United States Army 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion

U. S. ARMY 81ST CHEMICAL MORTAR BATTALION -   The 81st Chemical Battalion (Motorized) was constituted March 12, 1942 as an inactive unit and made active at Fort D. A. Russell, Texas on April 25, 1942 under the command of Lt Col Thoms James.  Departed the New York Port October 21, 1943 and arrived in England November 2, 1943.  Committed to combat in the European Theater of Operations and landed on Omaha Beach, France on June 6, 1944.   Assigned to the First Army.  Served in Belgium (date unknown) Redesignated February 22, 1945 as the 81st Chemcial Mortar Battalion.  The date the unit entered Germany is unknown.  The unit was at Branau, Germany at the end of World War II (August  15, 1945 location). Served in the Army of Occupation of Germany from May 2 - August 14, 1945.  Returned to the United States in September, 1945.  via the New York.  Inactivated November 7, 1945 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT:  Normandy (with arrowhead) Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 

DECORATIONS:  Distinguished Unit Citation (Unit cited for period 6-18 June 1944 per WD GO 73-1944) 

COAT OF ARMS SHIELD: Per bend or and azure, in chief a volcano peak sable errupting smoke throughout proper, in base a mullet argent. 

MOTTO: Equal to the Task. 

SYMBOLISM:  In the blue and yellow of the Chemical Warfare Services the volcano symbolizes the nearest approach in nature to modern chemical warfare agents, viz; smoke, incendiaries, harassing fumes and casualty producing gases; the lone star is symbolic of the state of Texas, in which the 81st Chemcial Battralion was activated and served at its first permanent station.