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| I.
HISTORY OF THE 284TH F. A. BN. |
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| The
284th Field Artillery Battalion was formally
activated on June 25, 1943. |
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| As a
separate Battalion of the 204th F. A. Group, its
three firing batteries and combined headquarters
and service batteries each had an excellent cadre.
These skeleton crews of experienced non-commissioned
officers were sent from overseas, to insure the
thorough practical training of the battalion. |
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| The
commanding officer of the 284th FA BN., a West
Point graduate, was Lt. Col. Francis C. Foster,
who has served in the Hawaiian Islands, in Panama,
as well as in many posts in the United
States. |
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| The
284th FA BN was a new organization, its history
lying before it. Unlike many reserve or National
Guard groups which existed as "paper
organizations" during peace time, the 284th
was first constituted on the active list February
25, 1943. |
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| The
cadre came from the three light battalions of the
triangularized 27th Infantry Division; the 249th,
the 104th, and the 105th Battalions. Previously,
when the 27th Infantry was a square division, all
cadre men belonged to the 104th and 105th
Artillery Regiments. |
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| The
104th FA stemmed from two original New York State
National Guard batteries, K & C, formed in
New York City in 1867, and in Binghamton in 1870,
respectively. This regiment was mobilized in 1916
to serve on the Mexican border. It later served
with distinction in support of the 33rd and the
79th Divisions of the A.E.F. and with the XVII
Colonial Corps, Second French Army. |
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| Their
heaviest engagements occurred during the Meuse-Argonne
Campaign, in the Verdun Sector. December 7, 1941
found the Regiment already in training favor the
present conflict, and it was at an overseas post
that it was reorganized into separate battalions
on August 31, 1942. |
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| The
105th Regiment likewise had a notable history,
being a "descendent" of the historic
Revolutionary battery know as the "Washington
Grays". This term signified the matched gray
horse pairs which pulled the cannons. The 105th
was represented in the Civil War, taking part in
the actions at Bull Run and Gettysburg. In the
first World War the Regiment distinguished itself
in the battle of Verdun. The 105th was also
serving on active duty on Dec. 7, 1941, and
likewise was broken up into separate battalions
after it had been sent overseas. |
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| II.
HISTORY OF CAMP RUCKER |
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| Camp
Rucker, an entirely new military installation, is
built on an 82,000 acre reservation in the
southeastern corner of the state of Alabama. The
reservation itself is roughly triangular in shape
and extends in a northwest-southeast direction. |
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Outpost No. 2, the amp's southern gate, near
Daleville, Alabama is 26 miles from Dothan, the
largest of Camp Rocker's neighboring towns and a
community of 20,000 population. Outpost No.
1, the reservation's northern gate, is 9 miles
from Ozark. Outpost No 3, on the western
side of the cantonment site, is 11 miles from
Enterprise. Ozark and Enterprise are towns of 3,600
and 4,400 population respectively. |
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| 37,000
acres of the reservation were acquired for
military purposes by absorption of the Pea River
Cooperative Land Use Area. This area was
purchased by the Federal Government during the
1930`s as part of its Land Utilization Project. |
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| Lake
Tholocco, within the Pea River area and 6 miles
from the cantonment site, was named with the
Indian term for "Great Warrior" in
honor of dale County's hero, Samuel Dale. |
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| In
the summer of 1941 a planning survey was made of
the area by Army Engineers and subsequently the
Real Estate Branch of the War Department
purchased nearly 30,000 acres of land adjoining
the Pea River Area. |
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| The
resulting reservation is well adapted to training,
with streams, rolling country, open and wooded
areas, and affords the varied terrain necessary
for instruction of troops, and is sufficiently
large for artillery maneuvers. |
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| The
broad plateau at its southern end makes an
excellent site for cantonment barracks, while its
lake and its woods afford the same wholesome
recreations to soldiers in time of war as they
did to civilians in peace time. |
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| Under
direction of the Army Engineer Corps construction
work was started in January 1942 on more than 4,600
acres of the cantonment site and the 1,500
buildings required for this future camp. An army
of 12,000 civilian workers, skilled and unskilled
help, tackled the job of building Camp Rucker. By
May 1, the majority of these workers had
left the reservation, the job finished except for
final checking of details of work inevitably left
after construction of a project estimated to have
cost in excess of $25,000,000. |
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Brigadier General Frederick W. Manley assumed
command of Camp Rucker on May 1, 1942, and
ordered it activated as of that date. |
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| III.
COLONEL EDMUND WINCHESTER RUCKER |
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| Camp
Rucker takes its name from Col. Edmund W. Rucker,
an outstanding officer of the Civil War. Born in
Tennessee in 1835, of Dutch and English descent,
he attended school in his native state and later
engaged in civil engineering in the city of
Memphis. |
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| His
military career had an auspicious beginning at an
early date in the War Between the States. During
his first combat engagement, serving in the rank
of Captain, Rucker`s service was so notable that
he was highly recommended by General Trudeau. In
June 1864, his conduct was again spoken of, this
time by General Forrest who commented very
favorably upon an attack led by Rucker in the
rank of Colonel which attacked helped achieve the
victory of Tishomingo Creek. |
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Between these two engagements, Colonel Rucker
served in a great number of campaigns,
participating in numerous battles, command many
famous military elements. The record glows with
the names of great officers he served with. |
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| Col.
Rucker`s military career came to an end when, in
December 1864, severely wounded and having lost
his left arm, he was taken prisoner. |
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| After
the war, Col. Rucker lived for a time in Memphis,
where he engaged in a railroad building
partnership with General Forrest. |
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| He
moved to Alabama in 1869, and in 1882, to
Birmingham where he lived until his death in 1924. |
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