Better known as a unit crest, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 197th Field Artillery Regiment was originally on 16 April 1927 for the 197th Coast Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire National Guard (NHNG). It was redesignated on 28 December 1951 for the 744th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, NHNG, and again on 29 March 1961 for the 197th Artillery Regiment, NHNB. Its last redesignation was for the 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard on 9 August 1972.
The 197th Field Artillery Regiment motto of A Bas L’ Avion, French for “Down With The Plane,” reveals the organization’s past role as an antiaircraft unit, first as a Coast Artillery Regiment and then as an antiaircraft artillery gun battalion. In addition to the scarlet background (an Artillery color), the winged projectile makes it clear its target was aerial. But the larger blue area of the shield signifies the fact that the unit had served longer as an Infantry unit rather than as an Artillery organization at the time the insignia was approved. A lion passant on the blue field represents service in the War of 1812; the white lozenge is the corps badge worn by the 2nd Division, III Corps during the Civil War; and fleur-de-lis denotes service in France in World War I.
Guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1, Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e), "Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.
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The 197th Field Artillery Regiment can trace its origins to five New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry Regiments that were organized from existing units and mustered into Federal service between the 29 April 1861 and 12 October 1861 at Concord and Portsmouth. These units would go on to fight in nearly two dozen Civil War campaigns, with one regiment mustering out of Federal service as far south as Goldsboro, NC.
During World War I, the unit’s predecessors in the Coast Artillery Corps (the 9th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Companies, Coast Defenses of Portsmouth) earned an uninscribed victory streamer for defending the Eastern seaboard. A variety of units in the Regiment’s lineage contributed to the organizations four campaign streamers each from World War II and the Vietnam War (it would not even be designated as the 197th Field Artillery until May 1972). Although the Regiment as a whole has been awarded a military decoration, two of its Batteries (HQ Battery and Battery A, 2nd Battalion) were honored with a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, and Battery C, 2nd Battalion was the recipient of a Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class.
Today, the 197th Field Artillery Regiment is represented by its 3rd Battalion, which is assigned to the 197th Field Artillery Brigade, New Hampshire Army National Guard and is headquartered in Portsmouth.