501st Signal Battalion
Lineage and Honors Information as of 3 December 1996
501st Signal Battalion Lineage
Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 626th Field Signal Battalion and assigned to the 101st Division
(101st Division only partially organized October-November 1918; demobilized 11 December 1918)
Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 101st Signal Company and assigned to the 101st Division
Organized in October 1921 in Wisconsin
Withdrawn 15 August 1942 from the Organized Reserves and allotted to the Army of the United States; concurrently reorganized at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, as the 101st Airborne Signal Company, an element of the 101st Airborne Division
Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France
Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army
Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
Inactivated 1 April 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1956 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Detachment, 501st Airborne Signal Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division (516th Signal Company [see ANNEX 1] and 299th Signal Company [see ANNEX 2] concurrently redesignated as the Operations Company and the Installation Company, 501st Airborne Signal Battalion, respectively, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
Reorganized and redesignated 25 April 1957 as the 501st Signal Battalion (Operations and Installation Companies concurrently reorganized and redesignated as Companies A and B, respectively)
ANNEX 1
Constituted 11 May 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 246th Signal Operation Company
Activated 15 April 1943 at Camp Crowder, Missouri
Inactivated 30 November 1945 at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
Redesignated 15 March 1949 as the 516th Signal Company
Activated 1 April 1949 in Austria
Allotted 20 February 1951 to the Regular Army
Inactivated 31 July 1955 in Austria
ANNEX 2
Constituted 8 December 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 299th Signal Installation Company
Activated 24 September 1943 at Camp Crowder, Missouri
Redesignated 26 May 1945 as the 299th Signal Service Company
Inactivated 21 March 1946 in France
Redesignated 16 February 1953 as the 299th Signal Company and allotted to the Regular Army
Activated 25 March 1953 at Camp Gordon, Georgia
Inactivated 27 June 1955 at Camp Gordon, Georgia
501st Signal Battalion Honors
Campaign Participation Credit
World War II: Normandy (with arrowhead); Rhineland (with arrowhead); Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
Vietnam: Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII; Consolidation I; Consolidation II
Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Decorations
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for NORMANDY
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BASTOGNE
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1968
French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for NORMANDY
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm for BASTOGNE; cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at BASTOGNE
Belgian Fourragere 1940
Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in FRANCE and BELGIUM
Netherlands Orange Lanyard
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968-1969
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1968-1970
Company B additionally entitled to:
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968