The history of the Arkansas National Guard and World War II begins with the reorganization following World War I. The State first reorganized a provision unit, the 5th Arkansas, in order to provide a force to deal with domestic situations. As the Defense Department slowly implemented the massive changes and expansions outlined National Defense Act of 1916, the Arkansas National Guard was allowed to reorganize its war time units, including the 153rd Infantry Regiment, the 141st Machine Gun Battalion, and the 142nd Field Artillery. The Guard acquired its first permanent facilities and additional training during its annual encampments. During World War II, the entire Arkansas National Guard was activated and units saw duty in the Pacific and European theaters of conflict.
Re-organization following WWI The effort to rapidly reorganize the Arkansas National Guard following World War I was a complicated task for two reasons, first the fact that the units mobilized for the war had effectively been disbanded at the end of the war and second because Federal Authorities were focused on a massive expansion of the National Guard.
Provisional reorganization The state requested authority from the Militia Bureau (predecessor of today's National Guard Bureau) for authority to disband the paper organizations of the 4th Arkansas Infantry and the 1st Arkansas Engineer Battalion. This was accomplished in February 1920.
However, as it became clear that the mobilized units would not simply revert to state control, the state petitioned the War Department to be able to fill the state's quota of National Guard Soldiers by establishing several new units, in order to provide the governor with units to respond in case of an emergency:
5th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry 2nd Battalion, Arkansas Engineers 2nd Arkansas Ambulance Company
A proclamation was issued by the Governor on 7 November 1919, calling upon every county and city to co-operation in the organizing of at least one National Guard Company in each county. A campaign was launched in January 1920 by bringing the Regimental Commander and a group of officers and enlisted soldiers who toured through 64 of the state's largest cities to raise awareness and support of the National Guard.
Under as a result of this campaign, the following units were authorized to expand the new 5th Arkansas Infantry:
Machine Gun Company, Fifth Arkansas Infantry, stationed at Pine Bluff, was given Federal Recognition on 31 July 1920. Supply Company, 5th Infantry was authorized to be formed at Fort Smith. A Band Section under the Headquarters of the 5th Infantry was authorized at Pine Bluff. Company A, 5th Arkansas Infantry was organized at Hope.
Infantry companies were also authorized at the following cities.
Arkadelphia Batesville Beebe, with a detached platoon at McRea Blue Mountain, with a detached Platoon at Plainview Blytheville Booneville, with a detached platoon at Magazine Camden Earle Eureka Springs Heber Springs Magnolia Marianna Helena Marshall Prescott Rison Russellville Texarkana Warren
Implementation of the National Defense Act of 1916
A key piece of Federal Legislation governing the organization of the National Guard had been passed during the buildup to World War I. The National Defense Act of 1916 provided for an expanded army during peace and wartime, fourfold expansion of the National Guard, the creation of an Officers' and an Enlisted Reserve Corps, plus the creation of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps in colleges and universities. The act clarified the authority of the President, in case of war or national emergency, to mobilize the National Guard for the duration of the emergency. The act was passed amidst the "preparedness controversy", a brief frenzy of great public concern over the state of preparation of the United States armed forces, and shortly after Poncho Villa's cross-border raid on Columbus, New Mexico. It authorized an army of 175,000 men, a National Guard of 450,000 men. The Act represented the settlement of a debate that had raged over whether the Nation need a large professional standing army, like the European powers or whether national defense should be provided with a smaller standing regular army, supplemented in time of war by a strong well organized National Guard.
While the act was utilized to mobilize the entire National Guard for the Mexican Expedition and World War I, the massive expansion of the National Guard which it authorized had not yet been implemented before the outbreak of the war. This meant that while the state authorities were focused on how to reconstitute the Arkansas National Guard, the Federal Authorities were planning the expansion of the National Guard from a force of 110,000 during the Mexican Expedition to the 450,000 man force authorized by the Act. From 1920 to 1922 various meetings were conducted at the state and regional level to determine what troops and units would be allotted to the Arkansas National Guard.
Re-Constitution of 153rd Infantry Regiment and the 141st Machine Gun Battalion
By 1921 the state had been authorized to reconstitute its war time units. The 5th Arkansas Infantry was reorganized as the 153rd Infantry and the 141st Machine Gun battalion. The 153rd Infantry was stationed as follows:
Headquarters Company Station Federal recognition 153 Infantry Regiment HHC, 153rd IN Russellville January 28, 1926 Service Company Searcy, Arkansas July 2, 1924 Band Section, Svc Company Conway, Arkansas November 13, 1923 Howitzer Company Mena, Arkansas October 25, 1921 Medical Detachment Prescott, Arkansas January 12, 1923 1st Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment Headquarters, 1-153rd In Hope, Arkansas October 25, 1921 Headquarters Company, 1-153rd IN Ashdown, Arkansas December 14, 1923 Company A, 1-153 IN Hope, Arkansas December 30, 1920 Company B, 1-153 IN Magnolia, Arkansas March 29, 1921 Company C, 1-153 IN Prescott, Arkansas February 21, 1921 Company D, 1-153 IN Pine Bluff, Arkansas July 31, 1920 2nd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment Headquarters Little Rock, Arkansas June 25, 1921 Headquarters Company, 2-153 IN Conway, Arkansas January 27, 1926 Company E, 2-153 IN Clarksville, Arkansas February 25, 1921 Company F, 2-153 IN Dardanelle, Arkansas April 28, 1923 Company G, 2-153 IN Conway, Arkansas April 21, 1921 Company H, 2-153 IN Forrest City, Arkansas May 25, 1921 3rd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment Headquarters, 3-153 IN Cotton Plant, Arkansas July 1, 1921 Headquarters Company, 3-153 IN Beebe, Arkansas June 25, 1921 Company I, 3-153 IN Cotton Plant, Arkansas March 15, 1921 Company K, 3-153 IN Lonoke, Arkansas June 23, 1923 Company L, 3-153 IN Batesville, Arkansas October 2, 1924 Company M, 3-153 IN Command Blytheville, Arkansas May 8, 1921
The 141st Machine Gun Battalion (Anti-Aircraft) was reorganized in the Arkansas National Guard with units stationed as follows:
Unit Station Federal recognition dates Headquarters Battery Nashville June 21, 1921 Battery E Heber Springs June 7, 1921 Battery F Blue Mountain June 11, 1921 Battery G Fort Smith June 23, 1921 Battery H Little Rock June 24, 1921
Creation of the 206th Coast Artillery
In 1923, The Arkansas National Guard was allocated a new organization, the 206th Coast Artillery (Anti Aircraft). The unit resulted form the reorganization and re-designation of the 141st Machine Gun Battalion (Anti Aircraft). The 141st was incorporated into the new unit as the 2nd Battalion, 206th Coast Artillery (Anti Aircraft).Lineage and Honor Certificate for the 5th Battalion, 206th Field Artillery The newly formed 206th Coast Artillery took its coat of arms from Chaumont, one of the principal towns in the Department of Haute-Marne, France, where the 141st Machine Gun Battalion was stationed during World War I.
The 206th Coast Artillery (AA) was initially stationed as follows: Unit Station Federal recognition dates Headquarters Marianna November 23, 1923 Headquarters Battery Marianna November 23, 1923 Service Battery Harrison December 3, 1923 Band Section, Service Battery Marianna June 24, 1921 Medical Department Detachment Fort Smith December 18, 1924 Headquarters Detachment and Combat Train, 1st Battalion El Dorado November 8, 1923 Battery A Fayetteville December 4, 1923 Battery B Monticello October 16, 1923 Battery C Jonesboro October 19, 1923 Battery D Russellville October 23, 1923 Headquarters Detachment and Combat Train, 2nd Battalion Nashville June 21, 1921 Battery E Heber Springs June 7, 1921 Battery F Russellville January 26, 1925 Battery G Fort Smith May 26, 1924 Battery H Little Rock June 24, 1921
Medical units The following hospital units were created during the post-World War I expansion: Unit Station Federal recognition dates Hospital Company Number 216 Hot Springs September 15, 1922 Ambulance Company Number 216 Carlisle, Arkansas June 23, 1923
Army Air Corps
The state was allocated and Observation Squadron, which assumed to designation of the 154 to continue the history of the 154th Infantry, which had been organized during World War I from the former 3rd Arkansas Infantry. The 154th Observation Squadron was organized at Little Rock and federally recognized on October 24, 1925.
Re-Constitution of the 142nd Field Artillery
On June 16, 1931, the state was authorized to reconstitute the 142nd Field Artillery. Several of the new 142nd batteries were organized from the 206th Coast Artillery.Lineage and Honors Certificate, 142nd Field Artillery, United States Army Center of Military History New unit Former unit Station Federal recognition dates Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 142nd FA New Unit Prescott June 26, 1931 Headquarters Battery and Combat Train New Unit Haze June 26, 1931 Battery A Battery H, 206th CA Fayetteville September 2, 1931 Battery B Battery E, 206th CA Fayetteville September 2, 1931 Battery C Battery G, 206th CA Fort Smith April 20, 1936 Medical Detachment New Unit Hot Springs June 26, 1931
On April 3, 1936, the war department authorize the creation of the 2nd Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery as follows: New unit Former unit Station Federal recognition dates Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 142nd FA New Unit Hot Springs April 3, 1936 Headquarters Battery and Combat Train New Unit Fort Smith June 26, 1931 Battery C New Unit Mena June 26, 1931 Medical Detachment New Unit Fort Smith June 26, 1931
On March 6, 1937, the War Department authorized the creation the following additional units for the 142nd Field Artillery Regiment: New unit Former unit Station Federal recognition dates Headquarters, 3rd Battalion, 142nd FA New Unit Fayetteville March 6, 1937 Battery E New Unit Paris March 6, 1937 Battery F New Unit Rogers March 6, 1937 Service Battery New Unit Harrison March 6, 1937 Band Section New Unit Fort Smith March 6, 1937
Improved facilities and training During the period between the World Wars, the Arkansas National Guard acquired its first permanent facilities. The Guard also received improved training at its annual encampments.
Armory construction
Until the reorganization following World War I, the state owned no armories. A proclamation was issued by Governor Charles Brough on 7 November 1919 appealing to all county and city officials to co-operate in the building of at least one "Memorial Community Armory Building" in each county in honor of World War I veterans. The first of the new armories was built in 1926, and by 1940, the state owned a total of 25 Armories located in the following cities:
Batesville Blytheville Clarksville Conway Dardanelle Fayetteville Forrest City Fort Smith Harrison Hazen Helena Jonesboro Magnolia Marianna Mena Monticello Newport Paris Pine Bluff Prescott Rogers Russellville Searcy Texarkana
Camp Pike transferred to the Arkansas National Guard