Origin of the Black Spade, 31st Engineer Battalion Coat of Arms

SUBJECT:  Coat of Arms for the 31^st Engineer Battalion                   3   JUN  1965

TO:         Commanding Officer

31^st Engineer Battalion

Fort Bliss, Texas 79906

1.  The coat of arms redesignated for the 31^st Engineer Battalion on 16 August 1954 is rescinded.

1.  A coat of arms for the 31^st Engineer Battalion is authorized.  The blazon and symbolism are as follows:

BLAZON

SHIELD:         Per Chevron wavy gales and argent, in chief two mullets of the last, in base on a spade sable on edelweiss proper.

MOTTO:       Demonstramus   (We Demonstrate)

SYMBOLISM

The two stars allude to the arms of the town of Bischwiller in France (Alsace Ardennes).  Considered a “hot spot”, the unit suffered its first casualties there.  The wavy chevron represents Central Europe, the area in which the unit constructed bridges.  The edelweiss refers to the Rhineland.  The spade with edelweiss together with the two stars represent three battle honors awarded the unit for services in the European Theater, World War II.

1. Each CARS regiment or separate (fixed organizational structure) battalion is authorized an organizational color.  The shield of the coat of arms is embroidered on the eagle’s breast and the motto on a scroll held in the eagle’s beak.

1. This authorization is in accordance with the following:

1. Paragraph 68, AR 840-10, 23 August 1962

(Below is the original document, which has been recreated above.)

Many thanks to LTC Robert Dixon, 31st Engineer Battalion Commander, for providing this information.