702D Tank Destroyer BN DI - Confused

[John F.]

I picked this up today at a local flea market, although delighted by my find I am somewhat confused. The DI is marked on the back "O-I" for the Orber Mfg Co in Pawtucket, RI. Since the 702D was deactivated in 1945 and alphanumeric markings were required on insignia sometime later, my question is why was this DI produced? The only reason I can think of that it was manufactured for veterans groups/reunions or for collectors. Can anyone confirm or deny my hypotheses?

 

Thanks,

John

[TRR]

Was this perhaps their hallmark and had nothing to with the alpha-numeric requirement? Has a WW2 look to me, but I am not familiar when this company used this hallmark.

[1SG_1st_Cav]

Tank Destroyer units were disbanded after the war. The 702nd could have been reactivated as a Tank Bn, or some other Army branch

after the war in an Army Reserve or National Guard Division. Danny

[Grant S.]

The post-war 702nd Armored Infantry Battalion appears to have the same DI.

[vzemke]

Yes, 1950's 702nd AIB. Its also slightly different from the 702nd TD DI. The Tank Destroyer one has a slightly different shield and scroll and was made in sterling silver.

 

There are several of these WWII TD BNs that severed during the 1950's under a different designation with a slightly different DI (and sometimes a matching pocket patch) and they seem to confuse collectors quite often.

 

-Vance

[John F.]

Gents,

 

I apologize for my delay in my response I some how inadvertently turned off my notifications. Anyway, thank you for the replies and comments, mystery solved!. I looked up the (short) history of the 702D Armor Infantry Battalion and saw that they were stationed up the road at FT Hood, Texas so I guess its not too odd of finding this here in San Antonio. Although the DI is not the jewel I thought it was, it is still a gem nonetheless.

[patches]

Gents,

 

I apologize for my delay in my response I some how inadvertently turned off my notifications. Anyway, thank you for the replies and comments, mystery solved!. I looked up the (short) history of the 702D Armor Infantry Battalion and saw that they were stationed up the road at FT Hood, Texas so I guess its not too odd of finding this here in San Antonio. Although the DI is not the jewel I thought it was, it is still a gem nonetheless.

That's right, 702nd Armored Infantry Battalion, it was a component of the 1st Armored Division in the 50s, circa early 50s, 1951? it was without a doubt inactivated in 1957-58 when the Army undertook the Combat Arms Reorganization or CARS program and Pentomic Reorganization, then the Infantry units in Armored Divisions became more standard familar ones of today or at least in my day . Pretty sure the Infantry units that came to the 1st Armd Div then were a Battle Group of the 6th Infantry, the 1st BG 6th Inf, then I think the 1st and 2nd BGs 46th Inf and the 1st and 2nd BGs 52nd Inf, 5 in all, thus the Pen in Pentomic, Pen short for Penta or 5, and tomic for Atomic. All these units would in 1963-64 be redesignated as Battalions when the Army reorganized under the Reorganization Objective Army Division or ROAD, pronouced RO-AD.

[John F.]

...it was without a doubt inactivated in 1957-58 when the Army undertook the Combat Arms Reorganization or CARS program and Pentomic Reorganization, then the Infantry units in Armored Divisions became more standard familar ones of today or at least in my day .

 

Thanks for the confirmation. I'm not sure when you left the Army, but I have been out for 2 years and I don't recognize the units and formations anymore.

[patches]

 

Thanks for the confirmation. I'm not sure when you left the Army, but I have been out for 2 years and I don't recognize the units and formations anymore.

My association with the Army was from September of 1979 to September of 1985. Periods of Delayed Entry, Active Duty, a period of Active Reserve Duty, and on the IRR list.

 

Today the 1st Armored Division is active at Bliss and contains only one Infantry unit traditional to it, the 1st and 4th Battalions 6th Infantry, which was it's original Infantry Component in 1940 and though a good part of WWII, the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, this was till the 6th Inf was Broken up in October 1943 in Italy into three Armored Infantry Battalions, the 6th, 11th and 14th Armored Infantry Battalions, though only the 6th had post war service in the Division.

 

All the other Battalions that were in it in the 60s through I gather the 80s 90s are either inactive or in other assignments, for instance the 1st and 2nd Battalions 46th Infantry are Training units at Ft Benning, while the 4th Battalion 46th Infantry which served with the 1st Armd Div in the 60s, up till I guess the mid 80s? was a training unit too at Benning for awhile in the late 80s, it's now inactive.

[Geezer]

I have been looking for an original WWII 702nd Tank Destroyer Bn crest to complete a display I'm doing for the 2nd Armored Division, which the 702nd was attached during the war.

I see so many of these 702nd AIB being listed, and sold, as tank destroyer bn crests.  Even some crest books list both type crests as 702nd TD crests.  The motto and the image are the same but the shield is slightly different- the ears on the original are turned down rather than up as in John F's post.  Grant S, and vzemke pretty much nailed it.

[BelgianUScollector44]

I'm looking for them aswell. I know a few people who ownes a pair or more! But you have to buy the pins with the shields that are filling up that gap between the shield and the 'motto'. The one from this topic aren't WWII.