Tusi se faaauauina o lenei parakalafa - o le 17th Armored Engineer Battalion o se vaega o le 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels". I le taimi o le Taua Lona Lua a le Lalolagi, na latou auai ai i le Taua a Aferika i Matu, ma le Taua a Europa i Sisifo
. O le 17th Armored Engineer Battalion na faavaeina i le aso 1 Oketopa 1933 o se vaega o le US Army. Na taʻua muamua o le "17th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Ponton), Motorized". Na toe faaigoaina i le aso 10 Iulai 1940 i le 17th Engineer Battalion (Armored) ma tofia i le 2d Armored Division. O le iunite na amata galue ma amata toleniga 15 Iulai 1940 i Fort Benning, Georgia. Na toe faaigoaina i le aso 8 Ianuari 1942 o le 17th Armored Engineer Battalion. Ua faavae nei le vaega i Fort Hood, i Texas. O le mautauave a le vaega, "O loo tatou saunia le ala". O galuega a le 17 e aofia ai le fausiaina ma le talepeina o galuega i lalo o tulaga tau taua, e pei o le fausiaina ma le solia o vaieli, mailei o tane ma isi faʻamalosiga, fausiaina o fale puipui, fausiaina o alalaupapa ma auala. E lē gata i le fausiaina o alalaupapa e faaumatia ai, ae e manaʻomia foʻi isi galuega faaletino i le fanua o le taua. E latou te teuina pe faamamā foʻi ni maina. O le vaega lona 17 e faafaigofie le feoaʻi ma le lagolagosua i ʻau a le ʻau a le ʻau a le fili, a o faavaivaia le ʻau a le fili.