| WHAT IS HERALDRY?
Heraldry is a system used for clear communication and identification on the battlefield.
Heraldry can be defined as a communication system that uses colors and symbols for the purpose of personal or organizational identification. All forms of communication are solutions created to help solve problems. In heraldry’s case, the problem was one of limited visibility. Advances in armor in the 11th and 12th Centuries provided soldiers with increased protection, including helmets that covered much of a person’s face. Without being able to see one another well enough to tell friend from foe, allies and enemies alike agreed that a system of identification was necessary in order to be effective in combat. The shield, heraldry’s most recognizable component, provided a broad, flat surface on which to paint colors and symbols assigned to a particular nobleman and his knights. Often, a nobleman also attached a cloak embroidered with his personal colors and symbols to his armor before riding into battle—a custom that gave rise to the term “a coat of arms.”
By the time a group of influential businessmen and landowners in Britain’s American colonies declared independence from the Crown in 1776, heraldry was found in every aspect of European life. Religious communities, trade guilds, city councils, and royal households all made use of heraldry, including the practice of passing down coats of arms from one generation to the next in aristocratic families. Determined to sever ties with the excesses of monarchy and the nobility, the founding fathers of the United States made sure that the honors, titles, and privileges given to Europe’s elite had no place in their young republic. While general heraldry is no longer in practice in the United States, in the Armed forces it remains alive and well.
The United States Institute of Heraldry is the centralized authority to register, record, or regulate the design and use of federal and military symbols (called “insignia”) including metal badges, ribbons, patches, and flags.
As an unorganized citizen militia, The 57/75th Bns. Lightfoot does not formally participate in a Heraldry program, however we recognize the importance of tradition and symbolism in building a unit such as ours will hopefully become. To that end we are proud to document those items which hold iconographical symbolism for us, and share that information with you. |
