Shortly after the battalion was formed in 1943 at Camp Beale, California, it first saw combat during the Allied Invasion of Italy in September 1944. The battalion fought its way up the Italian Peninsula. After the capture of Rome, the 169th played a significant role in the seven-month campaign to push the Nazi Army through the Apennines and out of the Po Valley of Northern Italy. Throughout their campaign in Italy, the soldiers of the 169th cleared minefields and tank obstacles, destroyed enemy bunkers, cleared roadways, built many bridges to replace those destroyed by the retreating enemy, removed barbwire obstacles, built enemy prisoner of war compounds, and fought as Infantry when the need arose. The battalion received the Rome, North Apennines, and the Po Valley campaign streamers as a result of their courageous service in Italy during World War II. Beginning in 1954, the battalion spent twelve years at Fort Stewart, Georgia before their next major period of active service in Vietnam. At Fort Stewart, the battalion’s mission was to construct, rehabilitate and maintain military routes of communications and facilities, and perform related engineering work in the communications zone and rear areas of the combat zone. Starting in 1966, the 169th served seven years in a war that had no front lines and where the farmer working in the field by day became an enemy attacking by night. This battalion built hundreds of miles of roads and constructed quarters for thousands of American soldiers throughout the Delta region of South Vietnam. They also built bridges, installed culverts, repaired heavy construction equipment, cleared land, and accomplished all the missions associated with heavy engineer construction equipment operators, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, structures specialists, and combat engineers. The battalion was reactivated in 1986 and served as Advanced Individual Training unit responsible for the training of various vertical construction specialties. Later that year, the battalion became the 169th Engineer Battalion. In this role, the 169th supported all types of engineer training on Fort Leonard Wood by commanding the staff and faculty company, garrison company, and engineer companies whose mission involved pipelines, quarries, fire fighting, and bridging. In the spring of 1995, the 169th became a One Station Unit Training battalion responsible for training combat engineers, bridge builders, heavy construction equipment operators and mechanics, and engineer technicians for service in today’s Army. The 169th has a credit for 14 campaigns in Southeast Asia and three in World War II. It has also received three meritorious unit commendations and one Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal.
Commander/ Assumption Year
LTC LaMarre, Jean Belair 1955
LTC Buszalski, Ernest A. 1959
LTC Rhett, John T. 1962
LTC Kincy, Willian Jr. 1963
LTC Day, Franklin R. 1964
LTC Rees, Marvin W. 1966
LTC Wray, Willaim R. 1967
LTC Prentiss, Louis 1968
LTC Eineigal, Raymond J. 1968
LTC Flanigan, Clifford 1969
LTC Anrold, Edward 1969
LTC McGarry, Robert 1969
LTC Andre, Nick J. 1970
LTC Sanders, Connelly 1970
LTC Smith, Terry 1970
LTC Baldwin, Jesse 1971
Inactivated 30 Apr 72 Lineage continued as 3rd Bn, 4th Tng Bde, FLW, MO
Description: A silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches 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. Symbolism: 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. Background: The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 26 Jan 1956.
Coat of arms
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 War 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.
Honors
Campaign Participation Credit World War II Rome-Arno North Apennines Po Valley Vietnam Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase II Counteroffensive, Phase III Tet Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase IV Counteroffensive, Phase V Counteroffensive, Phase VI Tet 69/Counteroffensive Summer–Fall 1969 Winter–Spring 1970 Sanctuary Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase VII Consolidation I Consolidation II Cease–Fire Decorations Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1966–1967 Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967 Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered 1967–1968 Republic of VietnamCivil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967–1970
