19th Combat Engineer Battalion

• World War II Origins: The 19th Engineer Battalion (Combat) was first constituted on 1 July 1940 in the Regular Army as the 19th Engineer Battalion and activated at Fort Ord, California. • North African Campaign: The unit participated in the Allied invasion of North Africa, landing in Morocco in November 1942 as part of Operation Torch. • Sicily and Italy: The 19th Engineers played a critical role in the Sicilian and Italian campaigns, conducting mine clearing, bridge building, and road repairs under enemy fire. • Distinguished Unit Citation: The battalion earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions in Italy, where it maintained critical supply routes through mountainous terrain under heavy enemy opposition. • Post-WWII Inactivation and Reactivation: The 19th was inactivated after WWII but reactivated several times, including during the Vietnam War era, to meet the Army’s operational needs. • Vietnam Service: During the Vietnam War, the 19th Engineer Battalion built and maintained roads, airfields, and bridges, and cleared jungle terrain, often coming under attack from Viet Cong forces. • Presidential Unit Citation: The battalion received the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action during the Vietnam War. • Cold War and Beyond: After Vietnam, the 19th served in various engineering and construction missions, both in the continental United States and overseas. • Modern Deployments: In the 21st century, the unit has supported operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations, focusing on route clearance, construction, and infrastructure repair. • Legacy of Service: The 19th Engineer Battalion’s motto, “Constructione et Destructione” (“By Construction and by Destruction”), reflects its dual role in building critical infrastructure and clearing obstacles in combat zones.