258th Field Artillery Regiment ( United States ) History . Predecessors of the 258th Field Artillery Regiment fought in the War of 1812 , the Spanish American War , the United States Civil War , World War I , World War II , Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom . The 258th Field Artillery is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812 . During World War II the unit was triangulated per then current Army policy . They became the 258th Field Artillery Group , 258th Field Artillery Battalion and the 991st Field Artillery Battalion . All were in the ETO . 1st Battalion was re - designated the " 258th Field Artillery Battalion " The 2nd battalion was re - designated the " 991st Field Artillery Battalion " The 991st was attached to the 3rd Armored Division for most of the war . Battery " B " of the 991st was credited with firing the first shells into Germany and Battery " C " was given credit for its role in the capture of Aachen . The 991st was also the first American unit to use captured enemy shells and fire them back . Their name , " Washington Greys " comes from the fact that this unit acted as escort to General George Washington at his inauguration as first president in New York City . The 258th Field Artillery or " Washington Greys " is a field artillery unit of the New York Army National Guard . It once consisted of 4 battalions . 1st Bn ( 155mm towed ) , 2nd Bn ( 105mm towed ) , 3rd Bn ( 105mm towed ) , and the 4th Rocket / Howitzer Battalion armed with 8 " Howitzer and Honest John Rocket They were all located in the Kingsbridge Armory , Bronx , NY . and were part of the 42nd Infantry Division Artillery ( DIVARTY ) The 3rd Battalion was deactivated first ; then in 1967 the 2nd Battalion , followed in 1973 by the 4th Battalion . Today the heritage of the 258th Field Artillery Regiment is carried on by the 1st Battalion , 258th Field Artillery , part of the 27th Infantry Brigade , New York Army National Guard . A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 3 / 16 inches ( 3 . 02 cm ) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned : Gules , two bars Gray fimbriated Or in chief three mullets of the second ( Gray ) fimbriated of the third ( Or ) . Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “ PARATUS ET FIDELIS ” in Red letters . The shield is the shield of George Washington modified by reversing the colors and using gray piped with gold , instead of silver , and giving a red shield for Artillery . The arms of the Father of our Country are not to be borne by any organization and the shield of the regiment is accordingly modified . The reason for this selection is that it is a tradition that one company of this regiment paraded as an escort to General Washington on the occasion of his inauguration as President on 30 April 1789 , and in commemoration of that event , assumed the name of “ Washington Greys ” which it has borne to this date . It was then an Artillery organization and wore a gray uniform . The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 258th Field Artillery Regiment on 19 January 1925 . It was redesignated for the 258th Field Artillery Battalion on 12 March 1954 . It was redesignated for the 258th Artillery Regiment on 22 March 1962 . The insignia was amended to add a motto on 18 October 1968 . It was redesignated for the 258th Field Artillery Regiment on 31 July 1972 .