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Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.


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Someone posted these pictures in a Facebook group I'm a member of. The veteran wore his full color Vietnamese theater made 196th Infantry Brigade SSI as a combat patch on his dress greens and had desert subdued theater made insignia, including a 196th SSI, for his desert BDU worn during Desert Storm.

Combat Patch.196th Infantry Brigade.1.jpg

Combat Patch.196th Infantry Brigade.2.jpg

Combat Patch.196th Infantry Brigade.3.jpg

Combat Patch.196th Infantry Brigade.4.jpg

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On 1/4/2022 at 1:01 PM, seanmc1114 said:

I can't make out what this one is. Here is the photo caption: "(L to R) Colonel John G. Van Houten, Commander, Ranger Training Center, presents the 1st Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) Guidon to Captain John L. Streigel and Private Joseph Lisi at Fort Benning, Georgia in November 1950."

 

What's interesting is that Van Houten's wikipedia entry says he was commander of the 60th Infantry Regiment and Chief Of Staff of the 9th Infantry Division in World War II, so I'm not sure what other combat patch he would be wearing. It's definitely not a (th ID SSI. Comparing the first and second picture, I'm not even 100% certain it's the same guy. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Van_Houten

 

 

Ranger Training Center.Combat Patch.Fort Benning.1950.jpg

Van Houten.John.jpg

Maj. Gen. Van Houten is actually a distant cousin of mine. I don't think that's him in the first picture. The shape of the nose and chin look completely different to me. During WWII he initially served with the 35th Infantry Division before transferring to the 9th, and he did not serve in the Korean War.

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On 1/4/2022 at 1:01 PM, seanmc1114 said:

I can't make out what this one is. Here is the photo caption: "(L to R) Colonel John G. Van Houten, Commander, Ranger Training Center, presents the 1st Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) Guidon to Captain John L. Streigel and Private Joseph Lisi at Fort Benning, Georgia in November 1950."

 

What's interesting is that Van Houten's wikipedia entry says he was commander of the 60th Infantry Regiment and Chief Of Staff of the 9th Infantry Division in World War II, so I'm not sure what other combat patch he would be wearing. It's definitely not a (th ID SSI. Comparing the first and second picture, I'm not even 100% certain it's the same guy. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Van_Houten

 

 

Ranger Training Center.Combat Patch.Fort Benning.1950.jpg

Van Houten.John.jpg

Maybe a variant of the 6th Cavalry Regiment, a theater made one???

 

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/307016-theater-made-6th-cavalry-regt-patches-embroidered-on-wool-chain-stitched/

 

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/285775-help-please-6th-armored-cav/

 

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14 hours ago, ItemCo16527 said:

Maj. Gen. Van Houten is actually a distant cousin of mine. I don't think that's him in the first picture. The shape of the nose and chin look completely different to me. During WWII he initially served with the 35th Infantry Division before transferring to the 9th, and he did not serve in the Korean War.

I was just providing the information as to the identitites that was posted with the original photo. But I agree it doesn't look like the same person. 

10 hours ago, patches said:

possibly, especially if in fact the officer is not Col. Van Houten as mentioned above. ANother possibility is the 158th Regimental Combat Team.

158th RCT.SSI.Ike Jacket.jpg

158th RCT.SSI.jpg

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On 2/22/2022 at 5:07 PM, seanmc1114 said:

This drill sergeant at Fort Knox in 1975 is wearing a 1st Infantry Division combat patch with what appears to be a gold on black AIRBORNE tab.

Combat Patch.1st Infantry Division.Tab.2.jpg

A Leg Ranger in the division's Ranger Company????

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  • 3 weeks later...

2nd Armored Division SSI worn by a student from Armored Officer Advanced Course 2-1976 at Fort Knox. He most likely served with the 2nd Squadron 1st Cavalry in Vietnam.

Combat Patch.2nd Armored Division.1976.jpg

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From the 1947 yearbook of the 38th Regimental Combat Team. This warrant officer appears to be wearing the Hawaiian Division SSI as a combat patch even though that unit was disbanded in October 1941.

Combat Patch.Hawaiian Division.jpg

Hawaiian Division.5.jpg

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86th Infantry Brigade with MOUNTAIN tab. The Vermont National Guard unit served in Afghanistan from March through December 2009.

Combat Patch.86th Infantry Brigade.Mountain Tab.1.jpg

86th Infantry Brigade.Mountain Tab.2.jpg

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13 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

From the 1947 yearbook of the 38th Regimental Combat Team. This warrant officer appears to be wearing the Hawaiian Division SSI as a combat patch even though that unit was disbanded in October 1941.

Combat Patch.Hawaiian Division.jpg

Hawaiian Division.5.jpg

I thought that this SSI has been many times identified as the one for the Hawaiian Cadre of WW2. There was an article in an issue of ASMIC's Trading Post about it. It's misidentification as a variation for the Hawaiian Division goes back quite some time and is often repeated.

 

Please, can someone verify what I think I remember or correct me on this.

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1 hour ago, atb said:

I thought that this SSI has been many times identified as the one for the Hawaiian Cadre of WW2. There was an article in an issue of ASMIC's Trading Post about it. It's misidentification as a variation for the Hawaiian Division goes back quite some time and is often repeated.

 

Please, can someone verify what I think I remember or correct me on this.

You are correct sir. nothing to do with the old Hawaiian Division.

 

 

 

 

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Speaking of Hawaii, here's Brigadier General Wayne C. Smith Assistant Division Commander 11th Airborne Division at Camp Campbell Kentucky sometime in 1950 wearing the Hawaiian Department as a FWTS patch, Smith Wayne C was  Chief of Staff of the Hawaiian Department for the last two years of WWII, it was then retitled the Central Pacific Base Command, don't know his assignment before this, but he apparently did not draw a combat assignment during the war. He does in Korea, as Assistant Division Commander 45th Infantry Division briefly, then as Division Commander 7th Infantry Division. Smith takes over the 11th Airborne Division back at Campbell after service Korea now as it's C.O. 

 

1587628724_hawaiiansmith0004.jpg.2e23656f0b0c64720abd6be0f997ef6a.jpg

 

Here he is in Korea as the C.O. of the 7th Infantry Division in late 1952, now wearing the 45th Infantry Division as a Combat Patch.

mjuii.jpg.88671fb0aabf41211f97bc0e16c1ba7d.jpg

 

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10 hours ago, atb said:

I thought that this SSI has been many times identified as the one for the Hawaiian Cadre of WW2. There was an article in an issue of ASMIC's Trading Post about it. It's misidentification as a variation for the Hawaiian Division goes back quite some time and is often repeated.

 

Please, can someone verify what I think I remember or correct me on this.

 

9 hours ago, patches said:

You are correct sir. nothing to do with the old Hawaiian Division.

 

 

 

 

Thanks fopr the info. I had actually seen that post earlier and even commented on it a few years back but did not remember it. However, from what I read in that topic, not only was the Hawaiian Cadre SSI never authorized by TIOH, but it sounds like it may not have even been issued and worn until after the soldiers were sent to Camp Mackall, North Carolina. If that is the case, under what circumstances would someone wear it as a combat patch?  

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13 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

 

Thanks fopr the info. I had actually seen that post earlier and even commented on it a few years back but did not remember it. However, from what I read in that topic, not only was the Hawaiian Cadre SSI never authorized by TIOH, but it sounds like it may not have even been issued and worn until after the soldiers were sent to Camp Mackall, North Carolina. If that is the case, under what circumstances would someone wear it as a combat patch?  

And to add more confusion there's that identical Taro Leaf shield patch with the VICTORY Tab, Victory being the new nickname of the Pineapple Division taken in WWII. There's a image of it floating around in one or more of a topic, but can't find it right now.

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Americal Division with AIRBORNE RANGER INF. CO. scroll worn by a company commander of a basic training unit at Fort Ord in 1972.

Combat Patch.Americal Division.4.Airborne Ranger Scroll.jpg

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Outgoing Command Sergeant Major Anthony Walker of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment wearing the Special Forces SSI with a white on blue AIRBORNE tab as a combat patch at a recent change of reesponsibility ceremony. Any idea what kind of uniform the Engineer officer on the right in the last photo is wearing?

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.1.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.2.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.3.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.4.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.5.jpg

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3 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Outgoing Command Sergeant Major Anthony Walker of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment wearing the Special Forces SSI with a white on blue AIRBORNE tab as a combat patch at a recent change of reesponsibility ceremony. Any idea what kind of uniform the Engineer officer on the right in the last photo is wearing?

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.1.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.2.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.3.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.4.jpg

Combat Patch.Special Forces.Blue Airborne Tab.5.jpg  Wacko!   According to this link, he wasn’t Airborne, and he never served in SF.

https://www.blackhorse.org/e-news-august-2020/

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WWII 1942-1945 and Korea Vet 1951 till 1971, he's Modesto Cartagena DSC, in the 3rd Inf Div 65th Inf in Korea in a 2000 photo, but check out the combat patch he wears,92nd Infantry Brigade (Sep) strange eh, we would image he didn't wear this in the 60s and 70s but wore the 3rd Inf Div..

ikiki.jpg

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Another curios one, very late 1940s, a 2nd Marine Division Combat patch on this Army officer of the Coast Artillery, he is one 2nd Lieutenant Paul Coroneos, but here's the interesting and curious thing, Coroneos was not in the war, he was born March 2 1929, he does emlist in the Marines at 17 which makes the year 1946, He's wearing a Occupation ETO and WWII Victory, the ETO Ribbon cut off is March 2, 1946, the WWII Victory is a lot longer for the cut off 31 December 1946. So where does the 2nd Marine Division and the ETO Ribbon come in you ask? It seems it coes in in 1948, the 2nd Marine Regiment is a part of the 2nd Marine Division after the war assigned to Camp Lejuene, in January 1948, the 2nd Marine Regiment is detached from the division and sent to Malta, then in due course assigned aboard ships of the Navy's 6th Fleet, this was to Show the Flag in The Med in support of the beleaguered Greek Government then in a Civil War and to show Turkey the USA in Better then the USSR. So it's clear Coroneos wears this 2nd Marine Division because of service in the MED's 6th Fleet and tat want it says in his OBIT, just took me time to sot it out, the ETO Ribbon? Ah who knows, don't know if was officially awarded still to these Marines or not, interesting too he wears no Marine Corps Good Conduct ribbon.

 

One more thing, see how he left the Marines and became an Army Officer, at 20 or 21 years of age, the CA Branch is soon disestablished so again a small window of time here. And retires as a Colonel in 1979, dunno maybe he spent only two years in the Marines???

2nd mar div.PNG

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On 3/29/2022 at 11:39 AM, e19 said:

Interesting. I don't see any Special Forces assignments listed among his previous assignments and he is not wearing either the Parachutist Badge or the SPECIAL FORCES tab. Special Forces seems unusual under any circumstances for a career Armor and Mechanized Infantry enlisted man.

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Series of photos showing the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment combat patch worn by a tank commander of the 1st Brigade 5th Infantry Division (probably 1st Battalion 77th Armor) in Laos on 29 March 1971 during Operation Lam Son 719.

Combat Patch.11th ACR.Laos.1971.1.jpg

Combat Patch.11th ACR.Laos.1971.2.jpg

Combat Patch.11th ACR.Laos.1971.3.jpg

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17 hours ago, patches said:

Another curios one, very late 1940s, a 2nd Marine Division Combat patch on this Army officer of the Coast Artillery, he is one 2nd Lieutenant Paul Coroneos, but here's the interesting and curious thing, Coroneos was not in the war, he was born March 2 1929, he does emlist in the Marines at 17 which makes the year 1946, He's wearing a Occupation ETO and WWII Victory, the ETO Ribbon cut off is March 2, 1946, the WWII Victory is a lot longer for the cut off 31 December 1946. So where does the 2nd Marine Division and the ETO Ribbon come in you ask? It seems it coes in in 1948, the 2nd Marine Regiment is a part of the 2nd Marine Division after the war assigned to Camp Lejuene, in January 1948, the 2nd Marine Regiment is detached from the division and sent to Malta, then in due course assigned aboard ships of the Navy's 6th Fleet, this was to Show the Flag in The Med in support of the beleaguered Greek Government then in a Civil War and to show Turkey the USA in Better then the USSR. So it's clear Coroneos wears this 2nd Marine Division because of service in the MED's 6th Fleet and tat want it says in his OBIT, just took me time to sot it out, the ETO Ribbon? Ah who knows, don't know if was officially awarded still to these Marines or not, interesting too he wears no Marine Corps Good Conduct ribbon.

 

One more thing, see how he left the Marines and became an Army Officer, at 20 or 21 years of age, the CA Branch is soon disestablished so again a small window of time here. And retires as a Colonel in 1979, dunno maybe he spent only two years in the Marines???

2nd mar div.PNG

He is wearing the UA DIs (CoA) for the 80th Airborne Antiaircraft Bn, assigned to 82nd Abn Div June 1949 at Ft, Bragg. Redesignated 80th AA Bn Sept 57 and inactivated Ft. Bragg Mar 58.   

16 CAC 80A2.jpg

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The current Army uniform regiulations (26 January 2021) now refers to what we call a "combat patch" and was formerly officially identified as a "SSI-Former Wartime Service" as a "SSI indicating service during military operations in hostile conditions (MOHC)".

 

At any rate, here is a series of photos showing soldiers of the Georgia National Guard's 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade during Exercise African Lion 21 in Morocco, June 11, 2021.  I don't think the patch being worn on the right sleeve technically qualifies as a combat patch and was probably only for temporary wear during the exercise. However, it does beg the question of when the wear of such insignia is authorized, especially considering how easy it is to put these on and remove them from the current ACU with velcro.

Combat Patch.Exercise African Lion.1.jpg

Combat Patch.Exercise African Lion.2.jpg

Combat Patch.Exercise African Lion.3.jpg

Combat Patch.Exercise African Lion.4.jpg

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