[1] The 55th Medical Battalion (Corps) was activated 10 February 1941 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas in accordance with General Order No.

[2] A cadre of twenty enlisted men from the Second Medical Battalion, Fort Sam Houston, Texas was transferred to this organization.

The organization was assigned barracks in the vicinity of the W. W. White Road and Garden Avenue on the Fort Sam Houston Reservation, was brought to training strength by the receipt of 440 selectees from the Fort Sam Houston Reception Center, and a unit training program was started.

On June 2, 1941, a detachment of 60 enlisted men from Company "C" departed for the VIII Army Corps Field Exercises.

Moves were coordinated in such a manner that one platoon of Company “D” had a clearing station set up at all times, for the care and treatment of patients.

[3] The experience gained in these maneuvers demonstrated that litter bearers in the Collecting Companies could be greatly reduced or eliminated as in all cases evacuation from Corps Troops could be accomplished by ambulance directly.

The ultimate purpose of the training was to prepare the Battalion to operate effectively for the care and transportation of casualties and to participate with higher units in field exercises.

In order to accomplish this purpose the training was conducted by the individual companies under a master schedule issued by battalion headquarters.

In later phases of unit training, the organization participated in large scale field exercises conducted by higher headquarters.

The two reinforced ambulance detachments, in a period of 2 months evacuated 6,814 patients, traveling a distance of 253,004 miles without an accident.

At Fort Sam Houston the battalion was quartered in wooden barracks and serviced by the Post Laundry.

[7] Additionally, at Fort Sam Houston the battalion received Class A rations which were prepared in permanent post mess halls.

[7] After arriving in the United Kingdom, the battalion was stationed in Northern Ireland where it underwent an intensive training schedule, including night problems.

The primary mission of the battalion continued to be to furnish second echelon Medical support to non-divisional and Corps Units.

[9] To facilitate operations the 494th Medical Company (Collecting) was assigned the mission of supporting the XV Corps Artillery.

[9] The one main difficulty encountered by the 494th Medical Company was the shortage of transportation created by having ambulances forward located with the Artillery Group Headquarters.

[9] Returning to the control the 55th Medical Battalion and XV Corps on 26 January, the company continued to support the 275th Infantry Regiment until 8 February 1945.

Headquarters Section and the first platoon were operating directly under Seventh Army and functioning as a 150-bed expansion unit with the 132nd Evacuation Hospital.

[9] During the rapid advance following the crossing of the Rhine, a great many German Military Hospitals and Prisoner of War Camps were overrun.

[9] Two dental laboratories were attached to the 650th Medical Company (Clearing) to provide facilities to take care of dentures for men who ordinarily would have had to be sent back to an evacuation hospital.

During periods when the front was more or less stable, these four dentists worked continuously and at times had as much as a four-week backlog of patients.

On 10 July, the Headquarters left Salzburg, Austria at 0620 hrs by motor convoy and arrived in Bamberg, Germany the same day.

By the end of 1945 the team, working in conjunction with the Counter Intelligence Corps had screened, processed, and discharged over 2700 personnel to civilian status as they became eligible for release.

[12] The 2nd Surgical Hospital (Mobile) (Army) was alerted for overseas movement on 2 August 1965, and departed Fort Bragg for the Republic of Vietnam on 15 October 1965, arriving in country on 7 November 1965.

[15] On 10 January 1966 the group headquarters was alerted for deployment to the Republic of Vietnam and began preparing for overseas movement.

On 16 April the group was relieved of command responsibility for all subordinate units at Fort Bragg to allow it to concentrate fully on deployment preparation.

An advance party consisting of the group executive officer, S-3, and S-4 departed the United States by air on 22 May and arrived in Vietnam the next day.

[14] A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 and 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Sanguine, a cross quarterly pierced Argent in fess point a mullet of the like.

Attached above the shield a rounded Silver scroll inscribed “CONSERVE FIGHTING STRENGTH” in Maroon letters.

The cross represents the nature of the service of the unit and the mullet indicates the organization's point of origin as Texas.