US Army colored SSI's during the Korean war

[Antoon]

I have a display of colored US Army SSI's used during the Korean war.

Is this list complete?

 

8 Army

I Corps

IX Corps

X Corps

XVI Corps

1 Cav Div

2, 3, 7, 24, 25, 40, 45 Inf Div

5 RCT

187 RCT

US Forces Far East

2, 3 Log Cmd

SCARWAF

KMAG old

KMAG new

[Captainofthe7th]

You should also try to include Korean Communication Zone.

 

 

Otherwise your list seems complete.

 

Rob

[Antoon]

You should also try to include Korean Communication Zone.

 

 

Otherwise your list seems complete.

 

Rob

 

Rob,

 

Thanks for the info, I will add this patch.

 

Antoon

[Wailuna]

...Is this list complete?

KMAG old

What do you mean by "KMAG old"?

 

You might also consider this:

 

U.S. Army Korea Civil Assistance Command (aka: 8201st Army Unit). USAKCAC was created a major command of the Far East Command July 1, 1953, as a successor to the United Nations Civil Assistance Command (UNCACK). The SSI was not approved by TIOH but is was worn.

[tredhed2]

You need all the Ranger Inf Cos (Abn), 2nd CMB, 71st Sig Bn, 304th Sig Bn, 23rd Inf, 15th Inf BP, there are too many to mention. I'd be typing all night.

 

You might want to obtain a copy of the Apr-Jun 2000 Trading Post; it was devoted completely to the KW.

 

http://www.asmic.org/asmic_v1/pdf_files/09JanMarNL.pdf

[mortaydc60]

You need all the Ranger Inf Cos (Abn), 2nd CMB, 71st Sig Bn, 304th Sig Bn, 23rd Inf, 15th Inf BP, there are too many to mention. I'd be typing all night.

 

You might want to obtain a copy of the Apr-Jun 2000 Trading Post; it was devoted completely to the KW.

 

http://www.asmic.org/asmic_v1/pdf_files/09JanMarNL.pdf

 

 

Dave is completely right;he would be up all night. Besides those mentioned by Dave there is a bunch of Ordnance units that have patches such as 7th co,8th ord school,13th and19th co's,30th Ord bn,31st,34th,38thand57th co's,59thOrd,60th grp's,66thbn,72nd,82nd,195th co 216th,328thbn's,518th,545th,570thco's,619thbn,794thco,920thord tech intell unit,937thcoand Uchinada ird proving grounds.

Military police units; 1st,55th,58th,59th142nd512th,519th,555thand 820thco's that also have patches.

There is also a bunch of engineer units, artillery and armor units and do not forget the number of very rare UNPIK units, There is another unit that does not fit the normal branches and is quite rare and that is the 4th Smoke Generator co. Korean war patches are an under appreciated area with some great looking patches real works of art. Just the tip of iceberg. Mort

[Antoon]

What do you mean by "KMAG old"?

 

You might also consider this:

 

U.S. Army Korea Civil Assistance Command (aka: 8201st Army Unit). USAKCAC was created a major command of the Far East Command July 1, 1953, as a successor to the United Nations Civil Assistance Command (UNCACK). The SSI was not approved by TIOH but is was worn.

 

With KMAG old, I mean this patch, I am still loocking for this patch.

[atb]

I have a display of colored US Army SSI's used during the Korean war.

Is this list complete?

 

8 Army

I Corps

IX Corps

X Corps

XVI Corps

1 Cav Div

2, 3, 7, 24, 25, 40, 45 Inf Div

5 RCT

187 RCT

US Forces Far East

2, 3 Log Cmd

SCARWAF

KMAG old

KMAG new

 

Why the XVI Corps?

[Antoon]

Why the XVI Corps?

 

Someone told me long, long time ago that they support from Japan during the conflict.

So if that is not correct, I will delete the patch.

[atb]

Someone told me long, long time ago that they support from Japan during the conflict.

So if that is not correct, I will delete the patch.

That is correct. Japan from 1951-1954.

[Wailuna]

...With KMAG old, I mean this patch, I am still loocking for this patch...

Good luck.

 

Although that patch is often incorrectly identified as "early KMAG" or "old KMAG" or "PMAG" (and other misnomers), it was actually a very early contender to be the SSI for U.S. Army Forces in Korea. The design was proposed late in 1945 and it was subsequently rejected by the Quartermaster General of the Army on June 19, 1946. The reason given for its disapproval: "...because it introduced symbols taken from the Korean flag." After some additional dickering, the QMG on September 20, 1946, approved the now well known "Bell and Eagle" SSI for U.S. Army Forces in Korea, and soon afterward redesignated it for the Military Government of the United States Army Forces in Korea.

 

KMAG was established July 1, 1949, as successor to U.S. Army Forces in Korea, and the "Bell and Eagle" SSI was redesignated for KMAG on September 13, 1949. It is an open question whether the round Taeguk patch was actually worn in 1945 or 1946 by members of U.S. Army Forces in Korea but this patch was a dead issue long before KMAG existed. The two examples shown below are from that period (from the Kiaiokalewa collection; used with permission); however, it is not known if these pieces were made for or intended to be worn by the U.S. Army or by South Korean Constabulary or Police units in this period, or by units of ROK Army, which was established in mid-1948.

 

One thing is certain: This patch does not belong on your list of U.S. Army Korean War SSI.

[Captainofthe7th]

 

Saw that on eBay earlier, although it's no new information.

 

Rob

[Antoon]

Good luck.

 

Although that patch is often incorrectly identified as "early KMAG" or "old KMAG" or "PMAG" (and other misnomers), it was actually a very early contender to be the SSI for U.S. Army Forces in Korea. The design was proposed late in 1945 and it was subsequently rejected by the Quartermaster General of the Army on June 19, 1946. The reason given for its disapproval: "...because it introduced symbols taken from the Korean flag." After some additional dickering, the QMG on September 20, 1946, approved the now well known "Bell and Eagle" SSI for U.S. Army Forces in Korea, and soon afterward redesignated it for the Military Government of the United States Army Forces in Korea.

 

KMAG was established July 1, 1949, as successor to U.S. Army Forces in Korea, and the "Bell and Eagle" SSI was redesignated for KMAG on September 13, 1949. It is an open question whether the round Taeguk patch was actually worn in 1945 or 1946 by members of U.S. Army Forces in Korea but this patch was a dead issue long before KMAG existed. The two examples shown below are from that period (from the Kiaiokalewa collection; used with permission); however, it is not known if these pieces were made for or intended to be worn by the U.S. Army or by South Korean Constabulary or Police units in this period, or by units of ROK Army, which was established in mid-1948.

 

One thing is certain: This patch does not belong on your list of U.S. Army Korean War SSI.

 

Thanks for this great information.

 

I will delete the "old KMAG" patch from my display.

 

Can someone tell the difference between the "Bell and Eagle" SSI with OD border and white border?

[Wailuna]

...Can someone tell the difference between the "Bell and Eagle" SSI with OD border and white border?

The original QMG design drawings for the U.S. Army Forces in Korea (September 20, 1946) shows no border for this patch. A blue tab with yellow letters "KMAG" was added to the design September 13, 1949. A 1/8-inch white border was added to the main patch (but not the tab) on October 4, 1949. QMG drawings of this design: White bordered patch with "KMAG" tab, were dated November 8, 1949, and they were not again revised until January 15, 1968. The approved KMAG SSI during the Korean War had a white border. KMAG SSI with OD borders exist but evidently were never officially approved. Here is the white border KMAG SSI being worn in 1951 and examples of the white and OD bordered patches (from the Kiaiokalewa collection; used with permission).

 

 

[Antoon]

Thanks again for this information.

 

I will change my OD border patch against the white border patch.

 

So, in some books mentioned name "Military Government of Korea" for the OD border patch is not correct.

 

I like this forum. There is a lot to learn.

[Wailuna]

...

So, in some books mentioned name "Military Government of Korea" for the OD border patch is not correct...

"...not correct..."? Well, I would be a bit more forgiving than that: The OD border was not officially approved (so far as I know) but it obviously exist.s. Kiaiokalewa has about a dozen examples of Korean made "Bell and Eagle" patches with OD borders, including a few with integral "USAFIK" or "KMAG" tabs. Of course, there is no accounting for why local makers produced these patches with OD borders but seeing is believing. My opinion is that these OD borders undoubtedly were worn by members of Military Government and U.S. Army Forces in Korea, as well as by KMAG, from ca. 1946 onward. You might want to display your OD border KMAG era SSI as a "manufacturing variant" and let it go at that, unless or until someone produces authoritative documentation for them.

 

Just to add to the fun, however, look at this undated picture of Brigadier General William S. Roberts. General Roberts assumed duties of the senior U.S. "Internal Security" advisor in the Military Government on May 20, 1948, and he subsequently commanded the Provisional Military Advisory Group (from August 15, 1948), and then became first commanding general of KMAG on July 1, 1949, in which capacity he remained until his reassignment from Korea in mid-June 1950. He appears to be wearing a custom made "Bell and Eagle" enclosed in a dark colored border (OD?):

 

[kiaiokalewa]

In this forum under a different topic member "bobgee" placed an interesting grouping of China Marine Medals that belong to Cpl. Bennie Rogard. In Cpl. Rogard's grouping there was the odd addition of a Korea made USAFIK Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) that actually followed the original QMG guidelines of Sept 20, 1946. Why would a USMC member have a USAFIK Insignia is open for debate but it is obvious that this particular patch was made to specs. These types of patches should be considered the earliest examples that can be found of USAFIK SSI before the O.D. bordered type were made. I believe that when the QMG disapproved the Taeguk design (during the first year of the Occupation) one of the Continental U.S. patch manufactures had jumped the gun and produced the O.D. bordered Taeguk patch in anticipation of another easy Government contract. Of coarse they got burned and was stuck with an inventory of these which is why we find them unissued condition as they were parcel out as surplus later on. It's not hard to discount the artistic appeal of the O.D. border on some of the other colorful U.S. Army SSI's and I think the same manufacture of the Taeguk patch incorporated the O.D. border on the newly authorized USAFIK SSI as a habit and shipped them out to Korea prior to the QMG inspection. These U.S. made USAFIK SSI either made it to Korea for troop use in late 1946 or early 1947. When the soldiers started to wear these patches undoubtly some of them took theirs down to their local Gongbans (artisan-shop) to have them made.

[Wailuna]

...a Korea made USAFIK Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) that actually followed the original QMG guidelines of Sept 20, 1946...These types of patches should be considered the earliest examples that can be found of USAFIK SSI before the O.D. bordered type were made...

Indeed. The Rogard borderless "Bell and Eagle" is worth another look (link here). Good call, Kiaiokalewa.

[johnny12550]

I thought I would post this pic of the inginia being discussed in this post. It is on a standard Army issue shirt. The soldeir's name is embroidered on the bottom "BLAISON"

[johnny12550]

This is a pic of the front of the shirt.

[Sabrejet]

That's a pretty unique "tour shirt"!

[firefighter]

Don't forget the old 2nd LOG CMD patch.

 

[Steverino]

And the Raider tab.

 

PatchJohnson

[john abraham]

.

[alanike]

Doing some studies and checking out this Old KMAG, first KMAG what ever you want to call it or not, this patch was worn, I see a light weight tunic with this patch listed above and I just bought an estate of a former army soldier and I have a nice cross stiched IKE jacket with this patch also...Dont ever let someone talk you into something not exisiting or being a part of the Korean conflict because they dont own one...leave that patch in your collection, they are rare if your lucky enough to have one....