US Army 8th Armored Division shoulder sleeve patch with tank, gun, and red lightning bolt

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 8th Armored Division, United States Army. It was originally known as the Thundering Herd, but became known as Iron Snake following an article in Newsweek that called the unit “A Giant Ironclad Snake.” They were also known by their war code name, Tornado. The patch design was used by all Armored divisions, with the division number, in this case 8, in Arabic numerals at the apex of the triangle. The colors represent the military branches that form an armored division: yellow for cavalry, blue for infantry, and red for artillery. The symbols represent the characteristics: the tank track, mobility and armor protection; the cannon, fire power; and the red flash of lightning, shock action. The 8th Division landed in France on January 5, 1945, fought its way through France and Holland, and enterd Germany in March. Near Langenstein, troops of the 8th and 83rd Infantry Division encountered a group of adjacent subcamps of Buchenwald concentration camp. The 8th liberated Halberstadt-Zwieberge subcamp between April 11 and 17, 1945. Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, and the Division was placed on occupation duty until inactivated on November 14, 1945. This Division was active only during WWII.