Arkansas Army National Guard and the Korean War


The history of the Arkansas Army National Guard and Korean War begins with the reorganization of the Arkansas Army National Guard following World War II. During this period, the Arkansas Air National Guard became a separate component of the Arkansas National Guard. The Arkansas Army National Guard provided Field Artillery and Medical units in support of combat operations in Korea.

Reorganization following World War II

With the end of hostilities, the Arkansas National Guard was directed by the War Department to begin re-organization with an expected strength approximately double the size of the pre-war organization. The 39th Infantry Division was reconstituted on 30 September 1946. It was composed of units Arkansas and Louisiana, with its headquarters stationed at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana and the Arkansas portion headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.
HeadquartersCompanyStation
39th Division Headquarters Little Rock
153rd Infantry RegimentHHC, 153rd INLittle Rock
Service CompanySearcy
Tank Company,Pine Bluff
Heavy Mortar CompanyDeQueen
Medical CompanyLittle Rock
1st Battalion, 153 Infantry RegimentHeadquarters and Headquarters Company,Texarkana
Company A, 1-153 INHope
Company B, 1-153 INMalvern
Company C, 1-153 INPrescott
Company D, 1-153 INArkadelphia
2nd Battalion, 153 Infantry RegimentHeadquarters and Headquarters Company,Morrilton
Company E, 2-153 INClarksville
Company F, 2-153 INDardanelle
Company G, 2-153 INConway
Company H, 2-153 INRussellville
3rd Battalion, 153 Infantry RegimentHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyBeebe
Company I, 3-153 INJonesboro
Company K, 3-153 INWalnut Ridge
Company L, 3-153 INBatesville
Company M, 3-153 IN CommandBlytheville
445th Field Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryMarianna
Battery A, 445th FAHelena
Battery B, 445th FANewport
Battery C, 445th FABrinkley
Service Battery, 445th FAWynne, Arkansas
437th Field Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryHazen
Battery A, 437th FAHot Springs
Battery B, 437th FANewport
Battery C, 437th FADumas
Service Battery, 437th FABrinkley
217th Engineer BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyRussellville
Company A, 217th ENRussellville
Company B, 217th ENMonticello
Company C, 217th ENMagnolia
Company D, 217th ENMcGehee
Medical Detachment, 217th ENRussellville
206th Tank BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyEl Dorado
Company A, 206th Tank BNWarren
Company B, 206th Tank BNCamden
Company C, 206th Tank BNFordyce
Company D, 206th Tank BNCrossett
Medical Detachment, 206th Tank BNFordyce
125th Medical BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyLittle Rock
Clearing Company, 125th Med BNLittle Rock
Ambulance Company, 125th Med BNLittle Rock
739th Ordnance BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyLittle Rock
Company A, 739th Ord BNLittle Rock
Company B, 739th Ord BNLittle Rock
39th Division ArtilleryHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryLittle Rock
39th Replacement CompanyLittle Rock
39th Military Police CompanyLittle Rock

In addition, the following non-divisional units were stationed within the state immediately following World War II:
HeadquartersCompanyStation
State Headquarters and Headquarters DetachmentLittle Rock
106th Army BandLittle Rock
176th Ordnance DetachmentLittle Rock
148th Evac HospitalLittle Rock
101st Medical BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters DetachmentBooneville
216th Medical CompanyRussellville
217th Medical CompanyBooneville
218th Medical CompanySheridan
219th Medical CompanyDeWitt
233rd Medical CompanyCharleston
235th Medical CompanyLonoke
295th Medical CompanyDermontt
296th Medical CompanyEudora
212th Signal BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyLittle Rock
Company ADanville
Company BSpringdale
Company CVan Buren
Company DLittle Rock
Company EMalvern
875th Engineer BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyPine Bluff
Company AFayetteville
Company BHeber Springs
Company CStuttgart
Medical DetachmentPine Bluff
875th Eng Avn BnHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyPine Bluff
172nd Engineer CompanyPine Bluff
709th FA BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryParagould
Battery ARector
Battery BAugusta
Battery CPiggott
Service Battery, 437th FAWynne
142nd Field Artillery GroupHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryFayetteville
936th Field Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryFayetteville
Battery ABentonville
Battery BBerryville
Battery CRogers
Service BatteryHarrison
Medical DetachmentFayetteville
937th Field Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryFort Smith
Battery AMena
Battery BParis
Battery COzark
Service BatteryMena
Medical DetachmentOzark
151st Anti Aircraft Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryHarrison
Battery AMountain Home
Battery BBerrville
Battery CMarshall
Battery DHarrison
Medical DetachmentHarrison
326th Anti Aircraft Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryWest Memphis
Battery AMarked Tree
Battery BWest Memphis
Battery CHarrisburg
Battery DWest Helena
Medical DetachmentMarked Tree
327th Anti Aircraft Artillery BattalionHeadquarters and Headquarters BatteryJonesboro
Battery AJonesboro
Battery BJonesboro
Battery CJonesboro
Battery DJonesboro
Medical DetachmentJonesboro

Additionally, the state was authorized to form several units under the new Arkansas Air National Guard.

Korean War

The following Army National Guard units were called to active duty for service during the Korean War:
The 936th Field Artillery Battalion mobilized August 2, 1950, and moved to Camp Carson, CO for training. It arrived in Korea February 10, 1951 and fired its first combat mission March 30, 1951. The unit provided fire support to 3rd, 25th and 1st Republic of Korea Division as well as the 1st Cavalry Division. The 936th fired 348,547 combat rounds in Korea and suffered 10 killed in action and 28 wounded in action. The battalion was deactivated September 25, 1954. The battalion was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:
, providing fire support to U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division, Munema, Korea, November 26, 1951. The 937th Field Artillery Battalion was mobilized on the same day as the 936th and moved to Fort Hood, TX for training. It arrived in Korea on the same ship as the 936th and fired its first combat mission April 3, 1951. The battalion went in to line with the I Corps on April 30 near Uijongbu, Korea. During the Chinese Spring Drive the battalion fell back to Seoul and was moved to IX Corps. Battery A continued with X Corps and was attached to the 1st Marine Division. On May 17, 1952 the Battalion was attached to 2nd Division, IX Corps. For the action with 2nd Division, Battery C and Headquarters Battery received the Distinguished Unit Citation. The battalion continued in general support to IX Corps from July 28, 1953 until October 9, 1954. The 937th fired 223,400 combat rounds in Korea and suffered 13 killed in action and 156 wounded in action. The battalion was deactivated November 26, 1954. The battalion was awarded battle streamers for the following campaigns:
The 217th Medical Company was mobilized August 2, 1950, and underwent training at Fort Benning, Georgia. The Company departed Fort Lawton, Washington, for January 15, 1951, and arrived in Yokohama, Japan on February 2, 1951. The unit then moved to Kyoto, Japan for training until May 3, 1951. The unit arrived in Pusan, Korea May 4, 1951. The 217th conducted its basic mission of air evacuation of patients to Japan in an area from Pusan north to Seoul. Headquarters Platoon and 1st Platoon were stationed at the K-9 Airbase near Pusan. 2nd Platoon was stationed near Pusan, the 3rd Platoon was stationed near Uljomgby and 4th Platoon was stationed near Chucuhon and Yomdgumgpo and Tamjon. The 217th received the following unit awards during the Korean War:
The following units also were called to active duty during the Korean War as well, but were reorganized with combat medical units that were already deployed overseas, many to Korea:
This list of soldiers is intended to include all Arkansas National Guardsmen who died during combat operations. This list may be shorter than the list contained in various unit histories because those lists may contain Soldiers who were not Arkansas National Guardsmen prior to mobilization but joined the unit following mobilization. Many Soldiers who were drafted were later assigned to mobilized Guard units.