The last board of the year is finally done, and it comes with a little lesson 🤓
The first part of the board is the unit insignia for the 2nd Brigade, or "Strike Brigade," from the 101st Airborne Division. It features an eagle claw (for obvious reasons) on a field of blue. The black heart is not technically part of the insignia, but we wore it on our helmets to easily distinguish other members of our unit from a distance, while fighting. We were sometimes referred to as the "Blackheart Brigade".
The last part of the board was my Battalion (smaller units that make up a brigade). We were the 3rd of the 502nd Infantry Battalion. More commonly known as "The Widowmakers," and our moto was, "Strike and kill." I know, not very cute and fuzzy, but remember, we were Infantry. The insignia dates back to the formation of the United during WWII.
And as the main feature of the board, there is, of course, Old Abe himself. I hold this image near and dear to my heart. It has become a totem of sorts over the years, and I even have it tattooed on my body.
I can't begin to describe how important each of these insignias mean to me. They represent a ton of memories (not all of them good), and remind me of bonds that will never be broken, made in a time in my life where I did something that actually made a difference. So here is the final result. I'll try and get better pictures when there's actually some sun around here, for anyone who's interested.
