a few new patches from a flea market

[kyhistorian01]

Here are a few patches I found at a flea market recently, I just thought I would share.

 

Robert

[David D]

Nice.

 

-Dave

[gwb123]

You may know this, but the S-W stands for "Special Weapons", which was the milspeak term for nuclear weapons.

 

There are references on the internet to the 509th Special Weapons Platoon. For example:

 

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Engineer/USAREUR_317thEngrBn.htm

 

As an engineer unit, these would have been tasked with the demolition of key targets such as bridges. It was anticipated that due to overwhelming force, the Warsaw Pact would advance very rapidly if war came. Their mission would have been route denial. Or put more simply, blowing up the bridge and anything on it before a successful crossing.

 

These guys had a cursed existence. There were only about 3 places in the world where such units were stationed, and they were constantly rotated between the same duty stations. After awhile it became like repeated tours on the Flying Dutchman.