Well, a Congress. Certainly not the current one. The Continental Congress unanimously elected Henry Knox "Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery" on November 17, 1775. The regiment formally entered service on January 1, 1776. And, I would note, the artillery is the only Federal branch (of any service) to have been in continuous existence since the Founding. The militias have their own claims.
[Click the firing cannon for a musical interlude.]
In The Beginning there was Infantry, the Queen of Battle, and there was chaos in the universe, for the Infantry was alone. And there were huge monsters and creatures and other evil things, all of which could devour the Infantry.And Fear was with the Infantry, and they wept unto the Lord, saying, "Lord, save us, for we are afraid!"
And the Lord harkened unto their pleas, and set certain of them upon beasts of burden, donkeys and jackasses and mules, and these the Lord called Cavalry.
The Infantry and the Cavalry looked about themselves at the very scary world the Lord had created and together they wept unto the Lord saying, "Lord, save us, for we are afraid!" And the Lord pondered, and saw that Infantry and Cavalry are as babes, and the Lord made to allay their weeping and lamentation, for it was most annoying.
The Lord spake unto them, saying, "Lo, and behold, for I bring unto you a noble race of men, keen of eye and wit, with great strength of head and heart and hand, and with courage and spirit undaunted," and the Lord created Field Artillery and named it The King of Battle.
And the Lord said, "The King shall light the darkness of your goblin-filled night and you shall tremble before him, and when you need smoke, there shall be smoke, and when you need it to rain down death and destruction upon the enemy, then too you shall have it. Just remember to duck."
And the Lord gave unto the Artillery, to be their own, great guns and huge shells, wondrously wrought, and Rockets to Shoot Deep.
The Infantry and Cavalry beheld these things, and as sheep in the fold are wont, knelt before the Artillery and their Pieces, and the Lord was pleased. So were the Redlegs.
And the Infantry and Cavalry said "The Lord must truly love the Artillery to have given them such Kewl Stuff!"
And the Lord said from above, "Check."
And now abideth in harmony, Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery, but the greatest of these is the Artillery.
Well, on a finicky note - it's not the home of the Armor any more... they moved to Benning to be with their sleeping-bag buddies in the Infantry.
Nice song you got there. Too bad the envious poachers stole it and banned forever the real words and substituted some diverse drivel that spilled from under their berets.
How about some history lessons on all the little children of Knox's original Artillery? (No, not THOSE!) I mean like Coast, ADA, etc.
Of course, when youse guys needed some REAL artillery, us Navy types were happy to add some real dignity to the otherwise vulgar brawl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpClQgAodPE
Remember, sailor - you guys are just self-propelled artillery.
ADA was spawned from the Coast Artillery, for those who are unaware of that. As the CA battalions became redundant due to changes in the nature of warfare, they were the source for the new units needed to cope with the instrument, aircraft, that made the coastal forts obsolete in the first place!
As a Tanker in the 80s I preferred the Panzerlied. But I leave the Redleg song alone.
Happy Birthday, Arty.
0>;~}
"King! Drop rounds here."
"Yes Dear... Shot, over..."
Happy Birthday Redlegs!
Thank God, I'm not a DAT.
And how many Army parents/uncles/aunts have said the same thing about a youngster entering the profession of arms...?
But Marines like undignified and vulgar brawls...
Still think the best fire support was 16"50.
Some pictures and music: www.youtube.com/watch
And this one: www.youtube.com/watch
You'll have to listen for the "Royal Artillery Slow March".
Cheers
I'm proud to be bi-lingual. I speak both Infantry and Field Artillery. With the DAT's, tell 'em they need to get their tanks close enough to the OPFOR so that they may hit them with their sabers.
Musta been an accident.
The Caisson Song ...good, but not the best of the service songs.
Actually, I like all
fourfive of 'em ... when they're sung so you can understand the words."The Caisson Song" was never designated as the official U.S.Army song likely because the lyrics were too closely identified with the field artillery and not the entire army. The official song retains Gruber's music, but with re-written lyrics.
John Phillips Sousa .... USMC
Yes, killin' is killin', but my personal preference is that it all be done arty style, if we have to do it.
Grimmy - not all Redlegs stand at the guns. Like 2LT Harold Durham, of the Auld Soldier's battalion in Vietnam. I would note that the 6-15FA was *not* a part of the 1st ID, as the page states, they were assigned to II Field Force Artillery, and were DS to 1st ID. 6-15FA is the only non-divisional unit honored with a window in the Chapel of the Regiments at Fort Riley.
Now now sir. You know full well that if the Army wanted to keep that stuff, they'd have posted a decent guard mount on it.
What American Redleg ever engaged enemy infantry with a howitzer in direct fire mode single-handed?
Killer Elite was pretty good. Motivated me to bone up on Oman and Mirbat and Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba.