70th Armor Regiment

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

70th Armor Regiment
70th Armor coat of arms
Active	15 July 1940-Present.
Country	USA
Branch	Armor Branch (United States)
Type	Armored regiment
Part of	1st Armored Division
Garrison/HQ	2nd Battalion: Fort Riley, Kansas 4th Battalion: Baumholder, Germany (July 2009)
Nickname	Thunderbolts
Motto	Strike Swiftly
Colors	Green and Gold
Engagements	World War II Korean War Gulf War Iraq War
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 70th Armor is an armored (tank) regiment of the United States Army. The regiment exists only as separate battalions with no regimental headquarters. 2nd Battalion is part of the 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas. 4th Battalion was stood up on 15 July 2009 as part of the 170th Infantry Brigade (Separate) in Baumholder, Germany.

Heraldry

Distinctive unit insignia

• Description: A green color metal and enamel device 1-1/8 (2.86 cm) inches in height overall consisting of the shield and motto of the coat of arms.
• Symbolism: The shield is green with five gold tanks in a flying wedge.

Coat of arms

• Blazon:
  • Shield: Vert, five spearheads paleways in chevron Or.
  • Crest: On a wreath Or and Vert, supported by two lions rampant sable langued gules a Korean gateway of the last with doors closed of the third secured by a bar with two holders of the first.
  • Motto: Strike Swiftly!
• Symbolism:
  • Shield: The shield is green with five gold tanks
  • Crest: The two lions refer to the arms of Normandy and of Belgium where the unit served with distinction in World War II. The closed and bolted Korean gateway commemorates the organization's action in repulsing the enemy's attempt to pass through the Pusan Perimeter at Taegu in the Korean War.

History

Lineage

Constituted 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as the 70th Tank Battalion and activated at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland

Inactivated 1 June 1946 in Germany

Activated 1 August 1946 at Fort Knox, Kentucky

Reorganized and redesignated 14 June 1948 as the 70th Medium Tank Battalion

Reorganized and redesignated 31 December 1948 as the 70th Heavy Tank Battalion

Reorganized and redesignated 2 May 1950 as the 70th Tank Battalion

Assigned 10 November 1951 to the 1st Cavalry Division

Inactivated 15 October 1957 in Japan and relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division

Redesignated 25 January 1963 as the 70th Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System

4th Battalion activated 16 June 1989 and joins the 2nd Battalion as part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division as 4th Battalion, 70 Armor Regiment

Campaign credit

World War II: Algeria-French Morocco; Sicily (with arrowhead); Normandy (with arrowhead); Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter

Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease-Fire

Decorations

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered COTENTIN PENINSULA
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered HURTGEN FOREST
• Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered IRAQ
• Belgian Fourragere 1940
  • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for actions in Belgium
  • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes
• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered TAEGU
• Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece), Streamer embroidered KOREA

See also

• Coats of arms of U.S. Armor and Cavalry Regiments

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document "70th Armor".
•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "70th Armor Lineage and Honors".