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Pocket Patches Of The 1st Infantry Division In Vietnam


seanmc1114
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Thanks for the info, it was hangin on a Big Red One uniform but I wasn't sure.

 

Bill

 

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What kind of uniform Bill, a Tropical Coat? if so was the 1st Div patch a Combat Patch?

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magepaty.jpg

 

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A rather incomplete coat insiginia wise, French Rope worn on the wrong shoulder, anywy a moot point as it would not be worn after service in a unit of the 1st Div, no branch disc etc etc etc, but two things come to mind on how that 1/1 Cav pocket hanger came to be on this uniform coat 1: It was just thrown on there, like the French Rope, something seen from time to time, a piece or pieces of insignia that has nothing to do with the overall uniform, added by someone not in the know, just to put more insiginia on a otherwise bare uniform, like a seller or store owner normally (Present Forum member dealers and sellers excepted :D) .

 

2: This Staff Sergeant did 2 tours, the first with the 1/1 Cav with the Americal, and his second with a so far unknown unit in the 1st Div, and that the 1/1Cav hanger is his from his first tour, and thrown on the coat because it was among the stuff he had from his service period, like the French Rope, and was found with this coat when it passed hands.

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TreasureHunter

Interesting and thanks for the info. I just liked the patch. Found this at a flea market where common vendors add things to make things look better without knowing. Patch has Tokyo makers label on the back. Thanks again. Bill

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk

 

 

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Interesting and thanks for the info. I just liked the patch. Found this at a flea market where common vendors add things to make things look better without knowing. Patch has Tokyo makers label on the back. Thanks again. Bill

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk

Ah Ha a Flea Market buy, perhaps option 1 then.

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bootsandbooks

Here is a slight variation on your theme.

 

When the 1st Division departed Vietnam in late 1969 personnel who had completed less than 9 months (or maybe 10) of their 12 month tour were reassigned to other units remaining in country.

 

This soldier was reassigned to Bravo 3/22nd Infantry in the 25th Division. Note he is still wearing his 18th Infantry pocket patch from the 1st Division, but has sewn on both the 25th Division SSI and the "Regulars" tab which was a common practice. I can't tell from the photo but he may also have the 1st Division SSI on the right shoulder - another common practice with these inter-division transfers.

 

He was assigned to the mortar platoon, which in 1970 spent more time in base camp than in the field, and had the ability to have their uniforms individually laundered. Most in the line platoons did not keep the same uniforms.

 

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(photo credit: Peter Vanderzanden)

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  • 2 months later...

Found another Big Red One unit pocket patch, the 5th Infantry, from February 1959 to February 1963 the 1st Battle Group 5th Infantry was a part of the 1st Division.

 

Sorry about the blurryness, I had to inlarge it a bit.

attachicon.gifloi9i.jpgattachicon.gifhytt.jpg

 

 

The pocket patch apparently was worn by the 5th Inf as early as 1955-56 when it was with the 71st Inf Div at Lewis, as I have a 71st Inf Div shirt with the pocket patch.

Here a 1st BG 5th Inf pocket patch Big Red One shirt in the flesh, one posted quite awhile ago by another member, forgot who.

 

post-34986-0-73974500-1398569174.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Many thanks to Patches for pointing out this thread for me, I shall add my meagre offerings from my collection.

post-111-0-55309100-1402587024.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

A couple of photos of soldiers wearing the pocket patch of the 4th Cavalry

Wow. Look at that date on the bottom foto, Oct 71, that one and maybe the other one above it obviously was developed well over a year and half after the 1/4 Cav left Vietnam. The 1/4 Cav leaves in early February 1970.

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9/13/1965 - Qui Nhon, South Vietnam - Lieutenant Kathleen Rockwell, 23, of Alexandria, Virginia, an army nurse, leans on the shoulder of her husband, Lieutenant Richard Rockwell, 23, of New York City. Kathleen managed to get herself transferred here to be with her husband, arriving last week in time to get a field hospital set up, only to discover that Richard was being sent back to the front lines at Cam Ranh Bay.

 

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attachicon.giftumblr_lh5e46F4PQ1qapgi0o1_1280.jpg

 

9/13/1965 - Qui Nhon, South Vietnam - Lieutenant Kathleen Rockwell, 23, of Alexandria, Virginia, an army nurse, leans on the shoulder of her husband, Lieutenant Richard Rockwell, 23, of New York City. Kathleen managed to get herself transferred here to be with her husband, arriving last week in time to get a field hospital set up, only to discover that Richard was being sent back to the front lines at Cam Ranh Bay.

 

Can't find info yet, but Richard Rockwell must of been a 1st Lieutenant and the battalion medical officer of one of the battalions of the 18th Infantry.

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This is not a 1st Infantry Division pocket patch per se, but this soldier of the 1st Ranger company, Company I 75th Infantry, is wearing the 75th Infantry DUI as a pocket patch along with a Ranger scroll above his Big Red One patch.

post-1761-0-60161600-1408916142.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

post-467-0-02056900-1416962281.jpg

 

General William Westmoreland talks with troops of first battalion, 16th regiment of 2nd brigade of U.S. First Division at their positions near Bien Hoa in Vietnam, 1965. (AP Photo)

 

All the jungle jackets worn by the troops are first type exposed buttons. The officer in the back has a full color 2nd brigade pocket patch. The NCO standing in front of him has a 2nd ID combat patch.

Note the weird green color of the name tape of the 2LT.

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  • 4 weeks later...

FYI: When the Big Red One deployed to Vietnam from Ft Riley they left an Honest John Rocket Battalion behind.

That unit was the 5th Bn, 32nd FA [Honest John Rocket] that had been assigned to the 1st ID in April 1960.

There was need for a Nuclear Delivery capable unit in Vietnam.

 

When I returned from Vietnam in June 1968, I was assigned to HHB, 5th Bn, 32nd FA as the Operation SGT, Intell SGT,

and the Chief of Bn FDC simultaneously. They were critically short of Senior NCOs. On 19 March 1969, this unit was Inactivated.

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  • 2 months later...

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