52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment ( United States ) The 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first organized in 1917 as a railway gun unit . It continued in that role unit 1943 , when the regiment was broken in separate railway gun battalions , and in the following year the units were reorganized and redesignated as field artillery . Lineage . Organized 22 July 1917 in the Regular Army at Fort Adams , Rhode Island , as the 7th Provisional Regiment , Coast Artillery Corps Redesignated 5 February 1918 as the 52d Artillery ( U . S . Army Coast Artillery Corps ) Redesignated 1 July 1924 as the 52d Coast Artillery Regiment broken up 1 May 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows : After 1 May 1943 the above units underwent changes as follows : Headquarters and Headquarters Battery , 52d Artillery Group , and the 538th , 539th , and 52d Field Artillery Battalions consolidated , reorganized , and redesignated 30 June 1971 as the 52d Artillery , a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 52d Air Defense Artillery Withdrawn 16 April 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System Annex . Constituted 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as the 52d Field Artillery Redesignated 26 August 1941 as the 52d Field Artillery Battalion and assigned to the 24th Infantry Division Activated 1 October 1941 at Schofield Barracks , Hawaii A Gold color metal and enamel device in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned : Gules , a bend potenté Or . Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “ SEMPER PARATUS ” in Red letters . The shield is red for Artillery . The gold potenté bend is an adaptation of the cottised bend on the arms of Champagne . The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 538th Field Artillery Battalion on 29 December 1951 . It was redesignated for the 52d Artillery Regiment on 19 December 1958 . It was redesignated for the 52d Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971 . Gules , a bend potenté Or . On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules , a locomotive affronté Gules , charged with the numeral “ 52 ” Or . Coat of arms . Blazon . Motto SEMPER PARATUS ( Always Prepared ) . The shield is red for Artillery . The gold potenté bend is an adaptation of the cottised bend on the arms of Champagne . The crest alludes to World War I service in France . Background . The coat of arms was originally approved for the 52d Artillery , Coast Artillery Corps on 9 April 1921 . It was redesignated for the 286th Coast Artillery Battalion and amended to delete the crest on 3 August 1944 . It was redesignated for the 538th Field Artillery Battalion on 20 November 1944 . The insignia was redesignated for the 52d Artillery Regiment and amended to add a crest on 19 December 1958 . Effective 1 September 1971 , the insignia was redesignated for the 52d Air Defense Artillery Regiment . Campaign participation credit . World War I : Champagne - Marne ; St . Mihiel ; Meuse - Argonne ; Champagne 1918 ; Lorraine 1918 World War II : Central Europe ; Central Pacific ; New Guinea ( with arrowhead ) ; Leyte ; Luzon ; Southern Philippines ( with arrowhead ) Korean War : UN Defensive ; UN Offensive ; CCF Intervention ; First UN Counteroffensive ; CCF Spring Offensive ; UN Summer - Fall Offensive ; Second Korean Winter ; Korea , Summer 1953 Vietnam : Counteroffensive ; Counteroffensive , Phase II ; Counteroffensive , Phase III ; Tet Counteroffensive ; Counteroffensive , Phase IV ; Counteroffensive , Phase V ; Counteroffensive , Phase VI ; Tet 69 / Counteroffensive ; Summer - Fall 1969 ; Winter - Spring 1970 ; Sanctuary Counteroffensive ; Counteroffensive , Phase VII Southwest Asia : Defense of Saudi Arabia ; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Decorations . Presidential Unit Citation ( Army ) for DEFENSE OF KOREA Valorous Unit Award for DAK TO – BEN HET Valorous Unit Award for SAUDI ARABIA AND BAHRAIN Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for FLORIDA 1962 – 1963 Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for VIETNAM 1966 – 1969