169th Engineer Battalion, US Army

169TH ENGINEER BATTALION, US ARMY

Coat of arms (crest) of 169th Engineer Battalion, US Army

(Coat of Arms)
Coat of arms (crest) of 169th Engineer Battalion, US Army

(Distinctive Unit Insignia)

Official blazon

Shield: Per fess enhanced dovetailed of three Argent and Gules, in base a fleur-de-lis flowered of the first.
Crest: From a wreath Argent and Gules, a mountain range Purpure superimposed by a dragon passent Or, garnished Gules, Buff, Brown, Goldenlight and breathing flames Proper, grasping a divider points to base Gules.
Motto: MIND AND HAND.

Distinctive Unit Insignia. Description: A silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess enhanced dovetailed of three Argent and Gules, in base a fleur-de-lis flowered of the first. Attached below the shield is a silver scroll inscribed "MIND AND HAND" in black letters.

Origin/meaning

Shield: Scarlet and white are the colors of the Corps of Engineers. The fleur-de-lis flowered was suggested by the coat of arms of Florence, Italy, where the battalion was activated after being reconstituted in 1944. The dovetail is used to allude to an engineering construction principle. The three points represent the organization's three battle honors awarded for service in Italy during World War II.

Crest: The many campaigns in which the 169th participated, during the Vietnam conflict are recalled by the golden dragon, holding an engineer's divider to symbolize the outstanding construction work the unit accomplished in support of military operations during 1967 and 1968. The mountains represent the rugged country in which exacting land development projects were completed and also symbolize the regions in Italy where the unit saw action during World War II, specifically the Po Valley, North Apennines and Rome-Arno. Scarlet denotes courage and recalls three Meritorious Unit Commendations and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal awarded the 169th in the period 1966 to 1970.

The Coat of Arms and Distinctive Unit Insignia was both originally approved on 26 January 1956. The arms were amended on 12 January 1999 to add the crest.

Literature: Image from Wikimedia Commons. Infromation from The Institute of Heraldry, US Army.


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