U.S. Army / U.S. Army Heraldry / Unit Insignia / Distinctive Unit Insignia, Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, Coat of Arms / Engineer / 87 Engineer Battalion /

87TH ENGINEER BATTALION
Skip Navigation Links.
Distinctive Unit Insignia

Distinctive Unit Insignia

Description
A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned:  Per fess wavy Gules and Argent in chief a heavy ponton Or.  Attached below and to the side of the shield is a Red scroll turned Gold inscribed LAY HOLD in Gold letters.

Symbolism
Red and white are the colors for the Corps of Engineers.  The partition line is wavy to represent water and the pontoon represents the type of engineer battalion.

Background
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 87th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Ponton) on 5 December 1940.  It was redesignated for the 87th Engineer Battalion on 10 June 1955.




Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms

Blazon

Shield

Per fess wavy Gules and Argent in chief a heavy ponton Or.

Crest

On a wreath Argent and Gules, out of a castle turret of the first charged with a grape leaf Sable, a lions face jessant-de-lis all Or.

Motto

LAY HOLD.

Symbolism

Shield

Red and white are the colors for the Corps of Engineers.  The partition line is wavy to represent water and the pontoon represents the type of engineer battalion.

Crest

The organizations first campaign during World War II is expressed by the face from the gold lion of the Normandy coat of arms.  The fleur-de-lis is used to represent France and the Northern Campaigns of the unit during that same war.  The castle turret and leaf refer to both Central Europe and the Rhineland.  The leaf is black to allude to the coal regions of Alsace.

Background
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 87th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Ponton) on 5 December 1940.  It was redesignated for the 87th Engineer Battalion on 10 June 1955.  It was amended to add a crest on 15 April 1966.





Jump to Top