Hi, picked up this nice coat today. can anyone give a little info on the Philippine general staff patch? Its the first time I've seen one. Was it a post war patch? thanks, Mike

First of all, that is a nice uniform! Well done! As per the other thread, leave the ribbons alone. The only thing I got on the General Staff patch is "the late 1940's". I would think immediate post-war....

-Ski

Is the General Staff patch sewn on the uniform? In the picture there appears to be a shadow underneath it like it is just lying on the uniform or maybe glued on. It looks like the patch may have been added later to an otherwise good 38th Division uniform.

I'm not real sure of the history of the Philippine General Staff but it seems odd that an enlisted combat infantryman would be wearing such a patch as his former wartime service shoulder sleeve insignia. On the other hand, the 38th definitely fought in the Philippines so a CIB on a 38th uniform with those ribbons is perfectly reasonable. The 38th fought in the New Guinea, Southern Philippines and Luzon campaigns and returned to the U.S. in October, 1945 and was deactivated the following month. So except for the General Staff patch, I think the uniform looks legitimate. I just think the General Staff patch was added at some later date.

Hi, the patch is only attached at about 5 spots, it is not sewn on around the entire patch.

The Philippine General Staff patch was a WW2 SSI worn by officers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army who accompanied Pres. Manuel Quezon into exile here in the USA. When independence was granted in 1946, the Republic of the Philippines adopted a new coat of arms, which can be seen at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines

It is odd that it appears on this 38th Inf Div tunic, even though the 38th was nicknamed "Avengers of Bataan."

Bob

Great patch and an awesome uniform. If you ever decide it needs a new home give me a call!

You never know, but the individual might have just added the patch on for the trip home, spending a lot of time there. With the hasty sew job, that to me, could be plausible.

-Ski

I think the most likely explanation is the original uniform the guy had at the time he was discharged contained everything you see but the Philippine General Staff patch. At some point after the war, he or someone else probably ran across the patch and decided to add it to the uniform so anyone who does not know how to "read" his awards would know he served in the Philippines. Someone who knows what the ribbons stand for would know the significance of the Philippine Liberation Medal with bronze star and arrowhead along with the 38th Division patch and CIB - this man fought in the Philippines. However, most casual observers would have no idea that's what the combination of insignia represented.

Incidentally, I had an aunt who had tons of stamps, postcards and other collectible from the Phillipines and always assumed she had travelled there. When I asked my father when she went, he said never, she just corresponded with several Filipinos who mailed her all sorts of souvenirs. One of the items I still have somewhere is a medal commemorating Philippine Independence Day on July 4, 1946. It is not the same medal issued to the military.

Also, my aunt had one of these original versions of the Philippine General Staff patches. A couple of years ago I put it on e-Bay and was very surprised when it sold for $110.00.

Thanks for the replies and I had the opportunity to read the old posts regarding this patch, which I was not aware of. I cannot say that I am finding exactly what I am looking for. It seems as if we have two examples now of American uniforms with this patch. Both indicate the original owner also served in another American unit. Persons of Philippine descent have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for years, usually as enlisted personnel and I am certain that the President of the Philippine had an entourage who might have worn this patch and have been commissioned in their Army, but would these privileged few have also served in any U.S. units? Were the original owners of these uniforms of Philippine descent or where they, as I suspect, just U.S. soldiers detailed to advise or serve on the Philippine General Staff prior to July 1, 1946? We all know that there is a lot of speculation both on this forum and elsewhere about many things where there is an absence of good documentation. I would like to separate fact from speculation. I hope to visit with the owner of the uniform and get a good image of the patch on the uniform to see what people think of it. People do "play" with uniforms and it is always possible an insignia is not original to the uniform.
HOWARD LANHAM