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101st Soldiers with Interesting 1st Cavalry Division Patch Placement


MFT3
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In 1972 the 101st Airborne Division stood down in Vietnam. The men in the photograph, LTC Hutchinson (Commander of the 101st 2/327th Infantry), Capt. Ron Crowder, Maj. Griffin, and Capt. Cunningham were then assigned to 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. While awaiting reassignment, it is interesting to note that they wore the 1st Cavalry patch on their jacket pocket. Photograph was taken at Cam Rahn Bay by Capt. Crowder.

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Very interesting! It's one of those unusual patch combinations which most collectors would probably question in the absence of such photographic evidence.

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I wonder if they're actually sewn on the pockets or just pinned somehow. The reason I ask, besides the obvious question of why they would wear the patch on the pocket at all, is the placement over the pocket flap seems a little odd. Not only would it make the pocket useless, it just looks strange.

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Mike,

 

Very cool photograph! Thanks for sharing~!

 

There is a cavalry uniform I showed years ago with what I thought was a typical SSI worn on the pocket, and in addition, there was a ghost of a rocker above the patch on the pocket - weird stuff!

 

Steve

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I wonder if they're actually sewn on the pockets or just pinned somehow. The reason I ask, besides the obvious question of why they would wear the patch on the pocket at all, is the placement over the pocket flap seems a little odd. Not only would it make the pocket useless, it just looks strange.

Looks like they are sewn to me.If not the pocket flaps wouldnt lay as flat as they do

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That's the first time I've ever seen any divisional patch sewn on a right pocket like that! They are all obviously suffering from a a UNIT IDENTITY CRISIS. :D Danny

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Very interesting. I want to say a portion of the 101st went fully airmobile upon leaving VN. did they not also than go to Korea? I had a black flight suit a number of years back that had this same combination of patches. What was unique was that the 101st patch was also colored Cav yellow on the flight suit. sold it at an OVMS show.

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Okay, let set the record straight. The 1st cavalry Division was AIRMOBILE before it deployed to Vietnam in 1965. It passed its stateside tests, but the concept needed to be rung out in Vietnam under combat conditions. The lessons-learned from 1965-1967 caused the Table of Organization & Equipment {TO&E} to be modified to some extent. In 1968, the new TO&E was approved, and the 101st Abn Division and the 1st Cavalry Division AIRMOBILE converted over to that new TO&E. In 1968, the new 101st Abn Div AIRMOBILE established their Base Camp in ICTZ, and continued to operate until fully redploying in 1972. When they returned to Ft Campbell, they then became Air Assualt. The 101st Abn never served in Korea. I'm not sure where you how you got that idea by looking at somebody's flight suit. The 1st Cavalry Division AIRMOBILE and the 101st Abn Div AIRMOBILE, fought side-by-side up north in the ICTZ in 1968, until the 1st Cavalry Division AIRMOBILE was moved south to the IIICTZ, north and west of Saigon, to tackle all of the NVA and VC buildup that was occurring. Danny

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Looks like they are sewn to me.If not the pocket flaps wouldnt lay as flat as they do

 

Maybe they're Glued and iron on? myself I can't see why they would sew them down not unless it was done temporarily done. The real reason is why? why do this? Is this the men here with this LTC members of his staff? if so perhaps only Hutchinson and his staff for whatever reason only did this. On the other hand maybe it's all a big joke and it was not even the remotest chance that this was something that was official or semi official, you know a joke.

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That's a very interesting photo and a so unsual patches combination! Thank you to share with us!

 

Cheers

 

Valery

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Most unit commanders had the authority to bend the regs a little in regard to wearing pocket patches while personnel were assigned to their area of operations. The placement over the pocket flap was likely because there was no other way to wear it there...it's better to lose the use of a pocket that in most cases wasn't used much anyway than to obscure part of the patch.

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It is not a joke. There are other photographs of men from the 2/327th Infantry standing in formation also wearing the 1st Cavalry patch on their pocket.

 

Roger mike that was just one idea. Then it would not be just Hutchinson's staff that effected this, my only guess is it was done very briefly January to April 1972, and that the 2/327th remained a coherent unit under it own colors, and was in some way under the operational control of the 3rd Brigade 1st Cavalry Division till it left the RVN itself in April 1972, it was the last remaining Infantry Battalion in the 101 in country at that point. Is the other photo available for posting?

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Most unit commanders had the authority to bend the regs a little in regard to wearing pocket patches while personnel were assigned to their area of operations. The placement over the pocket flap was likely because there was no other way to wear it there...it's better to lose the use of a pocket that in most cases wasn't used much anyway than to obscure part of the patch.

 

I agree. There's a reason the 1st Cav's patch is called "the horse blanket." It's so darn big, there was probably no practical way to sew it on a pocket and look reasonably "right" without sewing it over the pocket flap.

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  • 6 years later...

Not sure If it is relevant or not but here is a Jacket I acquired recently . Its dated 1972 and has both the 1st cav and 101st patches. Do you think Major Hopkins was also awaiting reassignment?

 

post-160626-0-89854400-1560876438_thumb.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not sure If it is relevant or not but here is a Jacket I acquired recently . Its dated 1972 and has both the 1st cav and 101st patches. Do you think Major Hopkins was also awaiting reassignment?

 

attachicon.gifGetAttachmentThumbnail (2).jpg

This jacket, which is very very nice by the way, was probably worn by Hopkins sometime in the mid to late 70s, early 80s even, at Ft Campbell when the 101 was back, Hopkins having fought in Vietnam in the 1st Cav Div, thus wears it's patch proudly as a combat patch.

 

post-160626-0-89854400-1560876438.jpg

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