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6th Tank Battalion Motto:
"We Say We Do"
The second oldest tank battalion in the Army, the 6th Tank Battalion (90 mm Gun) traces its lineage back to 1918; at a time when the first ancestor units were part of the 304th and 305th Tank Brigades. Later the lineage was carried on to the 66th Armored Regiment of the Second Armored Division which fought in Africa, Sicily, and Europe in World War II.
On March 25, 1946, the Second Armored Division was reorganized and companies of the 6th Tank Battalion were formed from elements of the 66th and 67th Armored Regiments. In 1946 the 6th Tank Battalion was located at Camp Hood (Now Fort Hood), in Texas. In June of 1946, volunteers from the 6th Tank Battalion became part of Task Force Frost and were moved to Camp McCoy Wisconsin. Elements of the 6th Tank Battalion stayed at Camp McCoy until April of 1947, where they tested cold weather gear, some of which was used during the Korean Conflict. Gradually the Battalion was brought to zero strength, but was reactivated on January 31, 1949.
In July, 1950, the Battalion was sent to Korea where its units were attached at various times to the 1st Cavalry Division, 24th Infantry Division, and the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade. On October 19, 1950, elements of the 6th Tank Battalion became the first American units to enter the North Korean Capital of Pyongyang. I have a friend from the 6th Tank that claims to be the only guy to sink a patrol boat in North Korea. While near the docks, he was fired on by a patrol boat. He sank the boat with one well placed round of 90 mm high explosive. The way he put it, "I'm the only guy that sank a ship with a tank..."
With the intervention of the Chinese Communists, the Battalion was again attached to the British Commonwealth Brigade and on January 4th 1951, it was the last American unit to move out of the South Korean Capital of Seoul.
In July of 1953, the 6th Tank Battalion was assigned to guard North Korean and Chinese POWs. That assignment lasted for a three month period. On March 6, 1954, the 6th Tank Battalion was assigned to the 24th Infantry Division and became the only tank battalion in a front line position.
My Tank D-15
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Phil
Tank Commander, D-15
Standing on top of D-15 waiting for fuel trucks
First round hit
Dog Company motto:
"We have done so much for so long with so little
that now we can do
anything with nothing."
Proudly served with:
6th Tank Battalion (90 mm Gun), 24th Division
32nd Medium Tank Battalion, 3rd Armored Division
509th Tank Battalion, 2nd Army
13th Calvary, 2nd Armored Division
Signification of the triangular armored patch above is as
follows:
The yellow represents armor, the red represents artillery,
and the blue represents infantry. All three represent
the combined fighting team. The track represents
mobility, the cannon represents fire power, and
the lightening represents shock action.
During the three year Korean War there were 33,686 Americans killed in action, 92,134 wounded, 4,821 missing in action, and 7,245 prisoners of war. The number of Americans who died while being held as prisoners of war are 2,847. Of the prisoners of war, 389 POWs were known to have been alive and who were still being held after all U.S. POWs were supposedly returned. Hostile fire has resulted in another 3,000 casualties since the close of peace talks with North Korea in 1954. Technically, the Korean War is still going on. A peace accord was never signed and neither side has surrendered.
There is evidence that from 900 to 1,200 POWs were shipped to Siberia and never heard of since. Evidence also shows that prisoners of war were subjected to experiments involving exposure to mind altering drugs, radio active materials, and chemical warfare experiments, to mention a few. Most disturbing is that evidence shows that the United States Government knew of the POWs that were shipped to Siberia and this government kept that fact secret.
I remember my feelings and my thoughts of home while I was in Korea; I can only imagine what feelings and thoughts I would have if I had the realization that my government had abandoned me. To this date, there are reports of sightings of Americans still being held in North Korea and in Russia. It is believed that of those being held, at least 100 men have survived. Ask yourself why this government would even consider offering aide to countries that may be still holding American GIs as prisoners. The Korean War was called a police action and was coined, "The Forgotten War." I believe that I can speak for most of those that served in Korea, "We will never forget."
"Don't Burn The American Flag In Front Of Me..."
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This page was last modified on:
Monday, October 17, 2005 10:59 PM
By Philip T. DeRiggi
