Last modified: 2013-12-06 by francisco gregoric
Keywords: army | roundel | burgee | pennant | ejercito nacional | cockade | artigas | uruguayan army | sword | blandengues |
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![[Uruguayan Army flag]](../images/u/uy^army.gif)
[This is] the flag of Ejército Nacional del Uruguay (Uruguay's National Army) as it appears in Gaceta de Banderas
[gdb], May 2004 issue, drawn by Luis Miguel Arias Pérez and exported to a FOTW GIF by myself.
Santiago Dotor, May 13 2004
The Army's flag is regulated by Decree No.13/999 (14 January 1999). The decree establishes the color of the flag (gold, with a golden fringe), the dimensions of the flag (the same dimensions that a War Flag) and the symbol that appears in the center (the same that appears in the Uruguayan Army Coat of Arms):
Artigas' Cockade, a sword and two laurel branches with a light blue ribbon to attach them.
The meaning of the parts is the same that appears in the
Army's Coat of Arms.
The sword is the same one that Buenos Aires Government gave Jose Artigas (with the rank of colonel) after the battle of Las Piedras (The Stones) in 1811. That sword is preserved nowadays at the Blandengues de Artigas Headquarters in Montevideo. Blandengues are a cavalry military unit originally commanded by Jose Artigas himself, and nowadays they work as Uruguayan Presidential escort.
The laurel branches are symbols of forever victory.
The Uruguayan Army considers the Battle of Las Piedras of 18 May 1811 its birth date. In that battle eastern men defeated the Spanish Royalist Army.
The GIF by Luis Miguel Arias Pérez has the fringe in the four sides of the flag. This is the way it appears in the
Uruguayan Army website, and the way it is described by Decree No.13/999. I have seen flags used in Uruguayan Military parades that indeed do have fringe in the four sides. These kind of flag has
stripes to attach it to the flagpole.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004
![[Uruguayan Army Coat of Arms]](../images/u/uy^coa.gif)
The Army's Coat of Arms is regulated by Decree #345/998 (24 November 1998). The Coat of Arms is gold with a relation high/wide of 6/5. The parts of the Coat of Arms have the same meaning than the Army's Flag.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004
Other sites:
![[Army's emblem (Artigas's Cockade)]](../images/u/uy^emb.gif)
[This emblem is the] military cockade: with the colors of Artigas' Flag. It is for exclusively use of the Armed Forces. For example, it appears in the CoA or emblem of the Uruguayan Army, or it is used sometimes as a kind of roundel in military vehicles.
Francisco Gregoric, 30 Jan 2004
This symbol has been used by the Ejército Nacional since regulation R50 from 1928.
This emblem appears in Military vehicles, tanks, trucks, jeeps, etc. Nowadays sometimes it is used a "low vision" scheme, similar to U.S. Air Force roundel painted only in gray. You can see a picture of a truck with this "low vision" variant of the emblem.
The hats of the Uruguayan Army show this emblem (Artigas' Cockade) above an embroidered National Coat of Arms with golden branches.
The symbol also appears in some Uruguayan Military medals.
Some times the red stripe is wider than the normal one. You can see a picture of an
old tank of the Uruguayan Army with this emblem.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004
Nowadays Uruguay has other two cockades for different uses: civil cockade and Police cockade. But between 1828 and 1916 there was only one cockade for all uses (civilian, military and police). It was an all sky blue (celeste) cockade.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004
Other sites:
![[Old Army's emblem (1916-1928]](../images/u/uy^roun.gif)
On 10 July 1916 this emblem was chosen as an only military emblem. The emblem was called Escarapela de Artigas (Artigas' Cockade). This was an homage to the original artiguist cockade established in the Eastern Province 100 years before on 31 January 1816.
This symbol was changed to the present one by regulation R50 from 1928. Nowadays it is used as a roundel by the Air Force and the Navy Aviation.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004
However there is only one military unit that still uses this symbol: the Blandengues de Artigas (the Presidential Escort Cavalry Unit) wear traditional 19 Century uniforms, and they use this symbol. Their horses use this symbol too.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004
Before 1916 (1828-1916) there was only one Uruguayan cockade for all uses (civilian, military and police). It was an all sky blue (celeste) cockade.
Francisco Gregoric, 2 Aug 2004