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Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.


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greendevilsix

Has anyone ever seen a photo of a WWII Ghost / Phantom Corps or Division patch being worn by a soldier?

 

Thanks,

Jim

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Has anyone ever seen a photo of a WWII Ghost / Phantom Corps or Division patch being worn by a soldier?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

I think you have the wrong topic Jim, this sort of stuff would be the Patches in Action topic, at any rate, here's the 1st Army Group (FUSAG) patch being worn, a kinda Ghost/Phantom unit as it were.

 

post-34986-0-44174200-1394764077.jpg

 

 

 

Talk on this will be found in the Patches in Action topic.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Officer in the foreground is wearing the 65th Infantry Division SSI and officer behind him is wearing 1st Marine Division

post-1761-0-94256900-1397244408.jpg

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Ports Of Embarkation. Also notice that this particular soldier is wearing the Expert Infantryman Badge which he presumably earned as member of the 40th Infantry Division.

post-1761-0-01162300-1397244456.jpg

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Ports Of Embarkation. Also notice that this particular soldier is wearing the Expert Infantryman Badge which he presumably earned as member of the 40th Infantry Division.

Sean, did you notice that multi colored cord on the one guy, the guy seated in the center, and the Corporal standing on the right? What is that, it looks almost like a Devil's Brigade cord.

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503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment SSI worn as a combat patch by a soldier of the 11th Airborne Division in Japan - 1946.

He's got a beautiful girlfriend.

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  • 2 weeks later...

1st Cavalry Division SSI with a gold on black Airborne tab representing service with the 1st Brigade in Vietnam circa 1965/1966 when the brigade was on jump status.

post-1761-0-95478900-1398537855.jpg

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Full color 101st Airborne Division SSI worn as a combat patch on stateside fatigues in 1974. I have seen uniforms with the full color 101st patch worn as a current assignment SSI stateside in the early 70s, including some with a subdued 101st combat patch, but I don't think I've ever seen it worn full color as a combat patch this late.

post-1761-0-24976400-1398538095.jpg

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Full color 101st Airborne Division SSI worn as a combat patch on stateside fatigues in 1974. I have seen uniforms with the full color 101st patch worn as a current assignment SSI stateside in the early 70s, including some with a subdued 101st combat patch, but I don't think I've ever seen it worn full color as a combat patch this late.

Is that patch on the Spec/4 the 2nd Support Command, a West Germany based unit?

 

2nd%20SUPCOM%20patch%201.jpg

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Sean, did you notice that multi colored cord on the one guy, the guy seated in the center, and the Corporal standing on the right? What is that, it looks almost like a Devil's Brigade cord.

 

I once was watching a Korean War "The Big Picture" installment where a female nurse in uniform was being interviewed, and she had a cord like the ones above. I immediately had the same thought you did, regarding the 1st SSF. A medic was then interviewed, and he wore one also. It finally dawned upon me that they were medical branch cords (maroon and white).

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  • 4 weeks later...
seanmc1114

U. S. Forces Dominican Republic SSI with "USFORDOMREP" tab worn underneath the patch by Col. Frederick P. Field

post-1761-0-79123600-1400793759.jpg

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U. S. Forces Dominican Republic SSI with "USFORDOMREP" tab worn underneath the patch by Col. Frederick P. Field

That is an obscure one he choose to wear as his combat patch, gathering that as a Colonel he would of had other one's from WWII and or Korea to wear instead, perhaps just a short lived affection.

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seanmc1114

Major Mark A. Smith served several tours in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division, MACV as an advisor and 101st Airborne Division as a company commander before serving his final tour again as an adviser where he was captured during the Battle of Loc Ninh in April 1972 and held as a POW for 312 until repatriated at the end of the war.

 

In these photos while serving as commander of Company C 1st Battalion 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division in 1970, he is seen wearing the Special Forces SSI with a Vietnamese made scroll above it as a combat patch.

 

https://mbasic.facebook.com/notes/col-ted-guys-hanoi-hilton-and-surrounding-villas/major-mark-a-smith-aka-major-zippo/340962889380929/?_rdr

 

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seanmc1114

2012 change of command ceremony for the Army's Golden Knight Parachute Team. Nothing unusual about the combat patches themselves other than the fact the two LTCs are wearing full color insignia on their flight suits.

post-1761-0-87610400-1401200477.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

84th Inf Div combat patch from a 1955 photo, not too uncommon then, but look at what he's wearing it on. The officer is Lt Col Clarence Drye CO of the 1st Battalion 3rd Infantry. Wanna know what uniform it is and why he's wearing shoulder patches on it?

 

post-34986-0-57587400-1402944373.jpg

 

 

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Reguarding posts #443 and #444. It would seem that Shoulder Patches were worn by the Old Guard on their Dress Blues in the mid 50s, this from one of my older postings.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/168598-1950s-old-guard-uniforms/

Also just rediscovered this old topic by BEAST showing a colorised portrait of an Old Guard soldier from this era, again not sure if this was an Army Wide affection or just something done however briefly only in the Old Guard.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6998-old-guard-vet/

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Jamecharles

It's really strange see the patch on Blue dress uniforms and also the garrison belt instead the Dress bullion belt!
really incredibile.

 

GS

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It's really strange see the patch on Blue dress uniforms and also the garrison belt instead the Dress bullion belt!

really incredibile.

 

GS

It was from what I found the standard under arms item for officers and men of this unit back then and other Washington based units that had Honor Guard Duty.

 

 

In this photo below we see an Honor Guard in Dress Blues of a unit other than the 3rd Infantry (note no Buff Straps), unit/branch unknown, we can date it to late 40s early 50s, not after 1951, note the quadruple discs and the small Golden Light 1948 Regulation ranks, and of course no Blue stuff as they may not even be Infantry. Here we see the same garrison belt Black, along with the leather first aid pouch indicating it use then as a item worn with Dress Blues when under arms.

post-34986-0-22004900-1403192780.jpg

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doinworkinvans

And finally for tonight, the Greenland Base Command, this has a bullion USAAF patch as we see on the left shoulder, and a pair of the Air Transport Command DIs. Again no Discharge patch, indicating a serving soldier post war, though there is that lack of Overseas Bars ( guys in Greenland did get Overseas Bars right? ) and Service Stripes.

 

attachicon.gifike greenland patch.jpg

 

This is really interesting to me as I love CBI and ATC AAF things...that is for sure a wierd combo. Never seen a Greenland base/ AAF / ATC combo for sure...but to throw in the loop a CBI "looking" patch....man thats a new one!

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Major Colin Powell while assigned to the Americal Division in Vietnam - 1968. It looks like he's wearing the 11th Light Infantry Brigade SSI on his right pocket. Powell had served a previous tour in Vietnam as an adviser in 1962 and 1963. His combat patch is definitely not MACV. I think it must be Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam.

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