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A theatre made bullion SCARWAF Korea patch


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Patchcollector

Good Evening all,
Here is a recent pickup,a Bullion SCARWAF Korea Patch.
SCARWAF (Special Category of the Army With the Air Force)was a relatively short lived obscure unit that,to me anyway,had a really great looking insignia.

I believe that this piece is Japanese made.

While doing some research of the unit online I came across this informative post on the REDHORSE Association Horse Talk forum featuring MSGT. Andrew Butchers' recollection and info on the unit.

 

SCARWAF ENGINEERS 1947-1956 A lot of information has been written about the SCARWAF (Special Category of the Army With the Air Force) Aviation Engineers. Established in 1947 to support the newly organized US Air Force, SCARWAF was made up of Aviation Engineer units, which had been organized during World War 11. Some were attached to the Air Force in support of Air Force Operations in Europe and the Far East (FEAF); others were placed in the ready reserves. When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950,these SCARWAF units were not ready to accomplish the tasks laid out for them. Some reports were that the units were not properly trained and equipped and woefully understaffed. Equipment was old, not maintained properly; repair parts problems, operator shortages, etc. However, these units’ problems were corrected in a very short time, some of the units were sent into the battle for Korea and they performed in a remarkable manner for all their shortcomings. The adverse effects of war and weather did not stop these SCARWAF units from completing their assigned missions. Some of the units came from the Reserve Force to augment the active duty units. They all performed to the highest degree. As I stated, a lot has been written about SCARWAF, these are my personnal observations. When I underwent training (basic and engineer Jul -Nov 1952) at Ft Leonard Wood, MO, I can remember most of our engineer training was in building “Bailey” bridges, “Pontoon” bridges, demolitions, fortifications, etc. We had NO equipment operator training, i.e., dozer, grader, and roller, rock crusher, dump truck, etc (I believe this type of Engineer training was being conducted at Fort Belivor, VA). We had NO training on building roads, air fields, permanent buildings, etc. We did have training on setting up various size tents, camouflage, field sanitation, etc. Supposedly, OJT (on-the-job-training) would be accomplished when we were assigned to our regular units. When we arrived at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan (via the USNS Collins and a Japanese train from Yokohama Port) those of us under 18 years old were separated and put on orders for SCARWAF. So when I got to my unit in Korea (Co B 839th Engr Avn Bn) at Osan, K-55, I had to undergo a lot of equipment on-the-job training (OJT) before I could contribute anything for my unit. This seemed to be the standard with incoming replacements. And I might add, I got the feeling from others that new replacements were a pain-in-the-butt and no help in getting the job done. So much equipment was messed up or broken by OJT,s. I myself turned a Euclid truck over in a rice paddy. It took the motor pool a week to get it back on the road. Boy, did I feel bad about that. Now back to training to build an Air Base from scratch! There was NO training to build an Air base from scratch to support all the new Jet aircraft and heavy cargo planes!! All the former training was directed towards building short temporary airfields to support WW11 aircraft, repairing damaged facilities, by using PSP, filling in bomb holes/pot holes, etc. Therefore, when the order came down late 1951 in Korea to (a) select sites for 4 each 9,000 foot, state of the art air fields with sufficient support facilities, ie, fuel, ammo, troop housing, etc. ( B) build them using present Engr Avn units and do it in record time, “HEY”, folks thought the top brass had really flipped out. “No way , Jose” There just was no way this could be done! The expertise for such an under-taking did not exist in the Engr Avn units! So plans were revised to build only (1) Air Base from “scratch” and that was Osan, (K-55). Top brass realized this and called on civilian personnel from the Vinnell Corp to provide the expertise and assistance required. This worked out pretty well, construction began and K-55 was completed in a record 6 months, June-Dec 1952, with flight operations started by Feb 1953. Additional construction and maintenance were continued by the 839th until inactivation in May of 1956.Plans for other 9,000 foot runways at Suwon, Kunsan & Taegu were modified to upgrade exiting runways to 9,000 feet at those locations. While this was going on in Korea, the Air Force, needing a better trained engineer force, had opened 2 US bases (1) Beale AF Base, CA., (2) Wolters AF Base, TX (aka SCARWAF bases) in 1951,to better train Aviation Engineer units to meet the needs of the Air Force missions. The plan called for transfer of the Army SCARWAF engineers units to the new Air Force “Air Engineer Force” ( some of us at Wolters were looking forward to donning the AF blue uniform).The Air Engineer Force completed training of 33 of these Engr Avn battalions during the period 1951-1955, and were ready for the transfer of these units into the Air Force. But, alas, a good plan was not to be, as orders from Sect of Defense in late 1955 ordered the end of the SCARWAF program and return of all SCARWAF units and facilities back to the regular Army. (It now appears that politics had a lot to do with the end of a great military organization) And so ended the 9 year saga of the SCARWAF Engineer Aviation Units(1947-1956), and their excellent service to The Army, the Air Force and our country. The Army continues today with engineer units identified as Combat Engineer units and Construction Engineer units. The Air Force continues with BEEF Engineer units and Red Horse Engineer units. When the end of SCARWAF came, I felt like I had lost my best friend. I spent 4 years in SCARWAF units (839th,Dec 52-Nov 53 Korea---800th EA Maint Co & 600th EA Maint Co, Wolters AF Base,TX,Jan 54-May 56), learned a lot, traveled a lot, met and said good-by to a lot of great guys. Even today, many years later, I swell with pride as my memories flood back to those days. I served in many excellent units during my Army career, but only SCARWAF and the 839th brings forth so much pride. As with the veterans of WW11, the surviving members of SCARWAF are getting fewer each year, but our history will live on. NOTE: A bit of 839th Engineer Aviation Battalion history: This battalion was activated at Will Rogers Field, OK, as an “all black” engineer aviation battalion unit in Oct 1942.Assigned to Air Service Command, OK City Air Depot, Dec 1942. Transferred to Eglin Field, FL, assigned to the 923rd Engineer Aviation Regiment, Feb 1943.Left Eglin Field Aug 15 1943,arrived Camp Stoneman CA, Aug 20 1943.Left Camp Stoneman CA and San Francisco Port Aug 28 1943,arriving Australia Sept 23 1943. Reported on Lae, New Guinea Dec 8 1943 till Nov 5 1944. Reported in on the island of Leyte, Nov 19 1944. Reorganized July 1 1946 ,Luzan Islands, Philippines, attached to 13th Air Force,313th Bomber Wing,85th Fighter Wing. Reorganized Mar 1947 at Clark Field, Luzon. Released from 13th Air Force,1st Air Division, June 1 1948 with change of duty from Luzon to Okinawa. May 1949, attached to 20th Air Force. Dec 1950, attached to 5th Air Force under the 931st Engineer Aviation Group. Integrated, resupplied and after additional training, some elements of the unit departed Okinawa May 1951,arrived Kimpo Air Base, Korea, May 1951. The battalion moved to Osan, Korea Mar 1952, and was the lead unit for construction of Osan Air Base (K-55). Remained in Korea at Osan Air Base under the 934th Engineer Aviation Group (Reserve) ,joined by elements of the 84Oth & the 841st Engineer Aviation Battalions, (Reserve units), and was officially inactivated 1 May 1956 at Osan Air Base. OSAN AIR BASE (K-55) Late 1952 nearing completion. OSAN AIR BASE (largest all weather airfield and home base to US Air Force in Korea, and the Korean Air Force Headquarters) completed. (photo about 1959). NOTE: (1)Most of the 839th history was obtained from Charles E. Kalb, Ed McManus (former commander of A Co. 839th),Fred Williamson Jr. (former commander of B Co 839th) of the SCARWAF Engineer Reunion Group, Des Moines, IA. Additional data extracted from the AFCE magazine, winter 2001 issue, report prepared by Don K.Tomajan 111. (2a) Dept of the Army, General Order #80,Wash DC, 22 Nov 1954,pages 128 & 129. Titled: Battle Credits and Assault Landings for Korea. (2b) Dept of the Army- AGAO-O (M) 322 (21 Feb 56) DCSPER, dated 28 Feb 1956, re: DA message 387976, 7 Feb 1956,: The following units will be inactivated, effective dates indicated---“839th Engr Avn Bn“, 1 May 1956. (Personnel reasigned to other units, equipment transferred to Air Force) (3) Additional records can be obtained from the National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.Contact is Mr. Wilbert Mahoney, tel# 301-837-3510 (4) Pictures from Robert Evilsizors web page. (5) Awards for the 839th EA BN should include the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal,(1942-1946) and the Korean Service Medal (w/6 streamers),(May 1951 to July 1953).Other awards may apply. (6) The 839th Engineer Aviation Battalion served most of its 14 years of existence at overseas locations and did not return to the US. Members who served in this unit were a unique group of American servicemen who toiled day and night in the jungles of the Pacific and the rice paddies of Korea, under trying conditions, preparing air fields, roads, encampments and the many construction jobs needed in support of the Army &Air Force. A military unit that America can be proud of, and proud of the men who served. (7) Engineer Aviation patch worn by some units during and after WW11. (9th Engineer Command, Europe, WW11 patch . (9) 7th Engineer Aviation Brigade, (SCARWAF), Europe, 1951-1956 patch. After 1956 ! (10) 417th Engineer Aviation Brigade, (SCARWAF), Korea, 1951-1956. Prepared by: MSGT Andrew Butcher Jr. US Army (RET) (SCARWAF member 1952-1956). Comments are welcome. ([email protected])

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Patchcollector

I just wanted to add that after viewing another example on the Vintage Productions site, I noticed that on mine the bullion is missing from the border area where the stitch marks are.

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I just wanted to add that after viewing another example on the Vintage Productions site, I noticed that on mine the bullion is missing from the border area where the stitch marks are.

This may not be true. I do not think yours ever had the bullion border and it is exactly like it was made. Personally I like the SCARWAF patch design and have a few different examples.

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Patchcollector

This may not be true. I do not think yours ever had the bullion border and it is exactly like it was made. Personally I like the SCARWAF patch design and have a few different examples.

 

While it is possible that this piece was made intentionally without the border,it just seems,to me anyway,like too much of a coincidence that the stitch marks follow the path where the border is supposed to be.Anyway,whether it had the border removed or not,or is just unfinished,I'm still happy with the piece!

 

Here is a photo of one with a border,the pic was copied from a thread posted here on this forum.

 

Here is a link to the thread,where some incredibly beautiful bullion pieces are shown:

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/13697-korean-war-bullion-patch-show-yours/

post-13386-0-84366400-1376145074.jpg

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I do understand what you are saying. I think the stitch marks are from being stitched on a shirt or jacket. Generally with felt patches, the stitching was done farther in from the edge as felt will rip easily. I will go and see if I have one similar to yours in my collection.

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Patchcollector

If this is a "borderless" variant,then I'm wondering why the maker added the bullion under the word "Korea"?That to me is not just a design element,but seems like a partial border.I have highlighted what I'm referring to in this photo of my patch.Compare the highlighted bullion in this photo to the photo in post #6.

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Patchcollector

Interesting.The one on the left resembles mine.I guess that some were just made without a border!I'm wondering why this was done.Perhaps because of the fabric near the edge ripping too easily when the patch was sewn on,the maker began to leave that portion of the border off?

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They came both ways with and without borders.I think its just the way certain matchmakers worked and how elaborate the guy paying for it wanted to go.Scotty

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  • 6 years later...
  • 4 months later...

Wow...thank you for all of this wonderful information. Your memory and details are fabulous! I now recall this embroidery patch on my Dad's Eisenhower Jacket, which my brothers wore out in the 1970's. Such a shame. But at least they wore that jacket and loved it. I will show the patch to my Dad. He has Dementia, but his memory is still sharp when it comes to the Korean War. And, to this day, he will not eat rice as he built many of the roads and air strips where they worked in the paddies. He did not like what he saw. He was a Corporal in the Army and did run heavy equipment. He loved it and always talks about the Sabre Jets landing and taking off. He was in Suwon and also talks a lot about Pyeongtaek. Thank you again for sharing this great information. He does have the Army Corp of Engineers patch (the one with that castle like building on it).

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3 hours ago, Apatter said:

Wow...thank you for all of this wonderful information. Your memory and details are fabulous! I now recall this embroidery patch on my Dad's Eisenhower Jacket, which my brothers wore out in the 1970's. Such a shame. But at least they wore that jacket and loved it. I will show the patch to my Dad. He has Dementia, but his memory is still sharp when it comes to the Korean War. And, to this day, he will not eat rice as he built many of the roads and air strips where they worked in the paddies. He did not like what he saw. He was a Corporal in the Army and did run heavy equipment. He loved it and always talks about the Sabre Jets landing and taking off. He was in Suwon and also talks a lot about Pyeongtaek. Thank you again for sharing this great information. He does have the Army Corp of Engineers patch (the one with that castle like building on it).

Glad to be of help.

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  • 2 years later...

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