62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment


The 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment in the United States Army. The lineages of some of the units that have been part of the 62nd Air Defense Artillery and its predecessors give the regiment campaign credit for the War of 1812.

History

Lineage

Constituted 10 December 1917 as the 62nd Artillery. Activated at Fort Winfield Scott 7 January 1918. Assigned to 33rd Brigade CAC, and shipped to Camp Mills New York arrived in France 21 July 1918; returned from France 19 February 1919, Demobilized at Camp Eustis March 1919.
Battalion expanded to a regiment 27 August 1922 with HHB, Service Battery, HH&CT 1st Battalion, and nine lettered firing batteries as follows.
Regiment Redesignated from 62nd Artillery to 62nd Coast Artillery Regiment on 1 July 1924. and reorganized.
Regiment moved to Camp Kilmer, NJ. and staged for overseas shipment. sailed for United Kingdom on 6 August 1942 on S.S. Monterey. Disembarked at Greenock, Scotland.
62nd Coast Artillery disbanded 4 December 1943.
A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/32 inches in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gyronny of six embattled Azure and Gules, a circle of sixteen mullets Argent.
Units of the 62d Coast Artillery Regiment, from which the 62d Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion descended, participated in six wars- The War of 1812, Indian Wars, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish–American War, and the Philippine Insurrection. This participation is symbolized by the six embattled sectors. At the time the first unit was organized the uniforms worn by the Artillery were dark blue faced with scarlet, and there were sixteen states in the Union, commemorated by the blue and red of the shield and the sixteen mullets, respectively.
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 62d Coast Artillery Regiment on 21 February 1929. It was redesignated for the 62d Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 23 August 1949. It was redesignated for the 62d Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 4 January 1956. The insignia was redesignated for the 62d Artillery Regiment on 19 December 1958. It was redesignated for the 62d Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971.

Coat of arms

Blazon

Gyronny of six embattled Azure and Gules, a circle of sixteen mullets Argent.
On a wreath of the colors Argent and Azure, on a saltire Azure fimbriated Argent two arrows of the last, all entwined with a serpent Vert. Motto: NITIMUR IN ALTA.

Symbolism

Units of the 62d Coast Artillery Regiment, from which the 62d Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion descended, participated in six wars- The War of 1812, Indian Wars, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish–American War, and the Philippine Insurrection. This participation is symbolized by the six embattled sectors. At the time the first unit was organized the uniforms worn by the Artillery were dark blue faced with scarlet, and there were sixteen states in the Union, commemorated by the blue and red of the shield and the sixteen mullets, respectively.
The saltire is from the Confederate flag and is blue to indicate that the service during the Civil War was with the Northern Army. The two arrows represent the Indian Wars and the serpent the Mexican War.

Background

The coat of arms was originally approved for the 62d Coast Artillery Regiment on 21 February 1929. It was redesignated for the 62d Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 23 August 1949. It was redesignated for the 62d Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 4 January 1956. The insignia was redesignated for the 62d Artillery Regiment on 19 December 1958. It was redesignated for the 62d Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971.

Campaign streamers

War of 1812
Mexican War
Indian Wars
Civil War
War with Spain
Philippine Insurrection
World War II