B Company, 20th Engineer Battalion
"Barracuda
B Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, entered France on D-Day, 6 June, 1944, at Omaha Beach, Normandy. For its actions under fire on D-Day while in direct support of the 16th Infantry Regiment and the 1st Infantry Division, the Company received a War Department Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with star. B "Silver-Gilt" Company participated in numerous subsequent combat actions including combat at Vossenack and Schmidt and the Battle of the Ardennes Forest (Battle of the Bulge). The Company received recognition for combat actions ranging from North Africa to Sicily and Corsica to Normandy and on into Germany and Czechoslovakia. On 30 March 1946 the 20th Engineer Battalion was deactivated in Frankfurt, Germany.
Four years later, B Company, 20th Engineer Battalion was reactivated on 18 September 1950 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Company remained at Fort Bragg until 26 April 1956, when the unit was moved with the 20th Engineer Battalion to Fort Devens, Massachusetts to perform general engineering support. In the fall of 1965, the Company was alerted for movement to the Republic of Vietnam.
B Company arrived with the 20th Engineer Battalion at Cam Ran Bay in January 1966. In Vietnam, the Company served with distinction in the II Field Force Area and provided general engineering support to I and II Corps. During the Company's 5 year and 8 month tour in Vietnam, it constructed numerous firebases and gun pads, a base camp for the 4th Infantry Division, and many major airfields and supply routes for both I and II Corps. The company also reorganized and fought as infantry in support of the 502nd Infantry Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. During its Vietnam Tour, the Company earned 4 Meritorious Unit Commendations and a Vietnam Campaign ribbon. On the 20 August 1971, the Company returned to CONUS with the 20th Engineer Battalion and was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The next 19 years, the Company provided general Engineering support to Fort Campbell and the 101st Division, as well as executing various training deployment to Central America, NTC, JRTC, and Germany.
In January, 1990, the Company was deployed to Belize, Central America, to undertake a major bridge construction over the Mullins River. The mission included construction of a Base Camp and approach roads and was completed over a 6 month deployment. For its outstanding performance, B Company was awarded the Army Superior Unit Award.
In August 1990, the Company was alerted with the 20th Engineer Battalion for deployment to Southwest Asia for Operation Desert Shield. After providing key deployment assistance to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Company arrived in Kaharan, Saudi Arabia in October 1990. There B Company took part in construction of roads, ammunition supply points, berms and other survivability positions in support of XVIII Airborne Corps units. During Operation Desert Storm, the Company cleared town of enemy munitions, equipment, and unexploded ordinance. The company returned to Fort Campbell in April 1991.
In June 1992, the Company moved with the 20th Engineer Battalion to its new home at Forth Hood, Texas in the 1st Cavalry Division. With a new home, a new mission, and a new structure, the Company began its transition from Wheeled to Mechanized. After joining the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, the Company deployed to Idaho to conduct fire fighting missions, as well as 5 highly successful deployments to the National Training Center.
In August 1998, the Company deployed to Camp McGovern, Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division for Operation Joint Forge. For 7 months the company built bridges, cleared minefields, and assisted Task Force 1-8th Cavalry in survivability and peace keeping operations.
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