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1/77th ARMOR HISTORY |
| The 1st
Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment was born on 16 December 1940 when A company,
73rd Medium Tank Battalion, GHQ Reserve, was constituted in the Regular
Army of the United States. It was redesignated as Company A, 753rd Medium
Tank Battalion and officially activated on 1 June 1941 at Ft. Benning,
Georgia. The 753rd continued under this designation throughout World War
II.
During World War II, the 753rd's first assignment was with the 36th Infantry Division's amphibious assault at Sicily. The battalion fought valiantly throughout the Mediterranean Campaign. In all, the 753rd Medium Tank Battalion participated in seven campaigns: Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. On 20 March 1949 the 753rd was redesignated as Company A, 77th Heavy Tank Battalion as an element of the 7th Infantry Division. During its tour with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea, the unit served in six campaigns, twice receiving the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. The battalion was later inactivated on 10 November 1951 in Korea and relieved from its assignment to the 7th Infantry Division. The unit was once again redesignated on 19 February 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor and assigned to the 5th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colorado. The 1/77th fought in Vietnam with the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division. Consequently, 1/77th Armor was the first unit of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division committed to combat in Vietnam. By the time of its redeployment to the United States, the 1/77th Armor had participated in eight campaigns while in Vietnam. The unit was relieved from its assignment to the 5th Infantry Division and reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colorado on 21 |
March
1973. The 1/77th was later inactivated on 15 December 1989.
On 5 April 1996, the "Steel Tigers" Battalion was again activated in Schweinfurt, Germany as part of the 2nd "Dagger" Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized). In 1997, Task Force 1-77 joined NATO Peacekeepers in Bosnia as part of Operation Joint Guardian, serving from 7 April to 12 October. Once again in July 1999, the Steel Tigers made history by being the first American Tank Battalion to roll into the Yugoslavia Province of Kosovo in Operation Joint Guardian II, serving in theater from 5 July to 12 December 1999. From the ominous days prior to the start of World War II, throughout three long and difficult conflicts…right up through today's challenging peace keeping missions in the Balkans, the Steel Tigers have exemplified Armor's basic mission: to close with and destroy the enemy with the use of mobility, firepower and shock effect.
Patton
Museum, 2001 Reunion |
