Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Company D of the Republic's National Guard became an artillery battery — ensuring the artillery tradition survived the dramatic political transition. The unit received 12-pound Driggs-Schroeder breech-loading cannons, representing the modern artillery technology of the era.
These historic cannons are a point of pride for the 1-487th FA, which later worked to restore and preserve them as a tangible link to the unit's royal Hawaiian origins. The cannons stand as a symbol of unbroken artillery service from the Kingdom era through statehood.