276th Combat Engineers
"Rough and Ready"
The crest of the 276th Combat Engineers
The following information has been submitted by Debi Bowyer, daughter of T3 Herbert A. Bowyer. Ms. Bowyer quotes as follows from the commemorative book of the 276th written by Col Rust:
"The battalion crest is unofficial and was designed by Tech. 3 Herbert A. Bowyer. The red and white represent the colors of the Corps of Engineers; the bow and shovel symbolize combat engineers in that the shovel is the basic engineer tool and the bow is the traditional weapon of our American Indians in whose territory the battalion was activated."
"The bridge silhouette commemorates the battalion's distinguished service at Remagen, Germany. The three stars signify the three major campaigns in which the battalion participated: Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. The crest is surmounted by a scroll bearing the Indian word "MINGO" meaning 'leader'."
We are deeply indebted to Ms. Bowyer for contacting us. We are honored to know that she and her family are among those of us who keep the memory of the 276th and "MINGO" alive.
In the photo above T3 Herbert A. Bowyer is in the first row, second from left.
NOTE: Even today, so many decades after the bridge fell, physical artifacts of the 276th continue to surface. The author of this Web site has recently purchased an enameled screw back pin of the MINGO crest, something that not even Ms. Bowyer knew existed.
The Ludendorff railroad bridge at the town of Remagen, Germany was the only bridge left standing over the Rhine river. Here it comes under attack by US soldiers. Note the German Me262 aircraft overhead, the first operational jet.
The bridge was captured still standing - but with signifigant damage. The 276th Combat Engineers was one of the engineer batallions charged with repairing the bridge and keeping it open for Allied traffic.
After German demolition attempts, attacks by everything from artillery to the V-2 rocket and constant Allied traffic, the bridge fell on 17 March 1944, taking several members of the 276th with it.
Each year the members of the 276th and their wives meet for a reunion. Now the children and grandchildren of these veterans attend the event. It is a moving event during which the importance of what these men did is remembered.
Click on the MINGO crests below to view photos of 276th reunions and other 276th-related information.
Photos from the 2004 reunion
Photos from the 2006 reunion
A visit to Remagen - Richard Dillman, son of Warrant Officer Fred Dillman, made
a special trip the the town of Remagen to visit the ground where the 276th fought.