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Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.


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The Caribbean Defense Command as worn by a 40th Military Cop of the 40th Inf Div's 40th MP Co, Japan presumably circa summer of 1951 when the Division was still training for action over in Korea ( arrived in Japan March 1951, entered into Combat in Korea January 1952 )

 

post-34986-0-87870800-1387078229.jpg

 

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This was posted by me in another topic about those National Guard Regimental Combat Team shoulder patches, I posted it to show that the 178th RCT wore there patches, I found something else along the way in studying this photo of the Officer Corps of the 1st Battalion 178th Infantry, that there are two 93rd Inf Div combat patches worn, what else could they be but the French Helmet patch, that these officers are Black says it all, the 93rd Div being all Black with White but also Black officers, plus the idea that they might of been Enlistedmen during WWII, and got NG commissions in the 50s. The patch seen on the officer middle row second from the left, and on one three guys down from him, there maybe more, but some of their shoulders are blocked from view. One Officer, first row third from the right wears a 5th Army Combat patch for WWII.

 

178officers.jpg

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The 9th Armored Division. The photo, one taken on March 8 1962 mostly speaks for itself, a Vet of the Division,s storming of the Remagen Bridge returns years after while still serving on active duty. He is Sergeant First Class Joseph DeLisio formally of the Bronx, and currently serving as a Platoon Sergeant in the 24th Infantry Division, the 2nd Battle Group 19th Infantry's Company A in Augsburg. On the day the Bridge was taken DeLisio was back then a Technical Sergeant in A Company 27th Armored Infantry Battalion and was a Acting Platoon Leader.

 

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One more, here we see DeLisio's 24th Div patch, Service Stripes and a glimpse of his ribbons which we see a ribbon for the UN Korean Service Medal. 4 Service Stripes, 12 to 14 years of service, in 1962 this would mean that DeLisio got out for awhile after WWII, because 12-14 years would only put him back as being in the Army starting between 1948 and 1950. As an aside, while he wears the Blue Rope and Discs Backings, he does not wear the Blue Cap Device Backing.

 

post-34986-0-67368300-1387421349.jpg

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Found another two more, it doesn't show any Combat Patch being worn though, date unknown, the officer is Kenneth Hechler, a author and miltary historian.

 

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And this one taken with President Eisenhower on the 10th Anniverasy of the Ludendorf Bridges capture, DeLisio is with the 1st Army patch.

mil_04.jpg

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And finally this RIP Sarge.

 

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Wow DeLisio was still an E-7 when he got out, that has to be a record maybe 20 plus years as a T/Sgt/SFC. We know he was in Korea, but we also see he was in Vietnam, he does not appear on the 3rd Award CIB list, we presume he was in the Infantry in Korea and was awarded the 2nd Award CIB, as he was still serving in an Infantry unit in 1962, perhaps most likely working outside the 11B MOS in a different slot on his tour in Nam?, what the hell he deserved a break this time around.

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Unnumbered armor triangle worn as a combat patch by a WWII era soldier with a Combat Infantryman Badge. I can't make out his ribbons to see if served in Europe or the Pacific. My first thought is that he served in a Pacific Theater tank battalion, but would he have earned a CIB?

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My first thought is that he served in a Pacific Theater tank battalion, but would he have earned a CIB?

 

WAG: ex-POW, 192nd or 194th Tank Battalion (Light) which fought to the last in the defense of Bataan. Clues: DUC with 2 olc, awarded post war to all U.S. Army and Navy (including Marine) units serving in the Philippines from December 7, 1941, through May 10, 1942, and members of these battalions were retroactively awarded CIB as most of them ended up fighting as infantry until they were killed or captured (source: many, including Forum member robersable who has posted substantial documentation of award entitlements resulting from the fall of the Philippines).

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WAG: ex-POW, 192nd or 194th Tank Battalion (Light) which fought to the last in the defense of Bataan. Clues: DUC with 2 olc, awarded post war to all U.S. Army and Navy (including Marine) units serving in the Philippines from December 7, 1941, through May 10, 1942, and members of these battalions were retroactively awarded CIB as most of them ended up fighting as infantry until they were killed or captured (source: many, including Forum member robersable who has posted substantial documentation of award entitlements resulting from the fall of the Philippines).

Good call and probably right.

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101st Airborne Division. Not uncommon or obscure by any means, but I think it's interesting to see it worn as a combat patch by an OCS candidate. I assume he had a tour in Vietnam as an enlisted man before going to Field Artillery OCS at Fort Sill.

post-1761-0-55741900-1387895244.jpg

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I went through some 326th Engineer Bn photo albums from 1961 to 1966 and found the following (photos taken with my cell phone over the original):

 

MSG retiring with a 1st SSF combat patch, this was about 1961. Another angle showed him with a 2nd Award CIB and wearing the 326th jump oval on his wings. No name to be ID'd, sadly. Looks like he did get a division pass and review for retirement, and rightfully so.

IMG_20131224_111908_zpsfe73158a.jpg

 

Another from about 1961, 187th RCT from Korea:

IMG_20131224_111604_zpsa2a782d7.jpg

 

Finally, a SP5 veteran of Vietnam wearing a 1st Cav patch with an Airborne Tab. This was from 1966 before the rest of 326th joined Co A then with 1st BCT/101 already in country. The SP5 is likely a vet of the A Shau Valley in '65. Strange to see a Jump Master on a SP5, but they did jump a lot in those days.

IMG_20131224_110742_zpsb1de4930.jpg

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Baron, great photos, do you by chance have a last name on the Spec 5 at Campbell? I have a period 1st Cav Div yearbook covering 1965-66, and perhaps he is listed in one of the Valor Decoration Lists, which has most by name and unit.

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And finally this RIP Sarge.

 

101890420_135499228885.jpg

 

 

 

Wow DeLisio was still an E-7 when he got out, that has to be a record maybe 20 plus years as a T/Sgt/SFC. We know he was in Korea, but we also see he was in Vietnam, he does not appear on the 3rd Award CIB list, we presume he was in the Infantry in Korea and was awarded the 2nd Award CIB, as he was still serving in an Infantry unit in 1962, perhaps most likely working outside the 11B MOS in a different slot on his tour in Nam?, what the hell he deserved a break this time around.

As an update, To my sadness, I found that Sergeant DeLisio Died in Service in West Germany of a heart attack, he was 50 years old.

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As US Forces Austria came into existence very late in the war, its SSI is not often seen as right sleeve wear. This Sergeant first class was pictured ca. 1955 wearing the Technical and Administrative Services SSI on his other sleeve and a trio of Engineer School DI.s (ASMIC #E1) and a nice set of khaki chevrons.

 

post-1963-0-70384900-1388279499.jpg

 

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That SFC is likely assigned to the Engineer School as Cadre, then located at Ft. Belvoir.

 

Yeah before they adopted (1959) the now familar Engineer Center and School patch.

$T2eC16N,!)EE9s2ufh,sBQ0u9IqMow~~60_35.J

 

 

 

Interesting though that the patch the now (1946 on) called Techinical and Administrative Services( the old Army Service Force Patch ) is worn then, I seen it on QM School guys in the 50s, but since Engineers are a Combat Support Branch one might of though 2nd Army would of been worn by the the gang down at the Engineer School, 2nd Army controlling the Eng Ctr &Sch. Photo from the Fort Leonard Wood Engineer School in those days into the early 70s show the 5th Army being worn.

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This was posted by me in another topic about those National Guard Regimental Combat Team shoulder patches, I posted it to show that the 178th RCT wore there patches, I found something else along the way in studying this photo of the Officer Corps of the 1st Battalion 178th Infantry, that there are two 93rd Inf Div combat patches worn, what else could they be but the French Helmet patch, that these officers are Black says it all, the 93rd Div being all Black with White but also Black officers, plus the idea that they might of been Enlistedmen during WWII, and got NG commissions in the 50s. The patch seen on the officer middle row second from the left, and on one three guys down from him, there maybe more, but some of their shoulders are blocked from view. One Officer, first row third from the right wears a 5th Army Combat patch for WWII.

 

178officers.jpg

While looking at this photo, I noticed something strange. This photo was taken in the mid-ish 50s, yet all the officers are Black, strange right, the 178th RCT was an all Black unit a few years after the full intregration of the Army, I'm talking about during the Korean War circa 1951, NOT 1948 when it was ordered by law by Truman, it took a few years after that to be fully implemented. At least one other photo I have of 187th RCT people in one of those mid-ish The National Guardsman magazine too shows all Black troops.

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Found a bunch of stuff online this afternoon, and going by the fact they are all legit I will post them, I do this as I went over them and seen no Red Flags.

 

First up is an IKE of 5th Marine Division vet serving in Japan with XVI Corps, XVI Corps was activated and sent out to Japan to control and Command first the 40th and 45th Inf Divs, then the 1st Cav Div and 24th Inf Div when these two Divisions were replaced in Korea by the 40th and 45th Inf Divs.

 

post-34986-0-15558000-1388546416.jpgpost-34986-0-62503600-1388546408.jpg

 

 

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Here's and interesting one, the 3rd Logistical Command, 3rd Log Cmd was activated in Japan in September 1950 was the first support unit I believe envolved in the Korean War where it intially supported X Corps, from one offline source I have, is that after the Chinese intervention and their rolling up 8th Army and the evacuation of Inchon in December 1950, ( were I think it remained after X Corps moved over to the east coast to head north from Wonsan ) the units and missions of 3rd Log Cmd were gradually absorbed by the 2nd Logistical Command, and 3rd Log Cmd ceased as a separate organization.

 

post-34986-0-67135300-1388547263.jpg

 

 

 

 

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