69th Infantry Division "Fighting 69th" The division insignia is a red block "6" and a blue block "9" which interlock. The battalion continued its second half of the deployment north of Ramadi, and executed numerous expeditionary combat operations near Lake Tharthar, Habbaniyah, and the southern region of the Salah ad Din Province. The 52 ton M48A3 performed well during this initial two-week fight and the unit set an example for future tactical employment of armor in Vietnam. 1968 TET offensive. Nearly 200 of the enemy were killed during this two day action with no U.S. KIA. The 69th Infantry Division was originally scheduled for activation before the end of World War I, but Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, halted this. Please send updates. Obviously surprised by the presence of the U.S. tanks, the enemy fled the field after the B Company M48s destroyed several of the assaulting PT 76b tanks and BTR50 fighting vehicles. Moreover, it now boasted a V12 Continental Diesel engine which more than doubled the tank's combat range and significantly reduced the hazard of fire. Joe's certainly was a life well lived. This deactivation came to an end when the unit was re-designated as the 69th Medium Tank Battalion in August 1950. It crossed to England in August of 1944 and did not reach Normandy until a month later. $10.95 + $3.95 shipping.
On April 19, 1945, the Division captured Leipzig. The 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment (3-69 AR) is a United States Army combined arms battalion and part of the 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It activated on 5 September 1950 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. It was formed with a cadre from the 2nd Armored Division. Able-co/2-69 AR, Delta/2-69 AR, HHC/2-69 AR, and E/203 SB (FSC/2-69 AR) along with B/1-30 IN operated out of CAMP CORREGIDOR and COMBAT OUTPOST on the eastern side of Ar Ramadi. Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 69th Armored Regiment on 7 September 1942. 69th Tank Battalion; 6th Armored Division; 212th Armored Field Artillery Battalion; 128th Armored Field Artillery Battalion; 231st Armored Field Artillery Battalion; Combat Command A; [2] Both received the Superior Unit Award. [2], LTCs Leo M. Brandt, Donald J. Pagel and MAJ George Latturner each commanded the battalion for short periods from April to December 1969. It inactivated on 16 April 1986 in Germany and was relieved from its assignment in the 3rd Infantry Division. LTCs Leo M. Brandt, Donald J. Pagel and MAJ George Latturner each commanded the Battalion for short periods, from April to December, 1969. B Company elements engaged units of the 18th and 22nd NVA Regiments, as well as the 2nd VC Main Force Regiment in heavy combat between 10 and 25 April in the area of Ky Son, inflicting over 100 enemy KIA. It reactivated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox, KY, ( the 69th Armored Regiment was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 6th Armored Division). [page 210] . We will not forget Joe and his band of brothers either. [2], The Battalion shipped from Okinawa to Vietnam and, and true to the policy at the time, was fragmented, with the Battalion HQ, trains, A and C companies going to Cu Chi supporting the main elements of the 25 Division, while B Company joined the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Division in Pleiku. An element of the former organization was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for service in Europe. Thank you for signing up for the VetFriends Newsletter! The 69th Division landed in Le Havre, France, on January 24, 1945, and advanced through France and Belgium into Germany. The 9th Armored Division was cited for extraordinary heroism and gallantry in combat in the vicinity of Waldbillig and Savelborn, Luxembourg from 16-22 December 1944 during which they repulsed constant and determined attacks by an entire German division. Operations were based in the Chalis Qada area. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 Activated 15 May 1943 Entered Combat 11 Feb 1945 Days of Combat 86 Casualties 1,506, Maj. Gen. Charles L. Bolte (May 43 - Sep 44)Maj. Gen. Emil F. Reinhardt (Sep 44 - Aug 45)Brig. Are you looking for someone who is or was in 69TH ARMORED DIVISION? It was formed with a cadre from the 2nd Armored Division . History [ edit] Members of the 44th Armored Infantry, supported by tanks of the 6th Armored Division, move in to attack German troops surrounding Bastogne. Both battalions have transformed from tank pure battalions into Combined Arms Battalions (CAB), each comprising two mechanized infantry and two tank companies. In six days after hitting France the 9th Armored was in Luxembourg near the German frontier. LTC Robert J. Graebener, March 1990 - October 1991 (Colors Cased), LTC Lon E. Maggart, April 1984 April 1986, LTC Ricardo Sanchez, during Operation Desert Storm 9091, LTC Jeffery R. Sanderson, May 2002 June 2004, LTC Robert R. Roggeman, June 2004 June 2006, LTC Robert Ashe, July 2008 January 2011, LTC George E Bolton Jr., June 2019 - Present, LTC Jessie L. Robinson, 27 July 2008 October 2009, LTC Jeff Denius, October 2009 October 2011, LTC Orestees "Bo" T. Davenport, October 2011 October 2013, LTC Harry "Zan" Hornbuckle, October 2013 July 2015, LTC Johnny A. Evans Jr., July 2015 May 2017, LTC Stewart W. Wallace June 1985 - June 1987, LTC J. Steven Hunter June 1987 - October 1987, This page was last edited on 27 July 2022, at 11:53. The unit, along. I called the number ans wow he was blown away when he found out who I was. The first address you sent me is my buddy. Personal experience as a member of the Heavy Mortar Platoon, CSC (later HHC) 2/69th AR, Fort Benning, GA from August 1984 December 1985; US War Casualties Afghanistan (by date), http://www.benning.army.mil/armor/eARMOR/content/issues/1988/JAN_FEB/ArmorJanuaryFebruary1988web.pdf, The Institute of Heraldry 69th Armor Regiment, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=69th_Armor_Regiment&oldid=1100734449. Colonel Forrest, who was 34 years of age was. In February 1942 it was reassigned to the 6th Armored Division where it continued to serve until September 1943 when elements of the Regiment were divided and reassigned. The battalion was instrumental in keeping these vital roads open for re-supply of units heavily engaged with the North Vietnamese during the heavy battles around k T and Kontum in November 1967. In March 2003 the battalion, under the command of LTC Ernest P. "Rock" Marcone, deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom I, where it served as the "Point of the Spear" for the 3rd Infantry Division, participating in many 1BCT battles, to include the seizure of Baghdad International Airport. [2], 1/69 Armor played a critical role in the defense of Pleiku, Kontum, Dak To and Highway 19 during the Jan/Feb. The motto translates to Speed and Power.. In January 2003, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor deployed to Kuwait awaiting orders to begin combat operations. The 69th Armor is an armored regiment of the United States Army.The 69th Armor Regiment is part of the U.S. Army Regimental System with only two battalions, the 2nd and 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, existing in separate brigades and representing the regiment as a whole. The 1st Battalion was again reactivated and assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany in 1975.
The 69th Tank Battalion, as part of the 6th Armored Division, was included in various European campaigns including Normandy, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. U.S. Click here to read about Joe's: EARLY LIFE | MILITARY CAREER
He is so thankful I called and we exchanged addresses and he wants to come and visit. We will try to record some of the many outstanding feats of our Division and to recognize the thousands who trained in the 69th but were sent out as replacements to other units, including reinforcements to the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Shield: The shield is in the green and white of the Armored Force. Hq., Cn. Similarly, B Company's actions along the Plei Me/Duc Co corridor, paralleling the Cambodian border set the tone for future savage fighting Battalion elements would encounter in this critical Central Highlands area of enemy infiltration. The unit was reassigned on 16 October 1987 to the 24th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Stewart, Georgia. [2], Similarly, B Company's actions along the Plei Me/Duc Co corridor, paralleling the Cambodian border set the tone for future savage fighting Battalion elements would encounter in this critical Central Highlands area of enemy infiltration. These routes were notorious for ambush actions dating back to the First Indochina War of the 1950s. We will be posting a tribute and the family's eulogy. Lieutenant Colonel (Major General, Retired) R.J. Fairfield, Jr. assumed command of the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor on 31 July, 1965. It relieved the 80th Division in Kassel, 5 April, seized Munden on the 8th and Weissenfels on the 14th against sharp opposition, and captured Leipzig, 19 April, following a fierce struggle within the city. "The Fighting 69th" became the Division motto after the troops passed their first test of battle with flying colorsgoing into the front lines on February 11, 1945, and quickly smashing through the vaunted Westwall, dubbed the "Siegfried Line" by American and British troops. It was redesignated for the 69th Tank Battalion on 4 November 1943. The 69th Tank Battalion participated in most of the major ETO actions and campaigns with the 6th Armor Division includingNormandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. 1/69 Armor played a critical role in the defense of Pleiku, Kontum, Dak To and Hwy 19 during the Jan/Feb. The Fighting 69th Infantry Division Website. It moved to Camp Chaffee on 15 March 1942 to make way for other Armor units, and then completed . It was reorganized and re-designated on 20 September 1943 as Company C, 69th Tank Battalion. A/2-69 AR, D/2-69 AR, HHC/2-69 AR, and FSC/2-69 AR, along with B/1-30 IN operated out of CAMP CORREGIDOR and COMBAT OUTPOST on the eastern side of Ar Ramadi. LTC William Grant assumed command of 1/69 Armor as the battalion was given the mission of securing the primary routes of communication on QL 19, between Qui Nhon on the coast and Duc Co on the Cambodian border; and on QL 14 between k T in the north to Ban Me Thuot in the south. The unit and its component line companies were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Award, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and the Vietnam Civic Action Award First Class. Being always alert, the black variety of panther is considered the most dangerous of all the feline family. Some 16,500,000 were registered by October 1940, and the first group of conscripts, called selectees, was called in the next month. 1968 TET offensive. For its actions and the extraordinary heroism of its soldiers, A Company was awarded the Valorous Unit Citation. The 2017 Annual Reunion will be in Virginia Beach, VA at the North Beach Holiday Inn Sept. 21-24, 2017. The 1st Battalion was alerted to begin preparations for deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in December 1965. [2], The Battalion continued operations west of Pleiku and along the coastal plain during 1969 with both the 4th Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Air Force Units Army Units Coast Guard Units Marine Corps Units Navy Units . Throughout the 1990s, the battalion deployed in support of numerous war-time missions including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq. Following the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean peninsula, the 708th Tank Battalion was subsequently restructured and re-designated the 89th Medium Tank Battalion. I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. LTC William Grant assumed command of 1/69 Armor as the Battalion was given the mission of securing the primary routes of communicationon QL 19, between Qui Nhon on the coast and Duc Co on the Cambodian border; and on QL 14 between Dak To in the north to Ban Me Thout in the south. This world is a better place because Joe Lipsius passed through. The Division resumed its forward movement to the west bank of the Rhine, crossing the river and capturing the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, 27 March. The unit spearheaded no fewer than ten campaigns, from 1951 through the Armistice in 1953 with the 25th Division and earned the Presidential Unit Citation and the Navy Unit Commendation. This fifteen-month deployment was part of the General Petraeus "surge" of force. When the campaign started, 369 AR led the rest of 3ID on the drive to Baghdad. [2], A Company was charged with the security of Highway 19 between An Khe and Mang Yang Pass, and on 10 April, routed a regimental size ambush attempt on a convoy by the 95B Regiment killing 45 VC and capturing seven crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were one killed. Following a successful transition into Operation New Dawn, Task Force 369 redeployed in December 2010. This original assignment did not last for long. [2], LTC Fairfield was promoted and subsequently reassigned as command of 1/69 Armor passed to LTC Clyde O. Clark. He said we were like brothers and then all of a sudden, we lost all contact. The 69th Tank Battalion, as part of the 6th Armored Division, was included in various European campaigns including Normandy, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. If you have a tribute, please email it to Webmaster Michael McKibben at mmckibben@leader.com and it will be posted shortly. With the inactivation of the 24th ID, and the activation of the 3rd ID at Fort Stewart, the unit was reassigned once more, becoming part of the 3rd Infantry Division, based still at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Earlier, in September, the battalion, along with the other elements of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division became part of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in a swap of brigades in place. We will never forget! What a conversation we had. View our site visit statistics. [2], The Battalion's first major combat operation took place in April, 1966 in the tangled jungle growth of the Hobo Woods and along the trails of the Filhol Rubber plantation again, northwest of Saigon. Once the weather improved, the division resumed its advance, clearing the gap and turning north-east towards Baghdad. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 The Regimental HQ and 1st Battalion remained with the 6th Armored Division as the 69th Tank Battalion, while the 3rd Battalion was re-designated as 708th Amphibian Tank Battalion and was a participant in several critical amphibious campaigns and distinguished itself during the bloody fighting on Okinawa earning the battalion the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. Did you proudly serve in 69TH ARMORED DIVISION? 1968 Tet Offensive. [2], LTCs Leo M. Brandt, Donald J. Pagel and MAJ George Latturner each commanded the Battalion for short periods, from April to December, 1969. Tanks from 1st Platoon, A Company, 369 AR entered the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP)shortly after midnight on 4 April and 369 AR captured (BIAP)later that day, after limited resistance from elements of the Hammurabi Division of the Republican Guard. The bulk of the Battalion was moved in May 1966 to Qui Nhon via LST, then overland along the infamous QL (Highway) 19 to join B Company at Camp Enari near Pleiku, the home of the 4th Infantry Division. It landed in Le Havre, France, 24 January 1945, and moved to Belgium to relieve the 99th Division, 12 February, and hold defensive positions in the Siegfried Line. The 69th was originally nicknamed "Boltes Bitching Bivouacking Bastards" or "The Four Bs" because of the troops hatred for the many bivouacs in DeSoto National Forest south of Camp Shelby ordered by its original Division Commander, Charles L. Bolte. Up until five weeks ago, Joe was still emailing about website business. The unit, along with many others, was deactivated in 1946 following the end of the Second World War. With the left over elements of the 69th and the 89th Tank Battalions, the 69th Armored Regiment was re-designated the 69th Armor, a parent regiment under the Regimental Combat Arms system. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Silver scroll inscribed VITESSE ET PUISSANCE in Black letters. The battalion was based primarily at FOB Brassfield-Mora,[3] Patrol Base Uvanni,[4] and Patrol Base Olsen. Bravo Company's 1st Platoon, detailed to provide additional firepower to the SF camp, fought what was to be the only engagement between U.S. and NVA armor on the night of 3 and 4 March. [2], A Company completed its mission with the 1st Cavalry in October 1967 and returned to Camp Enari with Battalion HQ. 10 April: Reported to White Battalion, 273rd Infantry Regiment, 69th Division, and formed part of the advance guard for Combat Command A, 9th Armored Division. It was subsequently deactivated in late 1991 with the Regimental Colors returning to the 2nd Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. The battalion then redeployed to Fort Benning, Georgia in October 2010 and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Award. Contrasting with the old battalion M48A2 vehicles, the new A3 models still featured the 90mm cannon, a M2HB cupola mounted .50 caliber machinegun and a 7.62mm, M72 coaxial machinegun. 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, was originally constituted on 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as Company C, 69th Armored Regiment, an element of the 1st Armored Division. It was redesignated for the 69th Tank Battalion on 4 November 1943. Up until five weeks ago, Joe was still emailing about website business. 3d Battalion, 69th Armor similarly operated with the 24th Division during war.[2]. Non-Commissioned Officers were also called. The United States entered the 1940s with Nazi Germany striving to engulf Europe. [5] This time the battalion served as the 1st Brigade Combat Team's and 42nd Infantry Division's main effort in Samarra, Iraq. 2-69 AR is currently stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia as part of the 3rd Armor Brigade Combat Team ("Sledgehammer"), 3rd Infantry Division and 3-69 AR is stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia as part of the 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team ("Raider"), 3rd Infantry Division. 3/69 Armor has also deployed to Kosovo as part of KFOR and peace keeping operations in the former Yugoslav republics. Bulletins thru the years - training, combat, reunion & photos of buddies and you. B/2-69 AR and E/2-69 AR were awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation. On 19 March 2003, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor was the tip of the spear, leading the famous "March to Baghdad." In March 2007, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor was deployed as part of the Baghdad "surge." [2], LTC James L. Marini took command in December 1969 and continued operations until the battalion stood down with the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and returned to the U.S. in mid-1970. They suffered three casualties that year.[4]. The insignia was amended to revise the symbolism of the crest on 29 October 1965. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Obviously surprised by the presence of the U.S. tanks, the enemy fled the field after the B Company M48s destroyed several of the assaulting PT 76b tanks and BTR50 fighting vehicles. Webmaster, Sadly, Anne and Sherry Lipsius, wife and daughter, notified us on September 6, 2015 that our intrepid Webmaster, Joe Lipsius, passed away peacefully that morning. After a successful tour, Task Force 369 Armor redeployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia in March 2008, to train in preparation of future operations. Company A was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division until October, 1967. During this period Alpha Company supported the three Sky Trooper brigades in heavy combat operations along the South China Sea coast, distinguishing itself in savage fighting against Main Force Viet Cong, for countless fortified village complexes in Binh Dinh province and the Bong Son plain area. Each battalion had its own insignia. Joe did not want us to forget what each and every brave man and woman of the Fighting 69th did for their families, their country, and the world. In March 2007, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor was deployed as part of the Baghdad "surge." This original assignment did not last for long. The Division went over to the attack, 27 February, capturing the high ridge east of Prether to facilitate use of the Hellenthal-Hollerath highway. The Battalion was instrumental in keeping these vital roads open for re-supply of units heavily engaged with the North Vietnames during the heavy battles around Dak To and Kontum in November, 1967. Motto: VITESSE ET PUISSANCE (Speed and Power). The Battalion continued to support the 4th Infantry Division along the Hwy 19 corridor, from Qui Nhon to Duc Co during the period, where it fought hot actions in and around LZ Schuller, An Khe, Plei Djereng and Plei Me. [2], 1st Platoon, B Company earned a special Presidential Unit Citation in August 1966 for their actions at LZ 27 Victor, a small Korean enclave in the triple canopy jungles of the Ia Drang-Chu Pong mountain area, where nine months earlier, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) fought savage battles with infiltrating North Vietnamese units. These routes were notorious for ambush actions dating back to the French Indochina War of the 1950s. The insignia was redesignated for the 69th Medium Tank Battalion on 25 February 1954. Redisignated as the 69th Medium Tank Battalion in August, 1950 and reactivated in Korea. Welcome to the 6th Armored Division virtual museum. 2,951,373. Both Battalions have had subsequent deployments to the Kuwait desert in support of Coalition forces. Joint Task Force by Sierra Entertainment features an M1A1 Abrams from Bravo Company 369 AR BN on the cover of the box and on all tanks in game. The battalion played an important role by providing security assistance during the crucial Iraqi national elections in March 2010. The Division was activated May 15, 1943. We wonder about the rest that served with us in the artillery unit we served in. Click here to read: Tributes to Joe Lipsius, We endeavor in these pages to remember the heroic service of the men of The Fighting 69th Infantry Division during World War II. Further, we want these pages to be a gateway for 69ers to locate and contact "buddies" and obtain service information from the military. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt watched, a blindfolded Secretary of War Henry C. Stimpson selected the first number in the draft lottery, drawing from a huge container filled with numbers assigned to registered young Americans aged 21 to 36.