Lineage and Honors
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Lineage and Honors
623d FIELD ARTILLERY
(MORGAN'S MEN)
Constituted 22 May 1846 in the Kentucky Militia as the 1st Kentucky Cavalry and the 2d Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
Organized from volunteers of the enrolled militia, principally from counties in central Kentucky, and mustered into Federal service 9 June 1 846 at Louisville; mustered out of Federal service 7 and 9 June 1847, respectively, at New Orleans, Louisiana, and continued in state service as separate volunteer militia companies
Reorganized 15 June 1860 in the Kentucky State Guard as the Lexington Battalion, to include the Lexington Rifles (organized in 1857 by Captain John Hunt Morgan)
Expanded 6 November 1860 to form the Lexington Battalion (to include the Lexington Rifles) and the Kentucky River Battalion
Lexington and Kentucky River Battalions broken up in 1861 and their elements reorganized as follows:
Elements with Union sympathy reorganized April-June 1861 primarily as the 1st and 2d Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiments Mustered into Federal service 4 and 13 June 1861, respectively, at Camp Clay, Ohio; mustered out of Federal service 18 and 19 June 1864, respectively, at Covington
Elements with Confederate sympathy (less Lexington Rifles) reorganized in July 1861 as elements of the 1st Kentucky Brigade (The Orphan Brigade) and mustered into Confederate service at Camp Boone, Tennessee Surrendered 4 May 1865 at Washington, Georgia
Lexington Rifles withdrawn 20 September 1861 from the Kentucky State Guard, reorganized as a separate company of cavalry, and mustered into Confederate service at Bowling Green Consolidated in October 1861 with two other cavalry companies and consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as Morgan's Squadron, Kentucky Cavalry
Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated in June 1862 as the 2d Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (Morgan's Men)
Surrendered 8 May 1 865 near Woodstock, Georgia
Former Lexington and Kentucky River Battalions reorganized 18 May 1881 in the Kentucky State Guard as the 3d Battalion with Headquarters at Lexington
Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated in 1883 as the 2d Regiment of Infantry with Headquarters at Lexington
Mustered into Federal service 14-25 May 1898 at Lexington as the 2d Kentucky Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service 31 October 1898 at Lexington
Reorganized 24 April 1899 in the Kentucky State Guard as the 1st Regiment of Infantry with Headquarters at Lexington
Redesignated 31 July 1899 as the 2d Regiment of Infantry
(Kentucky State Guard redesignated 19 March 1912 as the Kentucky National Guard)
Mustered into Federal service 25 June 1916 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky; mustered out of Federal service 15 February 1917 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Mustered into Federal service 21 April 1917 at Camp Stanley, Kentucky; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
Consolidated 1 October 1917 with the 3d Regiment of Infantry (less 3d Battalion) (see ANNEX); consolidated unit concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 149th Infantry and assigned to the 38th Division
Demobilized In January 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky
Former 2d and 3d Regiments of Infantry reorganized 1920-1921 in the Kentucky National Guard as the 1st Infantry and the 53d and 54th Machine Gun Squadrons (1st Infantry hereafter separate lineage)
53d and 54th Machine Gun Squadrons consolidated 1 April 1929; consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as the 123d Cavalry, with Headquarters Federally recognized at Louisville, and assigned to the 22d Cavalry Division
Relieved 1 November 1940 from assignment to the 22d Cavalry Division; regiment concurrently broken up and its elements converted and redesignated as follows:
Regiment (less 1st and 2d Squadrons) as the 106th Separate Battalion, Coast Artillery, with Headquarters at Frankfort
(1st and 2d Squadrons as the 103d Separate Battalion, Coast Artillery hereafter separate lineage)
106th Separate Battalion, Coast Artillery, inducted into Federal service 6 January 1941 at home stations
Reorganized and redesignated 14 July 1944 as the 106th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion
Inactivated 3 December 1945 at Camp Shanks, New York
Redesignated 29 January 1947 as the 623d Field Artillery Battalion; concurrently reorganized and Federally recognized in south-central Kentucky with Headquarters at Glasgow
Ordered into active Federal service 23 January 1951 at home stations
Reorganized and redesignated 5 March 1951 as the 623d Armored Field Artillery Battalion
Reorganized and redesignated 10 September 1951 as the 623d Field Artillery Battalion
(623d Field Artillery Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 23 January 1953 with Headquarters at Glasgow)
Released 18 March 1955 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 623d Field Artillery Battalion (NGUS)
Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1959 as the 4th Howitzer Battalion, 138th Artillery
Redesignated 1 February 1968 as the 4th Battalion, 138th Artillery
Reorganized and redesignated 1 May 1969 as the 623d Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battalion
Redesignated 1 March 1972 as the 623d Field Artillery
Withdrawn 1 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
(1st Battalion ordered into active Federal service 9 December 1990 at home stations; released 21 May 1991 from active Federal service and reverted to state control)
1 May 1993 the 306th and 326th Ordinance Detachments were federally formed and organized to support 1st Battalion 623rd Field Artillery
Reorganized 15 December 1994 as 1st Battalion 623rd Field Artillery (MLRS), assigned new weapon system M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
Annex
Organized 8 May 1882 in the Kentucky State Guard in western Kentucky as the 4th Battalion with Headquarters at Bowling Green
Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated in 1883 as the 3d Regiment of Infantry with Headquarters at Bowling Green
Mustered Into Federal service 21-31 May 1 898 at Lexington as the 3d Kentucky Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service 16 May 1899 at Savannah, Georgia
Reorganized 10 October 1899 in the Kentucky State Guard as the 3d Regiment of Infantry with Headquarters at Bowling Green
(Kentucky State Guard redesignated 19 March 1912 as the Kentucky National Guard)
Mustered into Federal service 6 July 1916 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky; mustered out of Federal service 12-15 March 1917 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Mustered into Federal service 21 April 1917 at Camp Stanley, Kentucky; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
3d Regiment of Infantry (less 3d Battalion) consolidated 1 October 1917 with the 2d Regiment of Infantry to form the 149th Infantry and assigned to the 38th Division; 3d Battalion, 3d Regiment of Infantry, concurrently reorganized and redesignated as Companies A and B, 138th Machine Gun Battalion, Company F, 113th Ammunition Train, and Company B, 113th Engineers, elements of the 38th Division
Above units demobilized in January 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky
623d Became Master Bunker Builders
Colonel Arthur L. Kelly, USA (Ret)
On Sunday morning June 25, 1950, Kentuckians had their regularly scheduled radio program interrupted for a newsbreak. The commentator announced that the Communist North Korean Army had invaded South Korea. Following the United Nations (UN) decision to resist aggression and the imminent defeat of the poorly equipped and badly battered South Korean Army, Task Force Smith, an Infantry Battalion (plus) from the U.S. 24th Infantry Division, was sent in from Japan to delay the enemy. As other forces were being scraped together and rushed in, Task Force Smith was quickly overrun near Osan by the North Korean army equipped with Russian tanks. Suffering heavy causalities, as the other forces were thrown in by piece meal commitment, General Walker hung on desperately by delaying actions and bought enough time to establish the hard pressed Pusan Perimeter. Kentuckians remembering Bataan rightly worried about their sons being driven into the sea.
Find out how the 623d became master nubker builders.
Campaign Participation Credit
Campaign Participation Credit
Mexican War
Buena Vista
Civil War (Union service)
Shiloh
Murfreesborough
Chickamauga
West Virginia 1861
Mississippi 1862
Kentucky 1862
Kentucky 1864
Tennessee 1863
Civil War (Confederate service)
Henry and Donelson
Shiloh
Murfreesborough
Chickamauga
Atlanta
Kentucky 1862
Kentucky 1864
Louisiana 1862
Mississippi 1862
Tennessee 1862
Tennessee 1 863
Indiana 1863
South Carolina 1865
World War I
Streamer without inscription
World War II
Algeria-French Morocco
(with arrowhead)
Tunisia
Sicily (with arrowhead)
Naples-Foggia (with arrowhead)
Anzio (with arrowhead)
Rome-Arno
Southern France (with arrowhead)
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
Korean War
Second Korean Winter
Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
Third Korean Winter
Korea, Summer 1953
Southwest Asia
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Cease-Fire
Battery B (Campbellsville), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
World War II - AP
New Guinea
Leyte
Luzon
Decorations
Navy Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered PANMUNJOM
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1951 - 1952
Battery B (Campbellsville), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY:
Flag
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (Patch)
Shoulder sleeve insignia description: A rectangular shield 2 inches in width and 3 inches in height overall divided vertically in half red and yellow and arched at the top and bottom having centered overall a blue horse's head in profile, all within a 1/8-inch red border.
Red and yellow are the colors of Field Artillery. The thoroughbred horse's head refers to the horse racing history of Lexington and is blue alluding to the "Bluegrass State." The horse resembles a knight chess piece and refers to the Field Artillery mission with the ability to strike behind enemy lines.
The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on 26 June 1979.
Distinctive Unit Insignia (Crest)
Distinctive Unit Insignia. A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules semi-de-lis Or, two pallets Azure fimbriated of the second; on a chief of the last a saltire Gray surmounted by a giant cactus Proper. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Blue bipartite scroll doubled turned Gold inscribed “SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY” in Gold letters. Symbolism: The field of the shield is red strewn with fleurs-de-lis for the 106th AAA AW Battalion’s service and many battle honors awarded in World War II as Artillery. The two blue pallets are for service as Infantry in the Spanish-American War and World War I; credit for which came from the consolidation in 1921 of this organization with the 138th Machine Gun Battalion (formerly 3d Battalion, 3d Regiment Infantry). The ancient history, i.e., Mexican War and Civil War, is represented on the chief, which is the most honorary position on the shield. The chief is yellow for Cavalry; the saltire, symbol for Civil War, is gray to indicate Confederate service, and the giant cactus represents Mexican War service. The motto, “Seize The Opportunity,” taken from the coat of arms of the former 123d Cavalry Regiment, is reassigned to this organization and implies the tenor of the feats performed by Morgan and his Raiders during the Civil War. Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 623d Field Artillery Battalion on 1 May 1952. It was redesignated for the 623d Artillery Regiment on 13 January 1971. The insignia was redesignated for the 623d Field Artillery Regiment on 24 July 1972.