The 248th Coast Artillery Regiment

 The 248th Coast Artillery, a National Guard Regiment of the State of Washington, was called into active federal service by Presidential Proclamation on August 31, 1940. The history of the regiment is accordingly based on parent National Guard units, from which the present unit was formed to replace former organizations, either by conversion or reorganization.

In 1907 the 2nd Infantry, Washington National Guard regiment, went into summer training camp to determine whether or not National Guard troops could become proficient in manning the Coast Defenses of Puget Sound. It was demonstrated beyond a doubt that this was practical, and during the period 1909 and 1917, twelve companies of Coast Artillery and a Sanitary Detachment, now called a Medical Detachment, were organized as a part of the National Guard forces of the State of Washington. These units were variously designated as Coast Artillery Reserve Corps, Coast Artillery Corps, and First Coast Defense Command, National Guard of Washington.

Under the Presidents proclamation of July 25, 1917, these troops were called into federal service and assigned to duty at the harbor Defenses of Puget Sound. On entry into federal service, the First Coast Defenses Command became the Seventeenth to Twenty-eighth Companies, Coast Defenses of Puget Sound, and subsequently the majority of the personnel were transferred to the Sixty-Third Coast Artillery. The balance transferred to the Sixty-Fifth and Sixty-Ninth Coast Artillery and saw service overseas in France. After the war they were demobilized and ceased to exist as they were automatically discharged form state service on entry into federal service when the August 5, 1917 draft law went into effect.

In 1921, three new companies of Coast Artillery were organized as a part of the Washington National Guard. They were the First Company at Aberdeen, Second Company at Snohomish, and the Third Company at Olympia. In 1922 they were again redesignated the 489th, 490th and 491st Companies. Two years later, they were again redesignated as Batteries A, K, and D, 248th Coast Artillery, and were organized into a provisional battalion, a Headquarters Detachment having been organized in 1923 at Aberdeen, and later in June 1935 reorganized at Olympia. A Sanitary Detachment, first organized in Seattle in 1922, was subsequently, in 1926, transferred to Olympia as a Medical Detachment, 248th Coast Artillery. Battery D was redesignated B in 1933, and Battery K became C in 1935.

In 1939, the 205th Coast Artillery AA was organized in the State, and Battery B, and Medical Detachment, 248th coast Artillery, at Olympia, were absorbed in the 205th Coast Artillery AA. To replace Battery B, Company E, 116th Medical Regiment at Mount Vernon was redesignated Battery D, 248th Coast Artillery. A new Medical Detachment was subsequently organized at Aberdeen, but was mustered out just prior to the organization of the 248th Coast Artillery Regiment, September 1, 1940. At this time, Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion was organized at Aberdeen and later redesignated Headquarters Battery, 248th Coast Artillery, Type B, absorbing the Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion and Battery A to obtain necessary personnel.

In December 1939, Battery A was reorganized at Port Angeles, Washington.

The 1st Battalion Headquarters Battery was again organized at Aberdeen, September 1, 1940, at the time the present regimental organization was effected.

On September 1, 1940, a complete Type B Regiment, designated as the 248th Coast Artillery, was organized by combining the 1st Battalion and Regimental Headquarters Battery, 248th Coast Artillery, and the following units of the 148th Field Artillery stationed at Tacoma, Washington:
Portion of Regimental Headquarters converted to Part of Regimental Headquarters, 248th CA Band converted to Regimental Band, 248th CA
Headquarters Battery converted and redesignated Searchlight Battery, Battery G, 248th CA
Headquarters 2nd Battalion converted to Headquarters 2nd Battalion, 248th CA
Battery D, converted to Battery D, 248th CA
Battery E, converted to Battery E, 248th CA
Battery F, converted to Battery F, 248th CA
Medical Detachment, converted to Medical Detachment, 248th CA

As over half of the regiment was originally a part of the 148th Field Artillery, a brief resume of their history is given. The 148th Field Artillery was organized on September 29, 1917 by General Order 2, Headquarters 41st Division, trained at Camp Greene, North Carolina, Camp Mills, New York, and Camp Merritt. The regiment sailed from New York to France on January 23, 1918, equipped with French 155mm howitzers, tractor drawn. The 148th Field Artillery was composed of elements of the 2nd Wyoming National Guard, the 1st Separate Battalion, Colorado Field Artillery, and 1st Separate Troop, Oregon Cavalry. The regiment was organized as a part of the 66th Field Artillery Brigade, 41st Division. Although the 41st Division was the fifth division to go overseas to France, it did not participate as a unit in any battle front, but elements of the 66th Field Artillery Brigade did, and the 148th Field Artillery, armed with French 155mm howitzers, participated in the Champagne-Marne Defensive, Aisne-Marne Offensive, St. Mihiel Offensive, Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and served in the Army of Occupation in Germany. The 148th Field Artillery was disbanded after the 1st World War.

In February 1927, a part of the 146th Field Artillery (Washington National Guard) and a unit of the Idaho National Guard, formed a new field Artillery Regiment, the 148th Field Artillery. The new regiment was trained as horse-drawn artillery until 1931, at which time it was changed to tractordrawn. Reorganization again took place in 1934 when the regiment was modernized and, upon modernization, changed to truck-drawn.

Motto of the 148th Field Artillery was Whenever, wherever.

As stated in paragraph 8 above, all of the 148th Field Artillery except the 1st Battalion, organized in Idaho, were transferred to the 248th Coast Artillery on September 1, 1940, forming the 2nd Battalion, Searchlight Battery, Band, and Medical Detachment of the 248th Coast Artillery, Type D Regiment.

The regimental insignia of the 248th Coast Artillery consists of a rod shield with a horizontal bar across the top, with battlements on the upper edge. Resting on the top of the battlements of crenelles is a flour-de-lis. Surrounding this is the crest of George Washington, which is described as follows: On a wreath argent and azure, a raven with wings indorsed issued out of a ducal coronet, all proper. For practical reasons the twist is white and blue. The motto at the base is Facilline Princeps (Most easily the first). The fleur-de-lis represents service in France, the five crenelles represent the five forts on Puget Sound at which coast artillery units of the State of Washington served during the 1st World War, i.e., Worden, Flagler, Casey, Whitman and Ward.

On September 16, 1940 the 248th Coast Artillery (HD) was inducted into federal service at the home station of the respective batteries and concentrated at Fort Worden, Washington, moving to unit station via motor transportation, completing the movement September 22, 1940.

Since induction into federal service, the regiment has served in the Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound.

The entire 248th Coast Artillery was relieved of Harbor Defense duties and transferred to Camp Barkeley, Texas, leaving Fort Worden, Washington on April 25, 1944.