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Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.


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The South Atlantic Forces as a Combat Patch.

 

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Tampa Florida, August 1955, BG Henry W. McMillan Jr Assistant Divisional Commander 51st Infantry Division FLNG at a awards presentation, troops are from the 51st Div's 116th FA Bn.

 

McMillan apparently was in 1940 only a Captain, CO of M Co 124th Infantry, 31st Infantry Division. Transferred out just as apparently before the 31st Inf Div which the 124th Inf was apart of was inactivated (It was re-raised again during WWII, and assigned again to the 31st Inf Div).

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XVIII Airborne Corps SSI worn as a combat patch by a member of the 218th Military Police Company in 1966. Note the U.S. Forces, Dominican Republic SSI worn on the helmet liner. That is probably the cureent unit SSI also being worn.

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The South Atlantic Forces as a Combat Patch.

 

attachicon.gifrsz_scanu0011.jpg

 

Tampa Florida, August 1955, BG Henry W. McMillan Jr Assistant Divisional Commander 51st Infantry Division FLNG at a awards presentation, troops are from the 51st Div's 116th FA Bn.

 

McMillan apparently was in 1940 only a Captain, CO of M Co 124th Infantry, 31st Infantry Division. Transferred out just as apparently before the 31st Inf Div which the 124th Inf was apart of was inactivated (It was re-raised again during WWII, and assigned again to the 31st Inf Div).

Whoops, should read the 124th Inf was inactivated, not the 31st Inf Div.

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Col. M. D. Healy, commanding officer of the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam - 1970. I know he served in the 4th Ranger Company in Korea so I'm not sure if the scroll is a combat patch for that unit or an ARVN Ranger scroll.

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Yes indeed, here are two notable former Phllippine Division POWs of Vietnam era.

 

Harold K Johnson Chief of Staff of the Army.

attachicon.gifhkjohnson-portrait.jpg

 

Johm M Wright JR Assistant Division Commander 1st Air Cavalry Division 1965-66 later Commander in 1969-70 of the 101st Airborne Division ( Airmobile)

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It was Wright who came up with the idea of cutting a hugh high grass field down at An Khe for a Chopper field, he started the work by himself with a machete, cutting a significant area of the high grass down to a fine lawn to show it could be done. It was said his patience and determination in this manual labor was aquired from the years he was a POW of the Japs. This area soon was called the Golf Course, the famous airfield at An Khe for the 1st Cav Div's vast armada of Choppers.

Here's another verified former member of the Philippine Division who returned to active duty.

 

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One Colonel Dennis Moore, Dinty as he was called, Dinty Moore was the CO of the 15th Infantry 3rd Infantry Division in the opening months of the Korean Conflict, he took the Regiment over, he didn't fair as well unfortunately as Harold Johnson over there, some sympathetic officers stated that his time as a POW affected him much worse. From what I recall from another off line source that I don't have anymore was he was tortured all the time, beaten all time, more than most, and was held in Manchuria for the most part, so going back to this part of the world, and in the winter must have affected him mentally in many ways. Even before this his physical condition was probably over looked to keep him on active duty, the psychological issues not apparent yet, that of course would come later in the freezing hell of the winter of 50-51, but having said that, he didn't fold up or collapse all together, and tried his best to hang in there, he had excellent staff officers who he could call on at any time, and that the 15th U.S. Infantry was well led at it's lower echelons helped greatly.

 

When he arrived in the theater he became a MacArthur man (former PI officer, and Death March survivor) and became seemly untouchable when he started to perform not too good, Dinty Moore was eventually relieved and sent home in towards the summer 51 to rest and recover, I guess he retired soon.

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doinworkinvans

Col. JH Atkinson - CO of the AAC (Alaska air command)

 

took me forever to find a good reference picture

JH atkinson commander AAC.jpg

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Col. JH Atkinson - CO of the AAC (Alaska air command)

 

took me forever to find a good reference picture

We take it he was the Wartime Commander of the Alaska Air Command as a Colonel right? As the picture of him here is as a Major General, also is there a date of photo?

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doinworkinvans

You are correct - that was on the photo and so I put that. I should have looked closer! I think the date was 1944

 

EDIT: 1946 is when assumed command

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doinworkinvans

Here is another Alaska one - I guess not so "rare" but you dont see alot of 11th AF pictures. Maj. J.V. Smythe November 1944

Maj JV Smythe - nov1944.jpg

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doinworkinvans

Here is another I had saved as an odd one...the black cadet patch on the shoulder. Thought it was normally on the sleeve? But maybe it was because he was already a cadet and graduated as an enlisted man and come back for pilot training?

cadet.jpg

info.jpg

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1st Armored Division SSI worn as a combat patch by Maj. Tartella, CO of HHT 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in 1979. Most likely earned while serving with the 1st Squadron 1st Cavalry in Vietnam as he would have been too young to have served in WWII.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Notice the guy kneeling on the left. I don't know if this was particularly uncommon, but I'm not sure I have ever seen the Army Air Forces SSI worn as a combat patch. You typically see one of the numbered Air Force patches instead.

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  • 2 weeks later...
CHASEUSA11B

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Here's one I found interesting. A "Scouts-Hunter Killer" scroll being worn by Cpt. John Whitehead III as he is awarded the Silver Star

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  • 3 weeks later...

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XIII Corps combat seen on a few, not too uncommon in September 1945, but a great photo nonetheless. The troops are from the 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron at Fort Bragg North Carolina, in the ETO the 44th Cav Rcn Sqdn was a part of the 11th Cavalry Group, and was assigned most of the time to XIII Corps, 9th Army.

 

 

 

This photo is from a large unit photo on ebay if anyone's interested.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111739528107?_trksid=p11010.c100353.m3748&_trkparms=aid%3D555012%26algo%3DPW.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150112095653%26meid%3D4f5ff7d133ec4566bae0d3f073bf0762%26pid%3D100353%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D331623458530

 

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We seen Van Fleet wearing the 2nd Infantry Division as a combat patch, so here's one where he's wearing the 90th Infantry Division, as he arrives in South Korea in April 1951 after being given command of 8th Army. Note one and all that it looks like one of those 90th Div patches where the T&O is by itself, an applique if you will, and is not sewn to a base/background.

 

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As a follow up here's three different photos of Gen Van Fleet in Korea with the 2nd Inf Div patch, I guess he wore in it in solidarity with the 2nd Div under his very command there.

 

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  • 1 month later...

Here's a member of the Texas State Guard wearing the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment SSI with one of those unofficial commercially sold LRRP tabs as a combat patch. It would be interesting to know if he wore this combo while on active duty.

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Here's a member of the Texas State Guard wearing the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment SSI with one of those unofficial commercially sold LRRP tabs as a combat patch. It would be interesting to know if he wore this combo while on active duty.

From what I could find The 11th ACR's LRRP unit was apparently a platoon in the 11th Air Cavalry Troop.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't know. Seen another one of these being worn on the right shoulder. This on the then Colonel Richard Stilwell when he was CO of the 15th Inf 3rd Divin1953, it's in the Singlaub auto biography Hazardous Duty, anyone got a copy to scan photo for posting?

And here's the photo.

 

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The Greek Bn was attached first to the 7th Cav Rgt/ 1st Cav Div, then later to the 15th Inf Rgt/ 3rd Inf Div.That would make sense for the Rgt Co officer to wear the attached Bn patch as a right sleeve "honorary" patch (not strictly a regular "combat" patch).

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The Greek Bn was attached first to the 7th Cav Rgt/ 1st Cav Div, then later to the 15th Inf Rgt/ 3rd Inf Div.That would make sense for the Rgt Co officer to wear the attached Bn patch as a right sleeve "honorary" patch (not strictly a regular "combat" patch).

Right, Honorary, makes one wonder though if any other U.N. forces patches were worn in a similar manner by U.S, units that had these under their command.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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