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Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.


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Photo caption reads: “Lieutenant General Johnston (left) and Lieutenant General Graham (right), Graham is retiring after 35 years of service, Fort Gillam, Forest Park, Georgia, July 28, 1985.”
Since it is doubtful General Graham served forty years earlier with the 2nd AD in World War II, he most likely wears the 2nd AD combat patch for service with the 2nd Squadron 1st Cavalry in Vietnam.

 

post-1761-0-19243300-1583262138_thumb.jpg

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February 1971, while in the 44th Special Tactical Zone. I haven't looked at this book in like 9 years, so when I dug it out, it seems he's wearing a RANGER Tab over it rather than a RAIDER Tab, normally in this period Hackworth wears the 101 as a Combat Patch, and in full color, but on this particular ARVN Cammie shirt he chose to wear the first unit he seen action with, the 25th Inf Div, he wears the RANGER Tab cause he was initially and briefly in the 8th Ranger Company an 8th Army unit, but why then over the 25th Inf Div patch then? Ach who knows LOL, probably because of the 27th Raiders. There was indeed a controversy over it in the 90s, see HERE Jump to Ranger Tab.

 

post-34986-0-74007700-1583539251.jpg

 

 

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Another West Point Cadre patch worn as a Combat Patch, this time at the Front in Korea in October 1951 by an I Corps Officer, American Officer unknown, looks like a Leaf on his helmet, Major or Lieutenant Colonel, (Photo first posted by member Captainofthe 7th).

 

post-3190-0-52970800-1574615104.jpg

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Reversed forward facing 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment SSI worn as a combat patch sometime in the 80's.

We see an Americal Combat Patch too on that Master Sergeant.

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Photo caption reads: “Lieutenant General Johnston (left) and Lieutenant General Graham (right), Graham is retiring after 35 years of service, Fort Gillam, Forest Park, Georgia, July 28, 1985.”
Since it is doubtful General Graham served forty years earlier with the 2nd AD in World War II, he most likely wears the 2nd AD combat patch for service with the 2nd Squadron 1st Cavalry in Vietnam.

 

 

 

Legion of Merit AWARDED FOR ACTIONS

DURING Vietnam War Service: Army RANK: Lieutenant General GENERAL ORDERS:

United States Military Academy Register of Graduates

CITATION:

(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Lieutenant General Charles Passmore Graham, United States Army, was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States with Headquarters, I Field Force, Vietnam, and as a Squadron Commander, 1st Cavalry Division, in the Republic of Vietnam, from 1967 to 1968.

 

That 1st Cavalry Division must be a error, no such unit a Squadron in the 1st Cavalry Division. Probably meant to say a Squadron Commander in the 1st Cavalry, which would be the 2nd Squadron, plus the 2nd Squadron 1st Cavalry was attached to the 4th Infantry Division, which indeed fell under the IFFV.

 

And here he is.

 

2d Squadron, 1st Cavalry 2 (4th Infantry Division) Lt. Col. Joseph M. Gay, Jr., August 1967 January 1968; Lt. Col. Charles P. Graham, January-June 1968; Lt. Col. Donald W. Moreau

 

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Joint Security Area Panmunjom scroll worn as a combat patch on desert fatigues in Iraq in 2004.

 

Now that one is something!! The guy wearing it is only an E4 and looks to be under 30 when this was taken in 2004... from what I can find, there were no active firefights at the JSA in 1990's like those that happened in the 70s and 80s....so maybe just a guy rocking an unauthorized patch?

 

Any clue on what unit he was with when this was taken? National Guard?

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Now that one is something!! The guy wearing it is only an E4 and looks to be under 30 when this was taken in 2004... from what I can find, there were no active firefights at the JSA in 1990's like those that happened in the 70s and 80s....so maybe just a guy rocking an unauthorized patch?

 

Any clue on what unit he was with when this was taken? National Guard?

It could be that he was part of an element of the JSA that deployed to Iraq and wore the scroll as a combat patch based on that assignment. The rules on wearing combat patches are actually a little odd now resulting in some interesting example. My favorite that I have personally seen, and have posted pictures of in this topic, is the Military District Of Washington with Color Guard tab. Obviously service in Washington, D.C. doesn't count, but one company of the 1st Battalion 3rd Infantry, which is primarily a ceremonial unit that guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and does other ceremonial functions in the D.C. area but is also a deployable infantry unit, did in fact deploy to Djibouti in 2003-2004. I have heard others in this forum mention that they have seen soldiers wearing the Infantry School and Field Artillery SSI as combat patches. I would love to see examples of those.

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  • 1 month later...

A mid to late 1950s pair of IKE Jackets that were worn by a Philippine Division Veteran then serving in the Ryukyus Command, name unfortunately not known as these were photos from a ebay or auction sale from awhile ago that were leftover floating around online.

pok.jpg

pokj.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Sergeant First Class Wilton White wearing the 6th Ranger Battalion scroll on his helmet cover while assigned to the 1st Battalion 18th in Vietnam. He served with the 6th Ranger Battalion in World War II.

Combat Patch.6th Ranger Battalion.Helmet.jpg

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8 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Sergeant First Class Wilton White wearing the 6th Ranger Battalion scroll on his helmet cover while assigned to the 1st Battalion 18th in Vietnam. He served with the 6th Ranger Battalion in World War II.

Combat Patch.6th Ranger Battalion.Helmet.jpg

He doesn't appear to have been in Korea.

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Col. (Ret.) Ralph Puckett wearing the 25th Infantry Division SSI with a RANGERS tab as a combat patch. He commanded the Eighth Army Ranger Company in Korea. The company was attached to the 25th Infantry Division. I have seen other soldiers that wore only the Eighth Army SSI with no tab as a combat patch for service with the same company.

Combat Patch.25th Infantry Division.Rangers Tab.jpg

Combat Patch.25th Infantry Division.Rangers Tab.2.jpg

Combat Patch.25th Infantry Division.Rangers Tab.3.jpg

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8 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Col. (Ret.) Ralph Puckett wearing the 25th Infantry Division SSI with a RANGERS tab as a combat patch. He commanded the Eighth Army Ranger Company in Korea. The company was attached to the 25th Infantry Division. I have seen other soldiers that wore only the Eighth Army SSI with no tab as a combat patch for service with the same company.

image.png.c5e121554bf2c73149656937ed1dfc1b.png

 

 

The badge on the other side, would that be a early version of the ROK Ranger Badge??? before the RANGER and Star on the wreath.

2e8i7yh.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Interesting assortment of uniforms and insignia worn by these Air Forces officers. The photo caption reads: "The Fort Worth Army Air Field is hosting Army Day ceremonies. In attendance, left to right, are Lieutenant E. L Brady, Captain K. C Hawk, Captain R. M. Robertson, and Lieutenant T. L. Brown. They are the staff officers who accompanied honored guest Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer. All four men are standing in the "at ease" position, dressed in their military uniforms.1946-04-05"

 

Note that the officer on the left is wearing a reversed forward facing Fourteenth Air Force SSI as a combat patch. It appears to be theater made.

Combat Patch.14th Air Foce.Reversed.1.jpg

Combat Patch.14th Air Foce.Reversed.2.jpg

14th Air Force.jpg

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5th Ranger Battalion. I was under the impression the members of the 5th Ranger Battalion generally wore the triangle SSI rather than a scroll.

Combat Patch.5th Ranger Battalion.jpg

Ranger Battalion.png

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Veteran of the 94th Infantry Division wearing the 94th SSI as a combat patch but still wearing DUI's of the 376th Infantry Regiment which was assigned to the 94th. Christmas 1945.

Combat Patch.94th Infantry Division.jpg

376th Infantry Regiment.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

A 1981 Dated Perma Press Fatigue Shirt of 2nd Inf Div Vet then serving in the Pennsylvania National Guard Headquarters, tempted to say maybe the Korean War, but more likely the DMZ Conflict in 67-69.

il_794x.jpg

il_794j.jpg

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