55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment ( United States ) The 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army that was first constituted in 1917 in the Regular Army . Lineage . Constituted 1917 and organized CD Boston 12 - 1 - 17 as 55th Arty , CAC , by redesignation of 152nd Co , CAC ; , 96th Co , CAC ; 11th Co , MANG , CAC ; 83rd Co , CAC ; 4th Co , MANG ; 9th Co , RING ; 3rd Co MANG ; and 5th Co , MANG . In addition , many individual transfers were made from the 1st , 2nd , 6th , & 9th Cos , MANG , and 13th Co , RING . The 55th Arty departed New York for Europe 3 - 25 - 18 . After additional training , the 55th Arty was assigned to the 31st Bde , CAC , in August 1918 and served in France until the Armistice . The 55th Arty departed Brest , arriving New York 1 - 22 - 19 and moved to Camp Mills , NY , until 1 - 26 - 19 , when it moved to CD Long Island Sound . 1st Bn was stationed at Fort H . G . Wright , 2nd & 3rd Bns at Fort Terry . There most of the regiment ’ s NG and NA personnel were discharged . On 1 - 29 - 19 the 55th Arty CAC was transferred with 31st Bde to Fort Winfield Scott , arriving 2 - 23 - 19 with 9 officers and 170 EM . The 31st Bde was then transferred to Fort Lewis , WA , arriving 10 - 4 - 19 , and its strength was gradually built up to near peacetime levels . In April 1921 , the 55th Arty was assigned to Hawaii . The 31st Bde was broken up and personnel from the 57th Arty were reassigned to the 55th Arty and to the 59th Arty slated for the Philippines . This enabled the 55th to activate HHD & CTs of the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd Bns , as well as to moderately reinforce the firing batteries . In addition , Service Btry was activated . The 55th Arty arrived in Honolulu 5 - 12 - 21 and was posted to Fort Kamehameha . The regiment was soon reorganized . The three battalions were restructured with three batteries each by reassigning personnel from three companies manning fixed seacoast armament . This resulted in the activation of Btrys G , H , & I and the relocation of 1st Bn to Fort Shafter and 2nd Bn to Ft . Ruger . On 6 - 1 - 22 , each component of the 55th Arty received an additional serially numbered company designation . These additional designations were dropped on 7 - 1 - 24 , when the regiment was redesignated 55th CA ( TD ) Regt . Personnel shortages resulted in a 10 - 31 - 25 reorganization ; the 3rd Bn was inactivated at Ft . Shafter , its personnel reassigned to 1st Bn , replacing personnel transferred to the 64th CA ( AA ) Regt . The reorganized 1st Bn , 55th CA , moved to Ft . Kamehameha and Service Btry combined with HHB . At this time Btry C , 55th CA , transferred to the 64th CA ( AA ) Regt as Btry I . A new Btry C was constituted and activated in the 55th CA . In the mid - 1930s , 2nd Bn HHB moved to Fort DeRussy although its firing batteries remained at Fort Ruger . On 2 - 17 - 41 , AA detachments were organized in Btrys E & F to man fixed 3 - inch AA guns at Ft . Ruger and Sand Is . On 12 - 7 - 41 , the 55th CA was posted around Oahu : Btrys A , B , & C on Oahu ’ s southwest coast between Pearl Harbor and Kaena Point , Btrys D & E on the northeast coast , and Btry F on Sand Is . On 12 - 27 - 41 , Btry D moved from Ft . Ruger to the Island of Kauai , where it established Camp Kauai . When filler personnel arrived from the mainland at the end of June 1942 , two officers and 69 enlisted men from Battery C , 55th CA , with a pair of 155 mm GPF mobile seacoast guns was deployed to Canton Island in January 1942 where they later also manned four 4 - inch navy guns . Battery D was reinforced to its authorized wartime strength . Detachments from Btry A formed Btry 80 - X in December 1941 ; a second detachment helped form the 804th CA ( HD ) Btry ( Sep ) . Btry F at Sand Is . was designated the 807th CA ( HD ) Btry ( Sep ) , while a second detachment helped organize the 715th CA ( HD ) Btry ( Sep ) 10 - 21 - 42 . During WWII , various changes were made in the makeup of the 55th CA . The 55th CA ( 155 mm Gun ) Regt was reorganized and HHB reconstituted and activated ; 1st , 2nd , and 3rd Bn HHBs were activated at Ft . Ruger 5 - 22 - 43 . Btry G ( SL ) was activated at Ft . Kamehameha . The 1st Bn HHB and Btrys A , B , & C , and 2nd Bn HHB were stationed at Ft . Kamehameha , Btry D on Kauai , Btry E at Wilridge . A detachment from Btry F was at Sand Is . The 811th CA ( HD ) Btry ( Sep ) was activated 8 - 1 - 42 , at Hilo , HI , with personnel from Btry B . In September 1943 Btry E manned Btry Willy ’ s 155 mm guns on Wiliwilinui Ridge near Btry Wilridge , a 8 - inch naval turret battery . Btry F was posted at Camp Punchbowl , a 155 mm position overlooking Honolulu . Both batteries were released from Hawaiian Seacoast Artillery Command 9 - 30 - 43 and moved to Ewa , Oahu , staging for deployment to the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific as components of army defense battalions providing garrison forces . Btry E went to Tarawa and Btry F to Apamama in 5 - 31 - 44 when the 55th CA Regt was inactivated . HHB 3rd Bn at Ft . Ruger was inactivated 5 - 31 - 44 and its personnel reassigned to HHB 179th CA ( 155 mm Gun ) Bn , which shortly thereafter moved to Kahuku , in HD Kaneohe Bay and North Shore . Personnel of Btry E reassigned to Btry A and personnel of Btry F reassigned to Btry B , 179th CA Bn . Both Btrys A & B , 179th CA Bn , returned to Oahu soon thereafter . The 55th CA was disbanded 6 - 14 - 44 . A gold color metal and enamel device 13 / 16 inch ( 2 . 06 cm ) in width consisting of a red triangle in outline point up with gold center . In base the Arabic numerals 55 in red , on the tops of the numerals a caterpillar in red and above the caterpillar the symbol used on the French battle maps to indicate the position of 155mm guns in black ( a disc with an arrow with doubled barbs issuant ) . On the base line of the triangle the motto “ VIGILANTIA ” in gold letters . The 55th Artillery Regiment was organized in 1918 from both regular and National Guard Coast Artillery Companies . One of the companies was from the “ Old First ” Regiment of Massachusetts whose motto was Vigilantia . The Regiment saw heavy service during World War I and was armed with 155mm guns and caterpillar which are represented in the design . The motto translates to “ Vigilance . ” The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 55th Artillery Regiment on 13 April 1922 . It was amended to change the description on 7 December 1923 . It was redesignated for the 55th Field Artillery Battalion on 25 June 1952 . The insignia was redesignated for the 55th Artillery Regiment on 17 December 1958 . It was redesignated for the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment on 14 January 1972 . Gules , on a pile wavy Or , a pine tree eradicated Azure , in base two fire arrows point up of the second inflamed Proper . On a wreath Or and Gules an isosceles triangle of the first , bordure of the second bearing between a pellet from which issues an arrow with doubled barbs palewise Sable and the Arabic numerals “ 55 ” Gules , a caterpillar fesswise of the last , all conjoined . Coat of arms . Blazon . Motto VIGILANTIA ( Vigilance ) . Red and yellow are the colors of the Artillery branch . The wavy pile alludes to the unit ’ s origin as Coat Artillery and further suggests service across two oceans , noting that the 55th Artillery campaigned in both the European and the Pacific theaters . The fire arrow , a highly effective artillery weapon of pre - gunpowder days is an allusion to the firepower of present day artillery ; the two of them representing participation in both World Wars . The blue pine tree denotes award of the Distinguished Unit Citation for the Ardennes Campaign of World War II . The 55th Artillery Regiment was organized in 1918 from both regular and National Guard Coast Artillery Companies . One of the companies was from the “ Old First ” Regiment of Massachusetts whose motto was Vigilantia . The Regiment saw heavy service during World War I and was armed with 155mm guns and caterpillar which are represented in the design . Background . The coat of arms was originally approved for the 55th Artillery Regiment on 8 March 1922 and consisted only of the badge ( DUI ) as the crest of the coat of arms . It was redesignated for the 55th Field Artillery Battalion on 25 June 1952 . It was redesignated for the 55th Artillery Regiment on 17 December 1958 . The coat of arms was amended to add a shield on 8 July 1965 . It was redesignated for the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment on 14 January 1972 .