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The 20th Artillery was formed on June 03, 1916, as the 20th
Field Artillery in the Regular Army. The regiment was
organized on June 01, 1917, at For Sam Houston, Texas as an
element of the 5th Division on September 05, 1921, the unit
was inactivated at Camp Bragg, North Carolina.

The 20th Field Artillery was relieved from its assignment to
the 5th Division on October 16, 1939, and activated June 1,
1940, at Fort Benning, Georgia, and concurrently assigned to
the 4th Division ( later the 4th Infantry Division). The
unit was reorganized and redesigned as the 20th Field
Artillery Battalion on October 01, 1940. The battalion was
inactivated February 13, 1946, at Camp Butner, North
Carolina.

The battalion was activated October 15, 1957, in Korea and
concurrently assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. The unit
was redesigned the 2nd Rocket Howitzer Battalion, 20th
Artillery, on July 01, 1960. It was redesigned 2nd
Battalion, 20th Artillery, on September 01, 1963. On July
01, 1965, the battalion was transferred from Korea to Fort
Benning, Georgia, and reorganized.

The battalion has campaign participation credit for St.
Mihiel and Lorraine (1918) in World War I and for Normandy
(with arrowhead), Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsca
and Central Europe in World War II.

The battalion received the Belgian Fourragere, 1940, for
action in Belgium (cited in the Order of the Day for the
Belgian Army) and for action in the Ardennes (cited in the
Order of the Day for the Belgian Army). In Vietnam the unit
received the Presidential Unit Citation (streamer
embroidered PLEIKU PROVINCE) and the Valorous Unit Citation
(streamer embroidered TAM QUAN).

There were only two ARA Battalions in the history of the
Army that served in Vietnam. The 1st Cavalry had the first
ARA battalion followed by the 101st Airborne. The 1st
Cavalry ARA Battalion arrived at Qui Nhon, Republic of
Vietnam on September 01, 1965. Charlie battery flew their
first mission two days latter in support of elements of the
101st Airborne Division. That was the enemy?s first look at
the rockets of the 2nd Battalion (Aerial Artillery), 20th
Artillery. At that time the rockets of this very unique
unit were mounted on UH-1B Huey helicopters. This gave the
unit the ability to provide immediate artillery fire support
to airmobile units, often operating beyond the range of
conventional artillery. Due to the fact that the aerial
artillery pilot was at the target site, his fire could be
quickly adjusted for maximum accuracy and could provide
extremely close fire support.

On September 18, 1965 the battalion demonstrated another new
technique, the ?light ship,? a Huey mounted with seven
landing lights. The illumination the ship provided proved
extremely effective as a tool for base security. On October
3, 1965, the battalion fired the first SS-11 guided missile
to be used in combat . In all between September 17 and
October 20 the battalion flew 78 missions and expended 2,870
rounds of rockets .

In late October of 1965 the battalion was called up to
provide support in the Pleiku Campaign, for which the
division would win the Presidential Unit Citation. Alpha
Battery saw the first major action in the campaign when Plei
Me came under attack the night of October 29-30. The pilots
bombarded enemy forces assaulting and mortaring the camp.
As one platoon expended its ordnance another would take its
place.

Charlie Battery was positioned for the campaign on a small
strip on a tea plantation south of Pleiku City. On the
night of November 12-13 the enemy attacked the position in
battalion strength. As the first mortars hit the camp,
pilots ran to their helicopters and quickly had them all in
the air, the first instance in Vietnam when all aircraft
evacuated without loss from an airstrip under attack.

Bravo Battery flew a unique mission in the closing days of
the campaign when on November 28, Special Forces requested
that the battery destroy the gates of a fortified VC
village. The gate was protected by booby traps and weapons
positions from which the enemy delivered fire. Three well
aimed SS-11 wire-guided missiles blasted the gates open.

The Vietnam War was the first helicopter war. The
helicopters provided ?airmobility? speed, freedom of
movement and firepower on the battlefield and it has been
said that the Pleiku Campaign was the triumph of the
airmobile concept.

If you are a collector of Vietnam War memorabillia then
click Vintage Vietnam War Collectibles

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