The 66th Armor Regiment is the oldest

armored Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

unit in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, tracing its lineage to the 301st Tank Battalion which served with distinction soon after it was formed in the First World War; the 301st trained at Camp Meade, Maryland, where then Cpt. Dwight D. Eisenhower was an instructor. It has often been rumored that the 301st, the parent unit of the 66th, was first commanded by Col.

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

, but this appears not to have been the case; while Patton was the first officer assigned to the Tank Corps, and while the 301st Tank Battalion was the first unit formed, Patton went nearly immediately to France to train Americans attached to Allied commands. The 301st was the only American heavy tank battalion to have seen action in the war. After the war, the 301st transitioned in the Regular Army to become the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks) by way of the 16th Tank Battalion.

Current disposition

Two battalions of the regiment are still in service in the Regular Army. *1–66 AR is assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson. The First Battalion has participated in combat operations in

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

and in Operation Enduring Freedom. *3–66 AR is assigned to the

1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (United States) The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (aka, "Devil Brigade") is a maneuver brigade combat team in the United States Army. It is the oldest permanent brigade in the Army and has some of the oldest units in the United States Army. He ...

, garrisoned at Ft Riley, Kansas. The Third Battalion has participated in combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Operation Enduring Freedom.

History

World War I

The 1st and 2nd Provisional Brigades of the

United States Tank Corps The Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces was the mechanized unit that engaged in tank warfare for the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front during World War I. Organization Brigadier General Samuel D. Rockenbach ...

would eventually go on to provide the original

cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics) In political contexts a cadre (, , ) consists of a person recognized as a capable militant within a political ...

for what would become the 66th Armored Regiment in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. In September 1918 both brigades – which were attached to the 1st Infantry Division in France – participated in the battle of St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, operating French-built

Renault FT The Renault FT (frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the FT-17, FT17, or similar) was a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to ...

tanks. Five days before the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

, the brigades were renamed respectively the 304th and 305th Brigades, Tank Corps on 6 November 1918. The casualties in the unit led General John J. Pershing to say: "The percentage of casualties among the officers and men tells the tale of splendid morale and gallantry in action and their unselfish devotion to duty". The regiment's Organization Day was chosen as 12 September to commemorate its baptism of fire at St. Mihiel. The Headquarters and Headquarters Companies (HHC) of the 304th and 305th Tank Brigades transferred in 1919 to

Camp Meade Camp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania, was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish–American War. History Camp Meade was established August 24, 1898, and soon thereafter was occupi ...

, Maryland, and consolidated on 22 June 1921, reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 1st Tank Group. This organization reorganized and was redesignated HHC, 1st Tank Regiment, on 1 September 1929, as the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks) on 25 October 1932. In 1936 and 1937,

Bruce Magruder Bruce Magruder (December 3, 1882 – July 23, 1953) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Moro Rebellion, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, and World War II, he attained the rank of major general. Magruder was most ...

commanded the 66th Infantry Regiment at

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

. When the regiment received its first two light tanks, unit members decided to name one for Magruder, and his wife took part in the christening ceremony. As the 66th Armored Regiment, on 15 July 1940, the organization become part of the newly formed 2nd Armored Division, stationed at

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama– Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employee ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

World War II

In December 1942, the regiment was part of the amphibious invasion of

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

in North Africa and led the division's entry into

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

. The regiment next participated in the invasion of Sicily. M4A1 to M4A3 tank animation

On 10 June 1944 (D+4), the three battalions of the regiment landed on

Gold Beach Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. Gold, the central of the five areas, was ...

in Normandy. Four days later the regiment (as part of Combat Command A of the 2nd Armored Division) fought through elements of the German 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division and elements of the

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, ...

southwest of

Carentan Carentan () is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France, with a population of about 6,000. It is a former commune in the Manche department. On 1 January 2016, it was m ...

, France at the

Battle of Bloody Gulch The Battle of Bloody Gulch took place around the Manoir de Donville or Hill 30 ( U.S. Army designation), approximately southwest of Carentan in Normandy, France, on June 13, 1944. It involved elements of the German 17th SS Panzergrenadier Div ...

. Later progress was also initially difficult in combat against elements of the newly arrived

116th Panzer Division The 116th ''Panzer'' Division, also known as the "Windhund (Greyhound) Division", was a German armoured formation that saw combat during World War II. History Formation The 116th Division was constituted in the Rhineland and Westphalia are ...

and surviving elements of the Panzer Lehr Division. In a difficult battle in the streets of the village of Percy and on surrounding high ground on 30 July, against some of the eight Panthers Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein had found and rallied from workshops at neighboring Villebaudon on 28 July, the 3/66th was to lose 13 tanks and was forced to pull out of the city losing another five tanks outside Centry to heavy Nebelwerfer and other mortar fire. On 31 July 3/66th was down to only 24 operational tanks. The regiment fought across France to the German border with the rest of the division and the

U.S. Third Army The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...

, but was diverted north to counter the German advance during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

, assisting in the destruction of the

2nd Panzer Division The 2nd Panzer Division ( en, 2nd Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II. Created as one of the original three German tank divisions in 1935, it was stationed in Austria after the Anschluss an ...

and capturing

Houffalize Houffalize (; german: Hohenfels; wa, Oufalijhe) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium.Sven Vrielinck: De territoriale indeling van België 1795-1963 Volume 1. Universitaire Pers Leuven 2000. page 4 ...

, Belgium. On 14 June 1944, just after arriving in France, the Regiment was reorganized to align with newer armored division structure. While the regimental designation was retained, companies were formally aligned with battalions. For example, the 1st Battalion no longer had companies A, B, and C, instead now it had Company C (

M5 Stuart The M3 Stuart/Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version of the tank entered service as the M5 in 1942 to be supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. in ...

) and Companies F and I (

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...

). 2nd Battalion received Company A (M5) and kept Companies D and E (M4). 3rd Battalion gained Company B (M5) and maintained Companies G and H (M4). The regiment would fight with this organization for the remainder of the war. The regiment was twice cited in the

Order of the Day To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

of the Belgian Army. Captain James M. Burt, the commander of B Company, 66th Armored Regiment, was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

for his heroism during the

Battle of Aachen The Battle of Aachen was a combat action of World War II, fought by American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 2–21 October 1944. The city had been incorporated into the Siegfried Line, the main defensive network on ...

in October 1944. Captain Burt later served as Honorary Colonel of the Regiment.

Cold War

Following the war, elements of the 66th and other units of the 2nd Armored Division were selected to occupy the American sector of Berlin and serve as the first American troops to enter the fallen German capital. During the Korean War, an offspring of the 66th fought under the designation "6th Tank Battalion". During the war, the sixth won seven battle streamers and the

Korean Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

. These honors were awarded to the 66th Armored Regiment when the 6th Tank Battalion was inactivated after the conflict. Throughout the Cold War, the four battalions of the regiment served in the 2nd Armored Division at Ft. Hood, Texas, and as part of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) in the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

Desert Storm

In 1991, during

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

, the regiment assisted in the liberation of

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...

and the defeat of the Iraqi army. The 2nd and 3rd battalions of the regiment, stationed in Germany as part of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward), deployed and fought under the operational control of the 1st Infantry Division as part of

Task Force 1-41 Infantry Task Force 1-41 Infantry was a U.S. Army heavy battalion task force which took part in the Gulf War of January – March 1991. It was also known as Task Force Iron. Task Force 1-41 Infantry was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Arab ...

. The 4th Battalion, along with the 3d (Phantom) Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, was attached to the 1st Armored Division. The 2nd and 3rd battalions served in the Battle of 73 Easting and the

Battle of Norfolk The Battle of Norfolk was a tank battle fought on February 27, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States and United Kingdom, and those of the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Muthanna Province of southern Iraq. ...

. The Phantom Brigade became the 1st Armor's lead brigade for VII Corps' "left hook" to smash the

Iraqi Republican Guard Iraqi or Iraqis (in plural) means from Iraq, a country in the Middle East, and may refer to: * Iraqi people or Iraqis, people from Iraq or of Iraqi descent * A citizen of Iraq, see demographics of Iraq * Iraqi or Araghi ( fa, عراقی), someone o ...

divisions. It served in the largest tank battle in American history at the

Battle of Medina Ridge The Battle of Medina Ridge was a tank battle fought on the 27 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between the U.S. 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Brigade of the Iraqi Republican Guard Medina Luminous Division outside Basra, Iraq. The U.S. 3rd ...

In the spring of 1995, the 1st Battalion of the 66th was assigned to assist over 5,000 Cuban and Haitian refugees interned at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Global War on Terror

The 1st and 3rd Battalions deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 3–66 Armor was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom for 2003–2004 and 1-66 Armor deployed shortly after 3-66 Armor to Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003-2004 as well. 1-66 Armored Regiment also deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005–2006 and again in 2008–2009. This was the last tour of duty for 1-66 Armor BN while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, before relocating to Fort Carson, Colorado. 1–66 Armor BN was then deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom from 2010–2011, as part of the surge in the volatile Arghandab River Valley west of Kandahar City in RC-South. 3–66 Armor BN was recently deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom from 2011–2012 to Paktika Province in RC-East.

Coat of arms

*Shield: Tierced in pairle reversed

gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...

, azure, and or, in dexter chief an escutcheon azure semé-de-lys or charged with saltire of the last; overall, a label of three points argent *Crest: On a

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle . In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...

of the three colors a

wyvern A wyvern ( , sometimes spelled wivern) is a legendary winged dragon that has two legs. The wyvern in its various forms is important in heraldry, frequently appearing as a mascot of schools and athletic teams (chiefly in the United States, U ...

couchant In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a charge, a supporter, or as a crest. The attitude of an heraldic figure always precedes any reference to the tincture of the figure ...

reguardant to sinister argent, grasping in its dexter claw a pine tree inverted and eradicated proper, and charged on its neck with a label of three points azure *Motto: "Semper in Hostes" (Always into the enemy). *Symbolism: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 15th Tank Battalion, part of which was in the old 304th Tank Brigade. Therefore, the shield and crest of the 304th Tank Brigade are used with the label added for difference. The shield is of the colors of the Tank Corps

shoulder sleeve insignia A shoulder sleeve insignia (often abbreviated SSI) is an embroidered patch worn on some uniforms of the United States Army. It is used by major formations of the U.S. Army; each formation has a unique formation patch. The U.S. Army is unique amo ...

. The Brigade was organized at

Langres Langres () is a commune in northeastern France. It is a subprefecture of the department of Haute-Marne, in the region of Grand Est. History As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe known as the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, th ...

, France, in 1918, and the arms of Langres are shown on an escutcheon with the saltire changed from red to gold for difference. The wyvern is from the original insignia of the French Tank Corps. The uprooted pine tree commemorates the activities of the brigade in the Argonne Forest during the Meuse-Argonne operations.

Lineage

World War I

*Organized in August 1918 in the American Expeditionary Forces in France as Headquarters and Headquarters Companies, 1st and 2d Provisional Brigades, Tank Corps. *Redesignated 6 November 1918 as Headquarters and Headquarters Companies, 304th and 305th Brigades, Tank Corps, respectively *Consolidated and redesignated 22 June 1921 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Tank Group *Reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1929 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Tank Regiment; remainder of the 1st Tank Regiment organized from existing units as follows: ::16th Tank Battalion reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 1st Tank Regiment (16th Tank Battalion organized in 1918 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 327th Battalion, Tank Corps, and Company C, 1st Separate Battalion, Heavy Tank Service, 65th Engineers) ::15th Tank Battalion reorganized and redesignated as the 2d Battalion, 1st Tank Regiment (15th Tank Battalion organized in 1918 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, and Companies A and C, 1st Battalion, 1st Tank Center, and Company A, 1st Separate Battalion, Heavy Tank Service, 65th Engineers) ::18th Tank Battalion redesignated as the 3d Battalion, 1st Tank Regiment (18th Tank Battalion organized in 1918 as the 329th Battalion, Tank Corps, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 328th Battalion, Tank Corps; inactivated 29 July 1922) ::21st Tank Maintenance Company redesignated as the Service Company (21st Tank Maintenance Company organized in 1918 as the 316th Repair and Salvage Company, Tank Corps) *(3d Battalion activated 16 September 1931 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts) *1st Tank Regiment converted and redesignated 25 October 1932 as the 66th Infantry (Light Tanks) *(Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 66th Infantry ight Tanksinactivated 1 September 1938 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland; Headquarters Company activated 16 October 1939 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland; Headquarters activated 10 January 1940)

World War II

*Converted and redesignated 15 July 1940 as the 66th Armored Regiment and assigned to the 2d Armored Division *Regiment broken up 25 March 1946 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as elements of the 2d Armored Division as follows: ::Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and Company D as the 66th Tank Battalion ::2nd Battalion (less Company D) and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Companies A and B, and Service Company, 6th Tank Battalion (remainder of 6th Tank Battalion organized from elements of the 67th Armored Regiment) ::Reconnaissance Company as Troop D, 82d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized ::Service Company as the Service Company, 12th Armored Infantry Battalion ::(Band as the 2d Armored Division Band hereafter – separate lineage) ::3d Battalion (less Headquarters Company) and Maintenance Company disbanded *After 25 March 1946 the above units underwent changes as follows: ::66th Tank Battalion redesignated 5 January 1949 as the 66th Medium Tank Battalion Redesignated 1 April 1953 as the 66th Tank Battalion Inactivated (less Company A) 1 July 1957 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 2d Armored Division ::6th Tank Battalion redesignated 31 January 1949 as the 6th Medium Tank Battalion Relieved 14 July 1950 from assignment to the 2d Armored Division Assigned 29 October 1950 to the 24th Infantry Division Redesignated 10 November 1951 as the 6th Tank Battalion Inactivated 5 June 1958 in Korea and relieved from assignment to the 24th Infantry Division ::Troop D, 82d Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, redesignated 17 January 1948 as Company D, 82d Reconnaissance Battalion Inactivated 1 July 1957 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 2d Armored Division ::Service Company, 12th Armored Infantry Battalion, redesignated 11 October 1948 as Company D, 12th Armored Infantry Battalion Inactivated 1 July 1957 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 2d Armored Division ::Maintenance Company and Companies G, H, and I, 66th Armored Regiment, reconstituted 1 July 1957 in the Regular Army *6th Tank Battalion (less Companies C and D); 66th Tank Battalion; Company D, 82d Reconnaissance Battalion; Company D, 12th Armored Infantry Battalion; and the Maintenance Company and Companies G, H, I, 66th Armored Regiment, consolidated, reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1957 as the 66th Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System (Companies C and D, 6th Tank Battalion reorganized and redesignated as elements of the 67th Armor—hereafter separate lineages) *Withdrawn 1 October 1983 from the

Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 19 ...

and reorganized under the

United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...

Honors

Campaign participation credit

Decorations

#Army Presidential Unit Citation for NORMANDY #Army Presidential Unit Citation for VIRE RIVER #Army Presidential Unit Citation for ROER RIVER #

Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) is the second highest United States Army unit decoration which may be bestowed upon an Army unit after the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The VUA is awarded by the United States Army to units of the United State ...

for IRAQ-KUWAIT #

for IRAQ OIF 07-09 New Baghdad #

Belgian Fourragere Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct langua ...

1940 ##Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM 1944 ##Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the ARDENNES #Army

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...

(3rd Battalion) awarded 10 March 2010 for Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-10 #Army

Superior Unit Award The Superior Unit Award is a decoration of the United States Army which is awarded in peacetime to any unit of the Army which displays outstanding meritorious performance of a difficult and challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circum ...

Task Force XXI Advanced Warfighting Experiment 1997

In popular culture

* Sherman tanks of the 66th Armor Regiment come to the aid of the soldiers of Easy Company in Carentan, the third episode of the HBO mini-series '' Band of Brothers''. On 13 June 1944, Easy Company was in defensive positions after capturing Carentan, France. A German counterattack threatened to overrun the US troops. The ensuing depiction of the

, accurately depicts how tanks from Combat Command A of the 2nd Armored Division arrived at a critical point in the battle, inflicted severe casualties on the German attackers and forced their withdrawal. * The 2014 film '' Fury'' depicting armored combat in WWII Europe identifies

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...

and his tank crew as belonging to the 66th Armored Regiment. This is identifiable both by the soldiers' distinctive 2nd Armored Division uniform patch and by the 66th Armored Regiment bumper numbers painted on the Sherman tank featured in the film. While the storyline is fictional, the depiction of Fury and its commander Wardaddy parallels the experience of several real Allied tankers, such as the American tank commander Staff Sergeant Lafayette G. "War Daddy" Pool. However, SSG Poole served in the 3rd Armored Division, rather than the 2nd.

Bibliography

*American Forces in Action Series; Historical Division;

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Ar ...

Omaha Beachhead
(6–13 June 1944); CMH Pub 100-11.

to Cherbourg (6–27 June 1944); CMH Pub 100-12

(7–19 July 1944); CMH Pub 100-13 *Other

Publications
United States Army in the Korean War; Policy and Direction: The First Year
; CMH Pub 20-1-1

CMH Pub 20-2-1

; CMH Pub 20-3-1

; CMH pub * Other Publications #Blaker, Gordon A. Iron Knights: The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment in WWII. 1999 #Barth, George B. Tropic Lightning and Taro leaf in Korea. N.p.: 1953. # Blumenson, Martin. Breakout and Pursuit. 1961 # Cole, Hugh M. The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. 1965 #Harrison, Gordon A. Cross-Channel Attack. 1951 #Garland, Albert N., and Howard McGaw Smith. Sicily and the Surrender of Italy. 1965 #Howe, George F. Northwest Africa: Seizing the initiative in the West. 1957 #MacDonald, Charles B. The Siegfried Line Campaign. 1963 #Stadtmauer, Saul A.., editor. A Pictorial History of the Victory Division in Korea. Tokyo, Japan: 1953 #Guderian, Major Heinz Gunther.., From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division. #Bayerlein, Generalleutnant Fritz.., After Action Reports of the Panzer Lehr Division Commander: From D-Day to the Ruhr.

References

External links

*https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/world/middleeast/01diyala.html *http://www.strykernews.com/archives/2009/06/06/combat_out_post.html *http://www.stripes.com/military-life/welcome-home-172nd-infantry-brigade-bringing-back-balad-ruz-1.97337 *http://www.eur.army.mil/news/2013/20130531_172nd_inact.html {{DEFAULTSORT:066 Armored regiments of the United States Army United States Army units and formations in the Korean War Military units and formations established in 1918

Current disposition

History

World War I

World War II

Cold War

Desert Storm

Global War on Terror

Coat of arms

Lineage

World War I

World War II

Honors

Campaign participation credit

Decorations

In popular culture

See also

Bibliography

References

External links