White House Pres Security Guard-Need ID Assistance

[0bx]

These patches were on ebay recently and identified as WW2 Navy/Marine Whitehouse Presidential Security Guard patches. I have not been able to find any reference information on the internet applicable to these patches. Can anyone provide any information or history?

 

-obx

 

[Jason G]

I took the liberty of sending the pic to a former Camp David Marine I know, who is well versed in the history of the WH guards, etc, and he advised he'd seen no such thing in his research. Ever. For whatever that's worth.

 

I haven't either but I'd defer to him if they were mine.

[0bx]

I took the liberty of sending the pic to a former Camp David Marine I know, who is well versed in the history of the WH guards, etc, and he advised he'd seen no such thing in his research. Ever. For whatever that's worth.

 

I haven't either but I'd defer to him if they were mine.

 

 

Thanks for the reply and info Jason. The gentleman selling these was pretty adament about their validity, and sent me photos of his collection of these patches. But I just have not been able to find any info about them. I am going to continue to search for awhile in case I overlooked something.

-fritz

[Jason G]

You are most welcome, sir! I'd ask the gent if he has either photos or written docs showing these being worn. I can be 'adamant' but still be wrong LOL. As the old saying goes, buy the piece not the story. IF they are proven to be what he says they are, they would be a rare bird for sure.

[Dave]

I've seen a few of these patches and they look cheap. I really doubt that they were made for White House duty. In fact, what struck me was that they were probably some patch made for patch jackets back in the 50s. I gave away the ones I had...

 

Dave

[vzemke]

I agree that these are most likely civilian patriotic patches. They seem to turn up fairly often in patch "hoards" from the 40's and 50's.

If they really were for a Presidential Guard or security force, don't you think there would be at least one picture of them being worn? I have a really hard time believing that insignia worn by people guarding the President of the United States would be either obscure or undocumented.

Vance

[Huntzman]

I was going to start a new thread but decided to just tack onto this one. Hopefully some additional information might have come about since the last posting.

 

I just came up with the set. Not withstanding what has already been said, the guy I got them from is a civilian law enforcement officer with an extensive Presidential collection (USSS & Military). I've known him for a long time and his Presidential military collection is quite amazing. After picking them up I showed them to a retired USSS Agent I know, who independently confirmed they were WWII Presidential Service Patches.

 

Does anyone else have any information ?

[Jason G]

I stand by my original statement. I've yet to see conclusive evidence of these being worn. And I'm a longtime police patch collector myself.

[Dave]

I'm not saying that every patch ever made is high-quality, but the quality on all of these particular patches (to include the ones I owned) is nothing short of sub-par. I would highly doubt that any patch made for White House service would be of lesser quality than patches issued for units in the field.

 

Or perhaps I'm setting my standards for White House quality too high?

 

Dave

[Huntzman]

Dave / Jason

 

I understand what you are both saying, and I am not prone to believing "stories" about patches.

 

That being said, I am curious to try and research these more. My buddy with the large Presidential collection has quite a few different versions of these, and I must say that the quality does change from piece to piece.

 

I guess like everything else, this is going to require further investigation. Oh well thats what makes the hobby fun.

 

Andrew

 

PS: Jason what do you collect ? PM me.

 

I'm not saying that every patch ever made is high-quality, but the quality on all of these particular patches (to include the ones I owned) is nothing short of sub-par. I would highly doubt that any patch made for White House service would be of lesser quality than patches issued for units in the field.

 

Or perhaps I'm setting my standards for White House quality too high?

 

Dave

[0bx]

The ASMIC quarterly publication, The Trading Post, has a section in each issue regarding insignia that cannot be identified. There is a corresponding article for any of those insignia that someone is able to identify. The July-Sept 2010 issue includes this insignia in the Identified Insignia section where an ASMIC member has identified it(blue version) as an Army Aide to the President insignia. However, still no documentation/photos showing anyone actually wearing the insignia. It should be noted that the insignia exists in at least blue and red versions(and possibly a white version), as well as fully embroidered and bullion versions. So we now have three opinions, Whitehouse Presidential Security Guard, Army Aide to the President, and civilian patriotic patch. The beat goes on.

 

-fritz

[Dave]

The ASMIC quarterly publication, The Trading Post, has a section in each issue regarding insignia that cannot be identified. There is a corresponding article for any of those insignia that someone is able to identify. The July-Sept 2010 issue includes this insignia in the Identified Insignia section where an ASMIC member has identified it(blue version) as an Army Aide to the President insignia. However, still no documentation/photos showing anyone actually wearing the insignia. It should be noted that the insignia exists in at least blue and red versions(and possibly a white version), as well as fully embroidered and bullion versions. So we now have three opinions, Whitehouse Presidential Security Guard, Army Aide to the President, and civilian patriotic patch. The beat goes on.

 

-fritz

 

Sounds like the continued promulgation of an urban legend! Until we can get some proof of the Mil Aide wearing this, that is just an unsubstantiated theory. In fact, I've got pics around here somewhere of the Army mil aides not wearing a patch at all... (gasp!)

 

Dave

[Huntzman]

Oh well, I love a good mystery. It is certainly WWII period, as the eagle is facing towards the arrows.

 

Time to put on the sleuth hat !!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

[Jason G]

LOL. I saw that 'identified' patch in the ASMIC as well and was like...."Based on WHAT?"

 

Huntz, PM inbound...

[shrapneldude]

I bought a small handful of these, both blue and red, out of a "cheapie bin" at the Show of Shows a few years ago. The guy selling them said the same story, USMC White House something or other, and I figured for a couple bucks it was worth grabbing some. Over the last few years I haven't seen any reference to them anywhere as having been US Military issue / authorized insignia. Perhaps it's a Patch King creation? Not sure, but it's odd how some things get a story attached to them. In any case, these aren't extremely rare or valuable, and can still be found at most militaria shows for fairly cheap. I'll post some photos of mine for comparison later this evening. Just seems to me that there are too many out there to have been a fluke, but not enough information about them to have been something official.

[shrapneldude]

[Steverino]

 

Unfortunately I cannot provide a good ID for these patches. I can only relate two more things. I have seen these in old collections dozens and dozens of times, and they also come with a white background. Given all that has been said, I simple cannot believe these are anything else other than souvenir/patriotic patches.

 

Patch Johnson

[GWissler]

Just noticed that a group of three (Red, White and Blue) finished at $110.00

 

WW2 Presidential Ade patches

[Dave]

Just noticed that a group of three (Red, White and Blue) finished at $110.00

 

WW2 Presidential Ade patches

 

 

There's an old saying... "a fool and his money..."

 

Until there's photographic proof of these being worn at the White House, these will remain mere curiosities made for the postwar civilian market.

 

Dave

[Huntzman]

If these were used, they must have been worn at "secret meetings",..................................

 

Everyone I know has heard the story, but no one I know can show a photo of them ever having been used.

 

And the research goes on !!!!!!!!!!

 

Andrew

[Dave]

Here's a picture of Colonel Harry H Vaughan, the Military Aide to President Truman on 1 April 1945. As you can see, he is not wearing ANY patch on his left sleeve. Interesting also is that he's wearing infantry devices vice the later Aide to the President devices.

 

Could you imagine him wearing one of these cheezy patches? Just think of how sloppy that would look. Really. Common sense dictates here....

[Dave]

Another one, dating from a bit later in his tour with President Truman. Now he's a Major General and is wearing the Aide to the President devices. STILL no patch....

[Dave]

Colonel Cornelius J Mara...Aide from 1949 to 52...collar devices...NO PATCH

[Dave]

Vaughan's other side...you can see he does wear his combat unit patch...

[Dave]

One more thought...since I think we can consider this myth 99% busted...why would there be three different colors of the patch?

 

-The Navy didn't wear patches

-This is no where near what a Marine patch would look like (and there are photos of Marine sentries wearing no patch)

-The Coast Guard didn't wear patches

-Only the Army and Army Air Force wore patches, and since they were both Army, they would have worn the same patch.

 

So even IF the Marines wore a patch, and the Army wore another patch...WHO would have worn the third patch color?

 

Yeah...just what I thought...no one...

 

Dave