249th Engineer Battalion Eng Branch Socks

Description: The 249th sailed from the United States to England in May 1944, after equipping and preparing for combat, the Unit landed on Utah Beach in August 1944 under the 1137th Engineer Combat Group commanded by Colonel George A. Morris. In October through November 1944, the soldiers were specially trained on using the Bailey bridge in Trier, France. Later that year on 18 December 1944, the Black Lions were ordered to move from the Saar River, where the unit was building a bridge, to the Ardennes, commonly called the Battle of the Bulge. Upon arriving to the front, the 249th was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division, already engaged and in defensive positions along the southeast corner of the Bulge.

Description: In late 1954, the Black Lion Battalion was withdrawn from the Reserves and assigned to the Regular Army. In February 1955, it was activated and assigned to USAREUR and an Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy). From 1955 until 1960, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Construction) was stationed at Kleber Kaserne, ((Kaiserslautern, Germany)). Then it was dispatched to France for a time. Then the battalion was stationed at Gerszewski Barracks, Knielingen, Karlsruhe, Germany, under the command of the 18th Engineer Brigade, where it provided construction support to USAREUR elements stationed in Germany for the Cold War.

Description: The 31st Engineer Battalion is a combat Engineer Battalion in the U.S. Army

Description: The battalion departed Fort Bliss, Texas for overseas service and arrived at Vung Tau, Vietnam on 5 May 1968, and was directed to Xuan Loc to back up and construct the Black Horse Base Camp for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The battalion was responsible for III CTZ airmobile equipment support and construction support under the 159th and 79th Engineer Groups just north of Saigon. The unit moved to Phước Vĩnh on 20 October 1968 and to Long Binh in mid-1971 where it remained until it departed Vietnam for return to the United States. After nearly four years of service in Vietnam, the battalion returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, and was inactivated there on 12 March 1972.