The collection consists of group photographs of the officers and men of the 119th Field Artillery Regiment stationed at Camp MacArthur, Waco (Tex.). Also included is a photograph of the officers of the 32nd Division, of which the 119th was a part.
The 119th Field Artillery Regiment, nicknamed the "Red Lions," was originally created in 1911 as the 1st Battalion, Field Artillery from various Michigan National Guard units. It was formally organized in 1917; the 1st Battalion, Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Squadron, and Headquarters and Service Companies of the 31st Infantry Regiment were consolidated to create the 119th. The regiment saw combat in France, including the Second Battle of the Marne and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Members of the regiment returned to the United States in 1918.
By 1919, the regiment was demobilized and, by 1922, the 119th Field Artillery Regiment had been reorganized into the Michigan National Guard (and assigned to the 32nd Division). The regiment was active during the 1936-1937 strike in Flint, Mich. and also saw combat during World War II, in France and Germany. By 1943, the Regiment had been broken into three units: the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 119th Field Artillery Group as well as 978th and 979th Field Artillery Battalions. Further changes to these units occurred after 1943.
The headquarters of the 119th Field Artillery Regiment are located in Lansing, Mich.
