Cold War in Western New York (1970s–1980s)

A Company, 1st Battalion, 127th Armor Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division

New York Army National Guard

On 1 February 1949, the 3rd Battalion, 106th Field Artillery, was consolidated with Batteries B and C of the 102nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion to form the 127th Heavy Tank Battalion. The battalion later joined the 27th Armored Division, headquartered in Buffalo, New York.

The unit was redesignated the 127th Tank Battalion on 1 September 1950 and later became the 127th Armor Regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System on 16 March 1959.

On 1 April 1975, the regiment joined the 42nd Infantry Division of the New York Army National Guard. In 1988, the regiment was reorganized under the United States Arm Regimental System and equipped with M60A3 TTS “Patton” main battle tanks, replacing earlier M48 tanks.

Company headquarters were located throughout western and central New York:

• A Company — Dunkirk

• B Company — Jamestown

• C Company — Olean

• D Company — Cortland

The unit later transitioned to the M1A1 “Abrams” main battle tank.

The 1st Battalion, 127th Armor, was activated following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in support of World Trade Center rescue and recovery operations. The regiment was deactivated in 2006.

Today, an M60A3 “Patton” tank stands outside the Dunkirk Armory on Newton Street in honor of New York’s Armor soldiers.

Uniform

The OG-107 utility uniform served as the standard work uniform for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces from 1952 to 1989. The designation referred to “Olive Green 107,” the official shade used on the original cotton sateen uniforms.

Three major patterns of the OG-107 uniform were produced between 1952 and 1989. The Type III version, introduced in 1975, used a poly-cotton blend identified as OG-507. These “permanent press” uniforms required less starching and maintenance.

The OG-507 uniform remained in service until replaced by the woodland camouflage Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) in 1989.

Headgear

The Combat Vehicle Crewman (CVC) helmet was designed for soldiers operating armored vehicles. It provided impact and noise protection while allowing communication through vehicle intercom systems.

The steel M1 helmet remained in use during this period and was often fitted with Mitchell-pattern, ERDL, or woodland camouflage covers.

Footwear

Highly shined black leather combat boots became standard issue beginning in 1951, replacing the earlier brown M1943 double-buckle combat boot.

Weapons

The M1911A1 pistol and M3A1 submachine gun were commonly issued to armored vehicle crewmen in addition to the standard M16A1. The M1911A1 was a recoil-operated, semi automatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP and remained one of the longest-serving sidearms in U.S. military history.