Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.

[patches]

The Philippine Division on a coat worn by one Colonel  Glen R Townsend.

[patches]

1 minute ago, patches said:

The Philippine Division on a coat worn by one Colonel  Glen R Townsend.

 

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/113451

Col Townsend served during WW 1 but not overseas. He earned the Silver Star for his actions on Bataan during 1942.Col. Glen R Townsend6 Aug 1888 - 2 May 1973 Enlisted 27 Nov 1917 Retired 31 Jan 1949 . During WW 1 he served with 36th IR rising to the rank of Captain prior to the war ending. After the war he served in the US, Panama Canal Zone and the Philippines. He started serving in the Philippines in 1931 helping prepare defense plans. He was promoted to Colonel in 1941. General McArthur had him organize the 11th IR of the Philippine Army and he commanded the regiment throughout the defense of the Philippines. He was part of the last unit to lay down their arms on Luzon. He spent 3 years and 5 mo's as a POW in the Philippines, Formosa, Japan and Manchuria. After WW 2 he served as the Chief of the Missouri Military District. He retired in 1949.

[patches]

A bunch of Merrill's Marauders combat patches at Camp Patrick Henry Virginia, they seem to be Indian made most of them, one however looks British, or a best made in India in the British fashion, that is printed, and as you see, it's like a Flash that would be worn today stated in Vietnam in 1969.

 

[patches]

Kneeling, left to right Pvt. Frank L. Pruitt, Pvt. Patrick J. Muraco, Pfc. Angelo O. Pomotto. Standing, left to right Pvt. Fred E. Nalley, Pfc. Joseph J. Colaci, Pvt. Samel J. Rayner.

 

And a close up of the Printed one.

[patches]

Captain James Collins.

[patches]

United States Forces Austria, worn as a Combat Patch, a Major of the 503rd Military Police Battalion Ft Bragg North Carolina, in the 50s into the 60s, curious as he was in Korea as well, but chose this one to wear, no name on coat unfortunately.

[patches]

Some views of a 3rd Marine Division Combat Patch on a NCO of the 9th Infantry Division's 15th Engineer Battalion Ft Lewis February 1982.

[seanmc1114]

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

 

 

[seanmc1114]

Marine Raiders

[patches]

8 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Marine Raiders

George “Speedy” Gaspard

https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/george-speedy-gaspard/

 

No longer wearing the RAIDERS Combat Patch, look at all those OS Bars too.

[patches]

Now for the old rub. Gaspard was born in 1926 according to his OBIT, says in the Marines from 1944 to 46, Radiers, they form in 1942.

[FriarChuck]

The raiders were disbanded in Feb of 44 so it’s possible that he was one of the last batch of new Raiders. Based on his Marine ribbons his service in the 6th Marine Division was likely as a member the 4th Marines which were formed from the old Raiders regiment. That would account for his Navy Unit Commendation ribbon (Guam), Navy  Presidential Unit Citation (Okinawa), and two stars on the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal along with post war occupation and China service. Interestingly, he never removed the star from his Navy Presidential Unit Citation after they changed it from being awarded with a star on the first award. Also, if he only served the two years like all of his remembrances online state, I don’t think he would have enough time for a good conduct medal. But maybe his service met the post 45 three year requirement. All in all I’d love to look at his record. He earned a really neat array of foreign awards.

 

Friar

[patches]

45 minutes ago, FriarChuck said:

The raiders were disbanded in Feb of 44 so it’s possible that he was one of the last batch of new Raiders. Based on his Marine ribbons his service in the 6th Marine Division was likely as a member the 4th Marines which were formed from the old Raiders regiment. That would account for his Navy Unit Commendation ribbon (Guam), Navy  Presidential Unit Citation (Okinawa), and two stars on the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal along with post war occupation and China service. Interestingly, he never removed the star from his Navy Presidential Unit Citation after they changed it from being awarded with a star on the first award. Also, if he only served the two years like all of his remembrances online state, I don’t think he would have enough time for a good conduct medal. But maybe his service met the post 45 three year requirement. All in all I’d love to look at his record. He earned a really neat array of foreign awards.

 

Friar

Rodger.

 

My Uncle by marriage was a Raider BTW, 3rd Raider Battalion, fought on Bougainville in The Solomons, he too went to the 4th Marines, 1st Marine Provisional Brigade, didn't make it the 6th Mar Div and Okinawa as he was hit on Guam and evacuated back stateside., shot in the hand must of been a bad wound.

 

There they are my Aunt and Uncle, Corporal Robert Kelly USMC and Mary nee Matthews, Our Lady of Lourdes Bushwick Brooklyn July 1945. He still wears his Raider Patch as you see, a variant with a White Border.

[seanmc1114]

9 hours ago, patches said:

George “Speedy” Gaspard

https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/george-speedy-gaspard/

 

No longer wearing the RAIDERS Combat Patch, look at all those OS Bars too.

Notice in the photo wearing the khaki uniform, his Navy PUC has a gold frame around it like the Army version and he is wearing his Navy Commendation ribbon with "V" device above his Army Commendation ribbon. Also, he is wearing his Navy PUC according to Army regulations over his right breast pocket, but wearing his Navy Unit Commendation among his personal awards over his left pocket.

 

And in this photo of him in his Class B khakis, he no longer wears the Navy Commendation ribbon. Also, his bio says he was awarded U.S. Navy Parachute Wings, Korea Master Parachutist Wings, Vietnamese Master Parachutist Wings, Thailand Master Parachutist Wings and Cambodia Parachute Wings. It looks like that's the Navy Parachutist Badge over his unit awards.

[seanmc1114]

18 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Marine Raiders

I don't mean to turn this post into a whole thread on Col. Gaspard, but I can't help but post all of these pictures. Look at the array of uniforms and insignia he wore throughout his career. And as one of the photos indicates, he apparently served with Company L 4th Marines during the Okinawa campaign in World War II.

[Salvage Sailor]

An aside comment,

 

That's NZ/USA war correspondent Peter Arnett with George Gaspard in this photo.  I've attached an article link below by Arnett with another photo of Gaspard in 1975. now a mercenary trainer.

 

 

The Executive Mercenaries

 

 

 

 

[seanmc1114]

2 hours ago, Salvage Sailor said:

An aside comment,

 

That's NZ/USA war correspondent Peter Arnett with George Gaspard in this photo.  I've attached an article link below by Arnett with another photo of Gaspard in 1975. now a mercenary trainer.

 

 

The Executive Mercenaries

 

 

 

 

By the way, Gaspard was technically a three war combat infantryman. But his first war - World War II - was as a rifleman with the Marine Corps rather than the Army Infantry. 

[patches]

6 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

By the way, Gaspard was technically a three war combat infantryman. But his first war - World War II - was as a rifleman with the Marine Corps rather than the Army Infantry. 

Sean do you know who this Master Sergeant on the right is, he's got the 2nd Award CIB, so maybe he turned up in South Vietnam and got that 3rd Award.

[patches]

Thought this was a Post Korean War 50s one, BUT, it is a 1947 one.

 

He is Percy W. Clarkson, Commander 3rd Inf Div at Ft Benning, See how he's wearing his X Corps patch White up!, this is something seen as you know being worn the whole time in the Korean War, and by veterans of X corps in the war serving later in the 50s and 60s still. What makes this odder is he was a one point Commander of the 33rd Inf Div in combat., so why not the Prairie Division's patch?

https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/40370/Clarkson-Percy-William.htm

https://www.usarpac.army.mil/history2/dcgClarkson.asp

 

 

[Rhscott]

9 hours ago, patches said:

Thought this was a Post Korean War 50s one, BUT, it is a 1947 one.

 

He is Percy W. Clarkson, Commander 3rd Inf Div at Ft Benning, See how he's wearing his X Corps patch White up!, this is something seen as you know being worn the whole time in the Korean War, and by veterans of X corps in the war serving later in the 50s and 60s still. What makes this odder is he was a one point Commander of the 33rd Inf Div in combat., so why not the Prairie Division's patch?

https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/40370/Clarkson-Percy-William.htm

https://www.usarpac.army.mil/history2/dcgClarkson.asp

 

 

My .02 says because he is a RA Officer at Ft Benning and wearing a NG Div patch there is not as cool as wearing a RA 10th Corps patch.

[seanmc1114]

2 hours ago, Rhscott said:

My .02 says because he is a RA Officer at Ft Benning and wearing a NG Div patch there is not as cool as wearing a RA 10th Corps patch.

Perhaps, but I can't imagine someone not wearing the SSI of a division he actually commanded in actual combat as his combat patch rather than a corps he commanded on occupation duty after VJ-Day. Of course, it's also possible he wore the 33rd SSI on other uniforms. That was and is permissible.

[patches]

A mid to late 70s Drill Sergeant wears the 4th Transportation Brigade as a Vietnam Combat Patch.

 

A George M. Stitt U.S.A. 1968-1991, last grade E-8, he passed in 2019.

 

[seanmc1114]

Captain Morrell of the 134th Tank Battalion of the California National Guard's 40th Armored Division wearing a 49th Infantry Division SSOI as a combat patch in 1957. As far as I know, the 49th would not have been authorized as a combat patch for anyone at that time.

[patches]

A great find here, he's Brig Gen Frank Howley, in 1949 as Commandant of Berlin and he's wearing the 1st Allied Airborne Army as a Combat patch, why? Howley was in not combat in the war, he was a Civil Affairs guy, but he wears it because the 1st Allied Airborne Army was thee first U.S. Army high command organization responsible for Berlin, as 1st Airborne Army,, and Howley was already doing CA things in Berlin at that time in 1945, so we guess 1st Airborne Army was Howley's Parent Organization then.

[seanmc1114]

LRRP member of the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam wearing a LONG RANGE PATROL scroll over his 9th ID combat patch. He is wearing the DUI's of the 9th Infantry Division non-color bearing units on his uniform and beret.