Constituted on 26 March 1963 in the Missouri Army National Guard as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 135th Signal Battalion as an element of the 35th Infantry Division, some components of the current 135th that were created at that time are entitled to honors and awards earned by the Division prior to its Federal organization and recognition on 1 April 1963.
The Battalion’s Headquarters Company, for instance, has Campaign streamers (reflecting Campaign credit) for the Leyte, Ryukyus, and Western Pacific Campaigns in World War II, while Company A is entitled to one Pacific Campaign credit (Aleutian Islands) and five in the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe). Decorations that components are entitled to wear include the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (the 242nd Engineer Combat Battalion is the specific united cited in Department of the Army General Order 47 of 1950); a Presidential Unit Citation streamer embroidered “BASTOGNE” (134th Infantry Regiment cited, 1947), and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for action at St. Lo (also the 134th Infantry Regiment).
Orange and white are the colors of Signal Corps units and make up the center of the 135th Signal Battalion unit crest; the white oblong represents correspondence, and the two orange flashes reflect its swift delivery. A grizzly bear’s head above the oblong reflects the fact that the unit was originally allocated to the Missouri Army National Guard. The white oblong also is reminiscent of the numeral 1, or “First,” which combined with the lightning flashes (“Fast”) and the rays heading in all directions (“Flexible”) helps create a visual interpretation of the unit motto, “First Fast Flexible.”
The 135th Signal Battalion appears to have been inactivated/deactivated, redesignated, or reflagged. We encourage readers with information on the unit's history following its 1985 reorganization and redesignation as the HQ and HQ Company, 135th Signal Battalion to
email us so that we update this page for customers and visitors.
Also known as a unit crest or DUI, the Distinctive Unit Insignia is worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."