.

I joined in April 1953 and it was the 149th Combat Engineer company. Our commanding officer was was Capt. Royce Gregory. Then we were changed to the 149th Engineers Float Bridge . Under 1st Lt. Forest Gilbert. Then the command went to 1st Lt Jack W. Rees ( he signed my discharge papers in April 1959. and I reenlisted for 3 more years). We had moved to our new armory by that time.

There was also another Guard unit formed I believe it was Co B 201st engineers. Sometime during my second enlistment we were changed to Co B 2nd MTB (Medium Tank Battalion) 123 Armor and Co. B 201st Engineers was changed to Co D 2nd MTB 123 Armor (Medium Tank Battalion). We were activated in Sept. 1961 and went to Ft. Stewart, Ga. I was discharged in August 1962. I now live in Alabama but I am still very proud of my Kentucky birth and the time I spent in the KYNG.