Coat of arms and distinctive badge approved for the 33d Aviation Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard 29 June 1966. (Recsinded 23 December 1974.)
On 1 February 1968 the 33d Aviation Battalion was deleted from the Troop Allotment to Illinois; concurrently Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment was redesignated Company A, (Air Mobile), 47th Aviaiton Battalion. The 47th Aviation Battalion already has an approved coat of arms and distinctive insignia.
COAT OF ARMS (BLAZON)
SHIELD: Per chevron embattled gules and or in base between two wings displayed and counterchanged a horse's head caboshed sable, in chief a lion passant guardant of the second armed and langued vert.
CREST: That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Illinois Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors (or and gules) upon a grassy field the blockhouse of Old Fort Dearborn proper.
MOTTO: Into Combat We Fly.
SYMBOLISM:
Highlights of the Battalion's service in World War II as the 106th Cavalry Mechanized are symbolized in this design. The gold lion on red is from the arms of Normandy and recognizes the unit's participation in that campaign. The green tongue and claws of the lion and red of the background are the colors of the French Croix de guerre which the unit was awarded three times during the fighting in France. Five battlements on the chevron denote the Battalion's score of campaign credits in France and Germany. The horse's head alludes to the 33d Aviation Battalion's descent from the Chicago Black Horse Troop of the Illinois National Guard. The wings refer to the unit's present aviation function and the change of colors allude to the reorganization which resulted in the unit's switch to aviation.
DISTINCTIVE UNIT INSIGNIA: A gold color metal and enamel device consisting of a pair of gold color metal wings displayed surmountred by a black enamel horse's head caboshed, chargfed with a gold color metal star all below an arched red enamel scroll inscribed "Into Combat We Fly" in gold color metal letters. (11 January 1967.)
1SG Charles W. Aresta; The Hawaiian Military Insignia Collectors and Study Group; 1813 Sereno Street; Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-2318 (e-mail: ra1sgt@aol.com)
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