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Welcome to the Home of the 13th
Congoleese:
The Unit Crest of 3/33 Armor
The 13th Congoleese is an
organization of unique individuals that served together in the
United States Army during the height of the Cold War. The Corps
was a special operations unit drawn from the United States
Army's 3rd Battalion 33rd Armor. An M60A2 unit that lead the
1st "Spearhead" Brigade of the 3rd Armored Division. The
Pickles proudly wore a crest that was crowned with the image of
a Mark IV "Pickle" tank and the motto "Men of War". While the
Congoleese were never sanctioned officially by the United States
Army, the Army benefitted from the skill, dedication and
expertise of the 13th. The Congoleese may appear to be a rowdy
bunch of Hell-Raisers, but in fact they were and are foremost, a
family.
Espirit de Corps was not a
catch phrase, it was a way of life. The Corps de Congoleese may
have recruited from bars, taverns, churches and houses of
ill-repute, but they also recruited the best of the best.
Soldiers that worked hard and played hard. The word of a
Congoleese is their bond and the Congoleese would rally always
to aid a fellow Congoleese, a soldier or a soldier's family in
distress.
The 13th Congoleese produced the finest tank crews in the
history of USAREUR. Generals Eddins and Price earned the
distinction of being top guns in USAREUR in 1979
beating out M60 and M1 crews to achieve that great honor.
Charlie and Bravo companies led the battalion in 1976, but 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 saw the Alpha Pickles consistently
produce the top tank platoon scores rotating the honor between
1st and 2nd platoon. I don't know of any other tank unit that
produced as many distinguished tank crew patches. Some of us
earned two patches every gunnery and a few of us earned the
distinction of wearing "Expert Tank Weapons" badges on our dress
uniforms. We tanked hard and played soldier as though we meant
it. No mission was too great and no job too hard for the
Congoleese to "Git er done".
NOTE: On June 19, 1987, a 3rd Armored unit did what
no other Army unit had ever done. 1st Platoon, Company D, 4-8
Cavalry (an armor battalion previously designated as 3-33 Armor)
won the Canadian Army Trophy (CAT). The CAT competition is like
the America's Cup of Tank Gunnery; it pits tank platoons from
all the NATO countries against each other in a competition that
covers several days. It was a great moment for the Army, the
M1A1 tank, and the Spearhead Division. (information
from the 3AD History Foundation website
www.3ad.com - a great place for
3AD info) Another great place for Spearheaders is Call Me
Spearhead - The Organization for all 3d Armored Division
Veterans. Their website
www.3AD.org is the first place for veterans on the web. Dan
O'Leary does a great job on the 33rd Armor pages and you need to
join ASAP!
The
Congoleese were known for their distinct initiation rites and
frequent meals of stolen potatoes. This site is dedicated to
the fellowship and family of young men and women that were sent
by our nation across a wide ocean to serve as ambassadors of
goodwill and to preserve the freedom that all Americans enjoy.
While our nation recovered from the Viet Nam War, the Congoleese
recovered from long nights of drinking Hallers SRS and consuming
saltine crackers. During the Congoleese assignment to Federal
Republic of Germany, we are proud to say that not one disco was
bombed even though the Congoleese got bombed in many discos.
On your feet or on your knees!
Best Wishes,
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