D Bty 1st Missle Btn 517th Arty

D Battery, 1st Missile Battalion, 517th Artillery was a U.S. Army unit active during the Cold War era. The battalion was part of the Army's Air Defense Artillery branch, equipped with the Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile system designed to defend against high-altitude bombers and, later, tactical ballistic missiles. D Battery, along with its parent unit, was stationed in West Germany as part of the United States' commitment to NATO, serving as a key element of the forward air defense network in Europe. The unit played a significant role in deterring Soviet air threats during its period of active service before being inactivated as air defense technology and strategies evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s.