54th Artillery Group W Br Ribbon Hoodies

The 54th Artillery Group provided general support for II Field Force VIetnam Artillery and served at Xuan Loc.Moving in late 1968 to Ben Hoa.

The 81st Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery Regiment. The 1st Missile Battalion, 81st Artillery was formed at Fort Sill in 1963 and deployed to McCully Barracks in Wackernheim, West Germany under the 56th Field Artillery Group. The battalion moved to Wiley Barracks, Neu-Ulm in 1968 and was redesignated the 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971. It was initially equipped with eight Pershing 1 missiles and in 1969 replaced these with 36 Pershing 1a missiles. Service Battery was inactivated and reflagged as B Company, 55th Maintenance Battalion in 1982.

Upon its arrival at Artillery Kaserne, the 46th Group was assigned to Seventh Army Artillery and within thirty days it had been given a Command Maintenance Inspection, an Operational Readiness Test, and declared fully operational. In July of 1959 the Group was attached to VII Corps Artillery for peacetime administration and operations only. The subordination to VII Corps Artillery lasted until July 1960 when the Group reverted to Seventh Army Artillery control.

The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on 29 July 1998, consisting of a scarlet vertical bar throughout with indented sides charged with a yellow field piece. Scarlet and yellow are the colors traditionally used by Field Artillery. The field piece is adapted from the Field Artillery insignia of branch. The scarlet indented bar divides the background into two sections denoting military preparedness on all fronts. The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 17 December 1997, consisting of a black arrowhead bearing a gold fleur-de-lis and flanked by two gold field pieces conjoined at top and all enclosed in base by a red wavy scroll inscribed "TO THE GUNS" in gold. Scarlet and yellow/gold are the colors traditionally used by artillery.

The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on 29 July 1998, consisting of a scarlet vertical bar throughout with indented sides charged with a yellow field piece. Scarlet and yellow are the colors traditionally used by Field Artillery. The field piece is adapted from the Field Artillery insignia of branch. The scarlet indented bar divides the background into two sections denoting military preparedness on all fronts. The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 17 December 1997, consisting of a black arrowhead bearing a gold fleur-de-lis and flanked by two gold field pieces conjoined at top and all enclosed in base by a red wavy scroll inscribed "TO THE GUNS" in gold. Scarlet and yellow/gold are the colors traditionally used by artillery.

The 54th Artillery Group provided general support for II Field Force Vietnam Artillery and served at Xuan Loc. Later moving to Ben Hoa in 1968. On 18 May 1969 at 01:00 the 7th Battalion, 9th Artillery Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment, 54th Artillery Group at the base were attacked by elements of the Viet Cong (VC) 5th Division. Some VC penetrated the perimeter, but were driven back by the artillerymen. The defenders were supported by helicopter gunships, air strikes and AC-47 Spooky gunships. As the action continued a unit of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment arrived and engaged the VC. Fighting continued until 06:00 resulting in 24 VC killed and 14 U.S. killed.