Battalion Summary
2nd Battalion 94th
Artillery
‘FLEXIBLE’
I CORPS
Republic of Vietnam
1966-1972
1st Field
Forces
2nd Field Forces
Click for 108th Group Patch
and Insignia
Click for 108th
Group Lineage and Honors
XXIV Corps
3rd MAF 3rd MAR DIV 101st Airborne 196th LIB
Short Battalion Summary
In the fall of 1966 the Marine bases just below the DMZ were under heavy artillery fire from the North Vietnamese Army.
The American Forces brought in their own artillery to counter the threat. The 2/94th of the United States Army with the most powerful field artillery piece in existence at the time was brought in to support the Marines.
Recent quotes from the former Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Alfred Gray, who was a Marine Major in the fall of 1966 with the 12th Marines on the DMZ.
"He stressed that the Marines were certainly glad to have us."
"The awesome sight of the 175mm guns coming up the Cua Viet river and the Army convoy from Da Nang were a welcomed sight for all Marines."
"I'm sure when the North Vietnamese saw that, they changed a lot of their plans."
"The Northern I Corps combat bases represented the largest concentration of American Artillery firepower since World War II."
The 175mm guns of the 2/94th Battalion, along with the 1/40th Battalion a 105mm SP howitzer Battalion, were some of the first Army combat units introduced into the northern I Corps Tactical Zone in October of 1966. B Battery 6/27th is thought to be the first Army Combat unit in that Theater. B Battery 6/27th would be attached to the 2/94th as D Battery.
The 2/94th and the Marine Fire Support Base at Camp Carroll would become the linchpin for the defense of the entire DMZ.
The 2/94th, from it's Battalion Headquarters at Camp Carroll, supported every Marine Operation from 1966 to 1969 along the DMZ. From supporting 3rd Marine Strikers ; supporting perimeters under attacked; knocking out the enemies artillery, rocket positions, and anti-aircraft sites; and firing deep into North Vietnam itself.
Notable is the support of the continuous Marine hill fights from1967 to 1968, the history making artillery dueling at Gio Linh for months on end against massed enemy batteries, support of the Con Thien base, and the defense of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in 1968.
The 2/94th would later support the 5th Mechanized Brigade in it's defense of the DMZ area after the Marines were stood down.
Later the 2/94th supported the 101st and the 196th LIB. Notable is the A Shau and the defense of Ripcord.
During Dewey Canyon II and the Lam Son incursion into Laos and the border the 2/94th proved to be an outstanding lead Artillery Battalion. Two of the 2/94th Batteries were the last units to leave the border during those operations as the ARVN forces retreated around them. The two Batteries dug in and stood alone for three days until they could be evacuated down "Ambush Alley" with assistance of the 1/77th M48 tanks.
On 9 April 1972 at 1400 hours C Battery, third gun section, of the 2nd Battalion 94th Artillery fired the last American Heavy Artillery round in Vietnam from Hill 34 in the Republic of South Vietnam.
Below is a picture of that last heavy artillery round sent in by C Battery FDO - then Lieutenant Richard E. Nangle.
For other pictures of the last round fired event click over to
http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/LastHeavyRounds.htm
The 2nd Battalion 94th Regiment ceased to fire on 11 April 1972 at 2400 hours and officially came home with the Battalion Colors on 21 April 1972.
