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Needing help with Korean War tanks


edgeer
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Not sure if this is the correct forum to be asking but here goes.I am currently working on building a 1/35 scale M4A3E8 that was assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment Tank Company. The problem I am having is the bumper number setup that would appear on the tank. I know their other vehicles had on the left side 7-17-I and on the left (example) HQ-6

 

A friend of mine has sent me some of the M4A3E8 that were assigned to the 17th Inf Regt. Here's an actual image of one of them.

 

Thanks for the help

post-3699-0-60104100-1356588355_thumb.jpg

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Buffalo Grunt

Nope .. 17th Infantry Tank Company (7th Infantry Division) 1951

 

The buffalo on the side makes me think 10th Cavalry (1st Cav Div).

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Thanks Jim. I gather that the Korean War used the same bumper numbering system as WW2?

 

I would imagine it would be very similar. If anyone else knows more, please jump in.

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Here's another photo of one of the tanks assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment's Tank Company. Photo was provided by Buffalo Grunt who obtained it from a guy that was assigned to the tank company from 49-53

post-3699-0-85562200-1357196219.jpg

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Wow.Your eyes are way better than mine.I couldn't read the markings on the front.So know I understand why the buffalo on the side.

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The buffalo became our Regimental Symbol during the Korean War. It was adapted when LTG (ret) "Buffalo" Bill Quinn was the Regimental Commander (51-52). The Buffalo is still the symbol and motto for the 17th.

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Retired Lieutenant General he was, and a Full Bird when he took command of the 17th Infantry. he lived a very long life Quinn, he passed at the ripe old age of 92 in 2000.

 

http://en.wikipedia....am_Wilson_Quinn

 

http://www.arlington...net/wwquinn.htm

 

I got to meet him once when he visited the 3rd Battalion and the 4th Battalion of the 17th Infantry Regiment assigned to the 7th Infantry Division Light as the Colonel of the Regiment. I'm attaching the photo I took of LTG Quinn and the officers of the 3rd Battalion.

post-3699-0-40521800-1357615344_thumb.jpg

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I got to meet him once when he visited the 3rd Battalion and the 4th Battalion of the 17th Infantry Regiment assigned to the 7th Infantry Division Light as the Colonel of the Regiment. I'm attaching the photo I took of LTG Quinn and the officers of the 3rd Battalion.

 

Great photo, General Quinn, he is, or was Honorary Colonel of the Battalions of the 17th Infantry? do you know if he still is? I didn't think the U.S. Army did those kind of things, I thought it was an archaic European thing, or at least something still practiced in those European Army that still have a Royal House, to with Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Spain.

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Great photo, General Quinn, he is, or was Honorary Colonel of the Battalions of the 17th Infantry? do you know if he still is? I didn't think the U.S. Army did those kind of things, I thought it was an archaic European thing, or at least something still practiced in those European Army that still have a Royal House, to with Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Spain.

 

No, he is no longer the Honorary Colonel for the Regiment. Currently, it is a former commander of 4/17 Inf when it was still with the 7th. There is even an Honorary Command Sergeant Major for each Regiment. This program began in the 80's when DA began the Regiment Affiliation Program. If I remember correctly, the positions have requirements of serving in the regiment, lead a distinctive service, and be approved by DA.

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No, he is no longer the Honorary Colonel for the Regiment. Currently, it is a former commander of 4/17 Inf when it was still with the 7th. There is even an Honorary Command Sergeant Major for each Regiment. This program began in the 80's when DA began the Regiment Affiliation Program. If I remember correctly, the positions have requirements of serving in the regiment, lead a distinctive service, and be approved by DA.

 

 

Very interesting, edgeer, thank's for the enlightenment.

 

I think Tsar Alexander II is still listed as a Honorary Colonel in Chief of the 9th Infantry, you know when the 9th Infantry sent a company up there to Alaska in 1867 to take over from Russia, they made him CinC of the 9th Infantry Regiment in gratitude :lol: only jokeing of course :lol:

 

I do remember the period your talking about, I was just getting out in December 1982 on a Christmas drop ( real date of discharge would have been very early January 1983 ) and word was already going around the 4/9 Battallion area that a new unit was to be taking our place, a Battalion of the 327th Infantry,don't remember what number this Bn was, I think this was the beginnings of the COHORT concept if I can recall, the 4/9 inf was to be redesignated and thus be affiliated with Battalions of the 327th Infantry down in the 101st at Campbell as a Regiment and CARS was out.

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In fact the 17th Infantry modified their DUI by adding the buffalo to it, approximately mid-late Korea.

 

Before...................................After

post-257-0-60734500-1357889069.jpg

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In fact the 17th Infantry modified their DUI by adding the buffalo to it, approximately mid-late Korea.

 

Before...................................After

post-257-0-60734500-1357889069.jpg

 

TIOH gives a date of 5 May 1952, that's saying alot given that the Buffalo was added to honor the nickname of it's most recent CO, I think that is the only time the Army ever did that, they have used famous exhortations, remarks, made by Regimental personalities or individuals associated with or in higher command of the Regiments, but these where done years and years and more years after the fact, case in point the motto of the 172nd Infantry ( Put The Vermonters Ahead ) of the Vermont NG, and the 14th Infantry ( The Right Of The Line ) to name a few for service in the Civil War, the 9th Infantry ( Keep Up The Fire ) Boxer Rebellion in another example.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Cobrahistorian

I'm by no means an expert on bumper codes, but I'm finding it interesting that the code clearly is not 7X-17-I. 7X was the 7th ID and I've got shots of several 15th AAA vehicles with 7X codes on them during the Korean War (my M19 in the museum is wearing 15th AAA bumper codes). 7-17-I is WWII style coding, but I'm sure was still in use in Korea to a certain extent.

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Cobrahistorian, thanks for the info on the bumper coding. You mentioned that you have some photos of 15th AAA that reflect the 7X coding and not the way the Sherman above bumper code is. I remember that one of the scanned photos I received from Buffalo Grunt was of a vehicle (bumper #G122) of the 15th AAA; looks like a quad 50 cal; does not have the 7X on it.

 

I wonder, could these photos be in the very early part of the war, say 1950.

post-3699-0-08237600-1359167386_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 years later...

post-34986-0-75407800-1439904521.jpg

 

Scanned this photo of Quinn along with it's caption from the January 1960 issue of Army Information Digest, at this time he was Chief of Information.

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