History of the 44th Engineer Battalion “Broken Hearts”
Nicolas J. Martines
Bravo Company, 169th Engineer Battalion
The history of the 44th Engineer Battalion is spread over eighty-eight years, three wars, and the Global War on Terror. The battalion served as a regiment with five companies and transportation corps to fit the National Army and Regular Army needs from 1917 to 1946. In 194, The 44th Engineer Construction Battalion was activated in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The battalion was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in 1992 to 2005 where it was deactivated in 2005. Constituted 15 August 1917 in the National Army as the 47th Engineer Railway Maintenance-of-Way Battalion. The United States entered World War One …show more content…
Activated at Fort Ord, California on 1 August 1941, the 47th Battalion was re-designated as the 47th Engineer Service Regiment on 1 August 1942. The 47th Engineer Service Regiment was placed on Oahu taking over from the 3rd and 65th Combat Battalions. The 47th worked on main training roads and infrastructure on military installations. In March 1942 Military and Civilian agencies created an agreement for the Army engineers on Oahu to assist in maintaining and improving roads and highways on the island. The 47th and 34th had seen extensive service on the Hawaiian Islands and were scheduled to serve as the organized garrison. Any island worth taking in the Central Pacific would probably have an enemy airfield which could be rehabilitated. If none existed, one would have to be built. The small islands of the pacific and the airfields the engineers would build or repair were key for the allied advance towards Japan. Elements of the 47th Regiment were deployed to the Marshall Islands, the first objective in the pacific in 1944. Their task was rehabilitation and creation of airfields and facilities. The 47th Regiment was broken up and reorganized, prior to operations in Saipan. The 1397th Engineer Construction Battalion was formed from the 2nd battalion, 47th Engineer Regiment. The Headquarters Company was re-designated to the 1176th Construction Group. The 1st battalion became the 47th Engineer Construction Battalion and formally began a separate lineage. Saipan was to be not only an important air base but also an important supply, staging, and rehabilitation center. The runway constructed by the Japanese was rehabilitated to support fighters while construction began on the B-29 runway. While conducting repair operations, engineers of the 1176th frequently encountered Japanese troops hidden and still fighting. The 1397th Engineer Construction Battalion inactivated 20
Nicolas J. Martines
Bravo Company, 169th Engineer Battalion
The history of the 44th Engineer Battalion is spread over eighty-eight years, three wars, and the Global War on Terror. The battalion served as a regiment with five companies and transportation corps to fit the National Army and Regular Army needs from 1917 to 1946. In 194, The 44th Engineer Construction Battalion was activated in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The battalion was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in 1992 to 2005 where it was deactivated in 2005. Constituted 15 August 1917 in the National Army as the 47th Engineer Railway Maintenance-of-Way Battalion. The United States entered World War One …show more content…
Activated at Fort Ord, California on 1 August 1941, the 47th Battalion was re-designated as the 47th Engineer Service Regiment on 1 August 1942. The 47th Engineer Service Regiment was placed on Oahu taking over from the 3rd and 65th Combat Battalions. The 47th worked on main training roads and infrastructure on military installations. In March 1942 Military and Civilian agencies created an agreement for the Army engineers on Oahu to assist in maintaining and improving roads and highways on the island. The 47th and 34th had seen extensive service on the Hawaiian Islands and were scheduled to serve as the organized garrison. Any island worth taking in the Central Pacific would probably have an enemy airfield which could be rehabilitated. If none existed, one would have to be built. The small islands of the pacific and the airfields the engineers would build or repair were key for the allied advance towards Japan. Elements of the 47th Regiment were deployed to the Marshall Islands, the first objective in the pacific in 1944. Their task was rehabilitation and creation of airfields and facilities. The 47th Regiment was broken up and reorganized, prior to operations in Saipan. The 1397th Engineer Construction Battalion was formed from the 2nd battalion, 47th Engineer Regiment. The Headquarters Company was re-designated to the 1176th Construction Group. The 1st battalion became the 47th Engineer Construction Battalion and formally began a separate lineage. Saipan was to be not only an important air base but also an important supply, staging, and rehabilitation center. The runway constructed by the Japanese was rehabilitated to support fighters while construction began on the B-29 runway. While conducting repair operations, engineers of the 1176th frequently encountered Japanese troops hidden and still fighting. The 1397th Engineer Construction Battalion inactivated 20