Unkown Japan made USAF patch

[Siamundo]

I have exhausted all my research sources. Any chance anyone might know what this patch is? It is Japanese made. Thanks for your time.

[Teamski]

18th Supply Squadron.

 

-Ski

[Siamundo]

Hi Ski. Thanks again. Would you happen to know an approximate vintage or era that this design was worn?

[Teamski]

Probably from the 1960's. Color patches were worn on the fatigues I believe up to the mid 70's.

 

-Ski

[Steindaddie]

The cut-off date for us to wear color insignia on our fatigues was 1 January 1981. I joined in 1978 and wore my color stuff until the end. I thought the subdued patches looked hideous (hey, and I still do)

 

Will

 

PS. In an act of self humiliation, here is a photo of yours truly, complete with color patches, 1978. 62nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill AFB Florida. I was the newly annointed assistant crew chief of F-4D Phantom 65-0672 and had the name on the rear canopy to prove it. Note the shaggy 1970's haircut - wouldn't pass muster today.

 

PS> I have thousands of USAF patches now, but that 62nd patch in the photo is #1 in my collection.

[Teamski]

Thanks for the clarification on the wear dates. And you look quite chic for a crew chief. I think I have that 62nd patch. I'll have to pull it out for a shot.

 

That was a different Air Force then, I can tell you!

 

-Ski

[Steindaddie]

And you look quite chic for a crew chief.

 

Thanks Ski - whatta pal ! Now, if I can just convince my girlfriend; she saw the photo and said I looked like a dork !

 

And yes, the 62nd TFS... Great classic design and I thought it was just the coolest thing there was. Of the other MacDill squadrons, the 61st also had a bulldog, but the 63rd had an alleycat/panther or something, the same with the 13th TFS

[Bobby]

If the cutoff date for color patches was in 1981, Does the USAF still issue color patches for any reason..Guess I am wondering how many color patches are fake...

 

 

Bobby

[Teamski]

If the cutoff date for color patches was in 1981, Does the USAF still issue color patches for any reason..Guess I am wondering how many color patches are fake...

Bobby

 

You bet!! Colored patches are worn on the flight suits of flying and space command units throughout the USAF today. There are repros of older units, primarily for reunion use, though. For example, use caution with Fighter Intereceptor unit patches with computer stitch design. A very few units at the end of their existance used it, but very limited.

 

You will find that USAF patches offer the most colorful and varied field of collecting in Militaria, IMHO.

 

-Ski

[Steindaddie]

Regarding the variety and designs of USAF patches - IMHO, I agree with Ski !

 

We wear color patches on flightsuits for sure, but in Air Force Special Operations we wear subdued. (With a full color American flag on the left shoulder)

 

I was in AFSOC and have enclosed my "Hero of the skies" photo taken the morning I was out the door to Afghanistan. Subdued name tag, patches, etc.

 

PS. This is more than enough pictures of my mug !

[Teamski]

Of course, there is Special ops.... I was with the 352nd SOG from 94-01, so I should of added the subdued stuff, hehehehe....

 

You do look good as the zipper-suited sun god!

 

-Ski

[Teamski]

The cut-off date for us to wear color insignia on our fatigues was 1 January 1981. I joined in 1978 and wore my color stuff until the end. I thought the subdued patches looked hideous (hey, and I still do)

 

Will

 

PS. In an act of self humiliation, here is a photo of yours truly, complete with color patches, 1978. 62nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill AFB Florida. I was the newly annointed assistant crew chief of F-4D Phantom 65-0672 and had the name on the rear canopy to prove it. Note the shaggy 1970's haircut - wouldn't pass muster today.

 

PS> I have thousands of USAF patches now, but that 62nd patch in the photo is #1 in my collection.

 

Here's a photo of the 62nd TFS patch I mentioned. Is this the same one you got? Pictured with the 62nd, I have the 63rd TFS, and the 61st FS which is a post-1992 patch.....

 

-Ski

[Steindaddie]

Ski - AFSOC brother.....

 

"Zipper suited sun gods" hahaha...I hadn't heard that one in awhile ! (The stock answer to that was always "well, we're hiring")

 

Hey, nice patches you have there ! Here is what we wore during my time at MacDill 1978-80. Note that the 63rd TFS is full embroidered - I rarely see those for some reason. It's usually the twill type that seems to be around, but I only saw the full embroidered one at MacDill. Obviously I mention this solely for the sake of collecting and perhaps it's time I got a twill one to round out the ol' collection.

 

The 62nd patch looks to be the same as mine. The bulldog's name is "Spike"

 

Will

[Teamski]

Interesting. It looks like your 63rd TFS version loosk similar to my 63rd TFTS one. Obviously from the same time period. Here is a shot of my 63rd patches along with a 62nd TFTS.

 

I also added a few AFSOC patches as well. The colored patches weren't worn as you know, but were trophy patches from the units. I was assigned to the 67th SOS for a couple years until they split MX and ops, a mistake IMHO.

 

-Ski

[Steindaddie]

Ski - Nice patches !

 

You're 63rd patch is no doubt the type worn when that unit was redesignated in 1981. The squadrons at MacDill were redesignated on a singular basis and it wasn't until the last had done so that the parent unit ceased as the 56th TFW and became the 56th Tactical Training Wing. This was due to the gradual transistion to the F-16 that started with the 61st TFS in 1980 although the 13th had been a TFTS since it's activation in 1976. I never heard that usage though; we always (wrongly) referred to it as a TFS. My squadron, the 62nd, got it's first F-16 lawn dart in late 1980 just before I was to PCS for Alaska, so being an F-4 guy, I was shuffled off to the 63rd for a couple weeks.

 

Will

[Lee Ragan]

Seeing these 62nd TFS patches brings back memories of even longer ago when the 62nd was a Fighter Interceptor Squadron. That was in the 60's at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. The patch was quite simular to the later ones shown but had the FIS designation on them.

I was stationed at Sawyer in those days and the 62nd FIS had a giant image of their patch painted on one of their buildings over by transit alert with a line that stated, "62nd FIS, Defenders of SAC". SAC's 410th Bomb Wing being the host unit on the base. The 62nd flew F-101B Voodoos then. They were replace in 1970 I believe by the 87th FIS flying F-106's.