Armor, the combined arms force, is the spearhead of the
attack, and the shoulder patch worn by its members proudly reflects
that battle role. The three-colored triangle patch, with its
superimposed track, gun, and lightning bolt, says it all.
The triangle is an ancient heraldic armoral design known
as a "pile" literally, a spearhead. The three colors
represent the combined arms and Armor's basic elements - blue
for infantry, red for artillery, and yellow for cavalry.
Superimposed in black upon the tricolor triangle are the
representations of Armor's prime assets: mobility, firepower,
and shock. The track symbolizes mobility; the cannon shows firepower;
and the lightning bolt represents shock. These are the assets
and the functions of Armor, the combat arm of decision.
The Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Force was
formed in France in January 1918, and Colonel S. D. Rockenbach
was its chief. Rockenbach understood that the newly founded corps
needed an insignia, something that its members could wear with
pride to show who they were and what they did on the battlefield
- much the same as the infantry's divisional shoulder patches.
He assigned Lieutenant Wharton, a member of his staff, the responsibility
of designing a suitable insignia for the fledgling corps.
The lieutenant followed accepted heraldic armorial practices
when he designed the Tank Corps' insignia. He used a silver shield
for the background and superimposed upon it the charge (a three-colored
triangle) and added a silver dragon (the charge on the coat-of-arms
of the 1st Cavalry) as the crest above the shield. The laurel
leaves represented valor on the battlefield and were an ancient
symbol of military prowess.
It was not until 1940, however, that the present Armor
shoulder patch evolved. In that year, the Armored Force was formed
with Major General Adna R. Chaffee as its chief, and the shoulder
patch of the 7th Cavalry Brigade (Mechanized) was combined with
the Tank Corps patch to make today's Armor insignia.
The 7th Cavalry Brigade (Mechanized) had been specifically
formed to train for mechanized warfare. Its parent units had
been the 1st Cavalry Regiment, the 13th Cavalry Regiment, and
the 68th Field Artillery Regiment. PFC Linthwaite (later colonel)
and Major Robert W. Grow (later major general) had designed the
7th Cavalry Brigade's patch, and Colonel Van Voorhis (later general)
authorized its superimposition on the Tank Corps' patch.
The amalgamation of the Tank Corps' patch with the 7th
Cavalry Brigade's patch resulted in today's Armor Force shoulder
patch and cemented the link between the new and the old in Armor.
Later, the function of the shield of the Tank Corps' patch
that had once borne the charge (the triangle) was taken over
by the charge itself, and the shield was deleted. The War Department
in November 1940 approved the present-day patch.
This successful union of three separate combat arms into
a single viable strike force is visible proof of the efficacy
of American combined arms and their commitment to success on
the battlefield.
Mobility, firepower, and shock. Cavalry, artillery, and infantry.
Armor.
Forge the Thunderbolt!