The 26th Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit insignia, frequently called a unit crest or DUI for short, was approved on 22 August 1955. It features a white lion in the honor position on a red shield with two white palisades. The Lion is taken from the arms of Normandy and reflects the Batatlion’s wartime service in that region, but on the coat of arms the lion is yellow; here it is white to correspond to the Corps of Engineers branch colors.
The palisades are barriers that were frequently installed by Engineers for a variety of reasons; these are shaped like the ones frequently used to stop a wheeled vehicle from entering a restricted area. “Way Of The Victors” is the unit motto of the 26th Engineer Battalion, which took part in four campaigns in World War II (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe). It also participated in eleven campaigns during the Vietnam War.
On 8 December 1967, the 26th Engineer Battalion (Combat) was again activated in Vietnam as the organic combat engineer battalion of the 23rd Infantry Division and was inactivated at the same time as the Division in 1971.
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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.