39th Transportation Battalion, US Army
39TH TRANSPORTATION BATTALION, US ARMY
 (Coat of Arms) |
 (Distinctive Unit Insignia) |
Official blazon
Shield: Gules (Brick Red), an Indian elephant head caboshed, ears displayed Or, tusked Argent, jessant an anchor throughout of the second cabled and stocked proper; between two truck wheels of the second tired Proper.
Crest: On a wreath of the colors, Or and Gules (Brick Red), a mountain Azure capped Argent surmounted by an anchor bendwise sinister Or, debruised by a palm tree bendwise Proper.
Motto: WE'LL CARRY YOU.
Distinctive Unit Insignia. Description: A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a gold palm tree leafed green and terminating in anchor arms at the base, all in front of and extending above and below a black circular band bordering a white-capped green mountain peak rising on a brick red disc; superimposed across the black ring, extwined over the rims and passing behind the upper tree truck a horizontal gold scroll double-looped over the right rim bearing the inscription "WE'LL CARRY YOU" in black letters.
Origin/meaning
Shield: Brick red and golden yellow are the colors of the Transportation Corps. The anchor stands for inland waterways of Burma and the port duty of the unit's Vietnam tour. The elephant alludes to World War II service when elephants were used extensively to aid loading trucks and aircraft in the Burma-India Theater. The truck wheels are symbolic of transportation. Crest: Buff and blue are the colors of the Quartermaster Corps from which the 39th Transportation Battalion is descended. The ultramarine blue mountain refers to the terrain of Burma. The palm tree refers to Vietnam service and the anchor is a traditional symbol of the Transportation Corps' mission of loading and off-loading at debarkation ports.
Distinctive Unit Insignia: Brick red and golden yellow are colors used for Transportation. The organization's World War II campaign awards for service in the India-Burma and Central Burma areas are commemorated by the snow-capped mountain for the hauling of supplies over many treacherous mountain roads near the Tibet border; the palm tree and anchor indicate the many inland waterways traversed in Burmese transportation. In addition, the palm tree and anchor together with the black ring, symbolic of the wheels of motor transportation, denote the battalion's port activities in the Republic of Vietnam. The color green also alludes to Vietnam service.
The arms were approved on 4 September 1992. The Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 1 June 1967.
Literature: The Institute of Heraldry, US Army