Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.

[seanmc1114]

Captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Afghanistan Marmal Resident Office receiving a certificate authorizing him to wear the U. S. Army Corps Of Engineers SSI as a combat patch. The SSI was originally approved for Army Engineers Divisions and Districts, so I assume it is worn by engineers assigned to districts and other projects that do not fall under a numbered unit. The caption of this photo reads: "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Afghanistan Marmal Resident Office OIC U.S. Army Capt. Daniel Strasser receives his combat patch from USACE TAA District Commander U.S. Army Col. Kimberly Colloton at Camp Marmal, Sept. 19."

[patches]

There was a talk on the wear of subdued 1st Infantry Division combat patches in Vietnam in the 70-72 period, but I can't find it .

 

So lets add this other sighting, a Lt Col Willard Esplin, MACV circa 1970-71.

 

[patches]

Another WWII combat patch worn well into the 1970s, XIV Corps, here at Hawkins Barracks Oberammergau West Germany in June 1974, not sure but the 14th Corps vet may be a Colonel Kemp.

 

That unknown Maj Gen is probably the USAEUR Chief of Staff, a O-7 slot

[patches]

andover.jpg

Another WWII combat patch worn well into the 1970s, XIV Corps, here at Hawkins Barracks Oberammergau West Germany in June 1974, not sure but the 14th Corps vet may be a Colonel Kemp.

 

That unknown Maj Gen is probably the USAEUR Chief of Staff, a O-7 slot

Should Read- O-8 Major General Slot.

[seanmc1114]

Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF)

[firefighter]

Special Operations Command

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

 

[seanmc1114]

Another 1st Marine Division combat patch from the 50s.

[VenitHora]

​I was requested to post this here, here is an Ike jacket from the 64th Engineers (topographic)

[VenitHora]

patch

[seanmc1114]

​I was requested to post this here, here is an Ike jacket from the 64th Engineers (topographic)

 

patch

That's really cool. What exactly is the patch? The battalion DUI or crest?

[seanmc1114]

Major General Charles A. Willoughby, General MacArthur's intelligence chief during World War II and the Korean War, wearing the Philippine Department SSI as a combat patch.

[seanmc1114]

Here's another example of the 198th Infantry Brigade SSI being worn rather than the Americal Division as a combat patch. Based on his ribbons, this photo is from sometime post-1981.

[patches]

Here's another example of the 198th Infantry Brigade SSI being worn rather than the Americal Division as a combat patch. Based on his ribbons, this photo is from sometime post-1981.

Excellnent find sean, say he looks like an actor right! But save that for the other topic in Movies LOL.

[tredhed2]

 

That's really cool. What exactly is the patch? The battalion DUI or crest?

 

The patch is the DI and there are embr DIs on each shoulder with the same design but w/o the blue octagonal background - just "Topo Joe" hard at work.

[seanmc1114]

Another 198th Infantry Brigade combat patch worn by a Vietnam veteran. From what I can tell, he deployed with the brigade from Fort Hood in 1967 and served with the 601st Radio Research Detachment.

[seanmc1114]

One of the Marine Aircraft Wings. It looks like I MAW to me.

[seanmc1114]

20th Air Force

[patches]

A full color Cav combat seen for such a late date, July 1970, the GI is one Rich, David F. Captain, FA, DSC.

 

 

 

DSC awarded for action at the Battle of LZ Rip Cord.

http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=5525

[seanmc1114]

11th Aviation Command. As this soldier served only until 1995, I assume this was for service during Desert Storm. However, note that he has none of the ribbons for any of the service medals authorized for DS (National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kuwaiti or Saudi Arabian Liberation of Kuwait Medals).

 

The 11th Aviation Command carries the lineage of the old 11th Aviation Group that served with the 11th Air Assault Division at Fort Benning then the 1st Cavalry Division at Benning and in Vietnam.

 

[VolunteerArmoury]

11th Aviation Command. As this soldier served only until 1995, I assume this was for service during Desert Storm. However, note that he has none of the ribbons for any of the service medals authorized for DS (National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kuwaiti or Saudi Arabian Liberation of Kuwait Medals).

 

The 11th Aviation Command carries the lineage of the old 11th Aviation Group that served with the 11th Air Assault Division at Fort Benning then the 1st Cavalry Division at Benning and in Vietnam.

 

I wonder if he hadnt been awarded them yet. I was medevaced from Iraq in January 2011 but wasnt awarded any of my decorations from Iraq till like April or May of that year. I had a DA photo of my combat patch but no campaign medal but I did have NDSM so thats odd that he didnt at least have that.

[Teamski]

I wonder if he hadnt been awarded them yet. I was medevaced from Iraq in January 2011 but wasnt awarded any of my decorations from Iraq till like April or May of that year. I had a DA photo of my combat patch but no campaign medal but I did have NDSM so thats odd that he didnt at least have that.

 

 

It might be due to the 11th being in Bosnia in the 1990's. That would make more sense to me. The National Defense medal ceased to be issued in 1995 and the unit was in theater well after that.

 

-Ski

[seanmc1114]

 

 

It might be due to the 11th being in Bosnia in the 1990's. That would make more sense to me. The National Defense medal ceased to be issued in 1995 and the unit was in theater well after that.

 

-Ski

The information I have on him is that he served in the Army from 1979 to 1995 and did serve in Desert Storm but no mention of Bosnia When was the 11th in Bosnia? The Center of Military history does not show any campaign streamer awarded for Bosnia. I'm not sure if there were any awarded for Bosnia, so were combat patches authorized for that service?

[12A54]

The information I have on him is that he served in the Army from 1979 to 1995 and did serve in Desert Storm but no mention of Bosnia When was the 11th in Bosnia? The Center of Military history does not show any campaign streamer awarded for Bosnia. I'm not sure if there were any awarded for Bosnia, so were combat patches authorized for that service?

The first handful of US troops in Bosnia got there in December 1995, with the bulk of the Task Force arriving in early 1996. Combat patches were not authorized. (Though we received hazardous duty pay, AFEM, etc.)

[seanmc1114]

There's nothing really rare about the Americal Division SSI being worn as a combat patch but this screenshot shows an Americal veteran in Munich, Germany in 1946, so he has seen quite a bit of the world during and immediately after WWII.

[patches]

Another Deadeye Division vet way past 1945, Colonel William C. "Cliff" Luehrs MSC in around 1972. Luehrs was at this time Executive Officer for the Surgeon General of the Army. Luehrs started out as a Infantryman in WWII, an Officer, regiment within the 96th Division unknown so far.

 

 

Cliff passed away in 1999 as witnessed by this OBIT of his Wife in June 2017, she passing at 92.

 

 

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestate/obituary.aspx?pid=185695661