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185TH ARMOR DIVISION, 1ST BATTALION, COMPANY G

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 300.00 USD
185TH ARMOR DIVISION, 1ST BATTALION, COMPANY G
GUIDON. 20" x 28" double applique green text and "tank superposed over crossed sabers" logo on yellow field which was traditional color of cavalry which armor derived from. This flag dates circa 2000. The 185th Armor Regiment traces it history back to the Civil War era and the 7th California Volunteer Infantry regiment. The unit disbanded after the fall of the Confederacy. In 1885 the 7th Infantry Battalion formed as a unit of the California National Guard. In 1888, the battalion was expanded to a full regiment. In November 1895, the 7th Regiment was merged with the 9th Regiment (formed in 1890) to become the 7th Infantry Regiment (California). With the coming of the Spanish-American War, the 7th Regiment was mustered into Federal service as the 7th California Volunteer Infantry in May 1898. The unit never deployed overseas and was mustered out in December. In June 1916, the 7th Regiment was mustered into Federal service but mustered out again in November. During this muster they took part in the Mexican Border raids that were troubling the US-Mexico border at the time. In August 1917, the regiment reentered Federal service and from September through November, the regiment was expanded with two companies from the 2nd Infantry Regiment (California) and some other units to become the 160th Infantry Regiment. They were then assigned to the 40th Infantry Division. This division consisted of National Guard units from several Western states including California. The division and regiment were shipped to France in August 1918 and were redesignated as the 6th Depot Division. The division never went into combat as a whole but men from it were parceled out to existing U.S. divisions that had more battle experience as replacements. In the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, elements of the 160th, along with the elements of the 77th Infantry Division were part of the famous "Lost Battalion." In this action, Captain Nelson Holderman was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while wounded in this battle. The 40th Division returned home in June 1919 and was deactivated; the 160th Infantry demobilizing in May. In 1921, the 160th Infantry was reconstituted with California units being added back in and the command received Federal recognition in January 1922. In April 1929, the 2nd Battalion of the regiment was withdrawn and reorganized. They were then redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 185th Infantry, one of the component regiments of the 40th Division. The 160th Infantry then reorganized with a new 2nd Battalion. From March through April 1930, the 2nd Battalion, 185th Infantry expanded and reorganized as the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 185th Infantry. In March 1941, both regiments were called into Federal service, again as part of the 40th Infantry Division. The division was reorganized and shipped to Hawaii in August 1942. By January 1944, the division was deployed in the Solomon Islands at Guadalcanal and then New Britain. In November they began training for the Philippines Campaign and in January 1945 landed on Luzon. After extensive fighting the division ended the war by taking the surrender of the Japanese troops in the Philippines. They were then moved to Korea for occupation duty. In April 1946, the 160th and 185th Regiments, back home in California, were deactivated. In August 1946, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 185th were removed and reorganized as the 223rd and 224th Infantry regiments assigned to the 40th Division. The 160th Regiment was reorganized as well but retained its designation. In September 1950, the 160th Infantry, 223d Infantry, and 224th Infantry were ordered into active federal service as the three maneuver units of the 40th Infantry Division, which saw significant action in the Korean War in 1952 after arriving in December 1951. Among the actions that the 40th Division fought in was Heartbreak Ridge. In June 1954, the three regiments were released from active federal service and reverted to state control and Federal recognition of 223rd Infantry (NGUS), 224th Infantry (NGUS) and 160th Infantry (NGUS) was withdrawn. In July 1954, the units underwent the numerous changes important to the lineage of the 185th Armor Regiment noted below. To begin, the 2nd battalion, 223rd Infantry Regiment was withdrawn and consolidated with the 3rd Battalion, 111th Armored Cavalry (organized and federally recognized 26 January 1951). The consolidated unit was redesignated as the 139th Tank Battalion, an element of the 40th Armored Division. The 2nd battalion, 224th Infantry Regiment, was withdrawn, reorganized, and redesignated as the 133d Tank Battalion, an element of the 40th Armored Division. The 3rd battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment was withdrawn and redesignated as the 111th Reconnaissance Battalion, an element of the 40th Armored Division. In July 1959, the 185th Armor Regiment was created as an element of the 40th Armored Division by consolidating the following units: 133rd and 139th Tank Battalions, 111th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 140th and 134th Tank Battalions. In May 1962, the 6th and 7th Medium Tank Battalions were added to the regiment thanks to a reorganization. In March 1963, the 3rd Medium Tank Battalion was added and the 7th Medium Tank Battalion was removed from the regiment and in March 1964, the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron was removed from the regiment thanks to a reorganization. In January 1968, the regiment was reorganized to include three battalions (1st, 2nd and 3rd) of the 185th Armor Regiment as part of the 40th Armored Brigade. In January 1974, the regiment and its three battalions were assigned as an element of the 40th Infantry Division. In May 1992, the regiment was ordered into active federal service at home stations and released later that month. In early 2004, the 1st Battalion was mobilized for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-09 as part of the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team. They were tasked with security for three bases south of Baghdad and corresponding route security along main supply routes between Baghdad and Kuwait. The battalion returned to California in March 2005. The battalion's Bravo Company received a Valorous Unit Award for actions as part of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in early 2005 as part of operations in support of Iraq's first elections after the fall of Saddam Hussein. In September 2005, the 2nd Battalion's Bravo Company was mobilized for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Once in country, Bravo Company was responsible for the security of more than 2,200 detainees at Baghdad Central Prison (formerly known as Abu Ghraib) until June 2006 when the camp was closed. During their time at the prison, Bravo Company Soldiers foiled several escape attempts. Upon the closure of the prison, they were responsible in transporting some 5,000 detainees to various holding facilities throughout Iraq. Following that mission, Bravo Company Soldiers were responsible for convoy security and operational control of a forward operating base where the company's convoy team operated without any coalition or civilian casualties for more than 10,000 miles. In December 2006, Bravo Company demobilized at Fort Lewis, Washington before returning to San Diego, California. In August 2008, the 1st Battalion was mobilized for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-09 as part of the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team. As part of the mobilization, Alpha Company was attached to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment to provide the only mechanized infantry company for their mobilization for Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo. In turn, the 1st Battalion was augmented with Alpha and Bravo companies from the first battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment. After mobilization, the first battalion completed training in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and arrived in Iraq in October 2008. While there, the 1st Battalion performed security and support functions near Tikrit. In October 2008 the 185th Armor conduct Mechanized Infantry Training at Camp Shelby and 1st Battalion's Alpha Company was mobilized under the command of the 184th Infantry Regiment for a deployment to Kosovo as part of the 40th Infantry Division. The company mobilized ahead of other units and conducted most of its training separate from its parent unit, because of the need for specialized gunnery training on the company's Bradley vehicles. This training was conducted at Fort Irwin in November and Camp Shelby in December. Once completed, the company traveled to Camp Atterbury to join its parent unit to complete the required training. They arrived in Kosovo in February 2009. In November 2009, the company departed Kosovo to conduct demobilization operations at Fort Lewis in Washington and returned to California a few weeks later. In February 2016, the 185th Armor's 1st Battalion was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment. This new command retains the lineage of the 18th Armor, however, and has no connection with the old 185th Infantry Regiment. It is not known when this guidon was issued but it has to have been before 2016 when the battalion was redesignated as part of the 185th Infantry. It retains the yellow color of old cavalry and Army armor units. When the Cavalry branch was abolished, the present Armor was assigned the former Cavalry color yellow by SR 600-60-1 dated 26 October 1951. CONDITION: fine overall, staining. (02-19473-29/JS). $200-300.