▁Force . ▁He ▁chose ▁to ▁combine ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Brigade ▁patch ▁with ▁the ▁triangle ▁from ▁the ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁cr est . ▁The ▁tri - colors , ▁with ▁blue ▁for ▁inf antry , ▁red ▁for ▁art illery , ▁and ▁yellow ▁for ▁caval ry ▁– ▁represented ▁the ▁three ▁basic ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁mechan ized ▁armed ▁force . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁the ▁War ▁Department ▁officially ▁designated ▁the ▁now - famil iar ▁patch ▁worn ▁by ▁soldiers ▁of ▁all ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Arm ored ▁Div isions . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Division , ▁largely ▁an ▁expanded ▁and ▁re organ ized ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Caval ry ▁Brigade , ▁was ▁activ ated ▁at ▁Fort ▁Kno x ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Major ▁General ▁Bruce ▁Mag r uder . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 st ▁Caval ry ▁Regiment ▁was ▁re - design ated ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Regiment ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁Caval ry ▁Regiment ▁was ▁re - design ated ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁Arm ored ▁Regiment ▁under ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Brigade , ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Division . ▁For ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁years ▁after ▁its ▁activation , ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Division ▁trained ▁at ▁Fort ▁Kno x ▁and ▁the ▁division ▁pione ered ▁and ▁developed ▁tank ▁g unn ery ▁and ▁strateg ic ▁arm ored ▁off ens ives ▁while ▁increasing ▁from ▁ 6 6 ▁medium -