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REALLY small PATCHES - Ball Cap size


Bearmon
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I think on ball caps I can't figure anything else... most if not all of the I have seen are either Carriers or Aviation related so perhaps on a helmet bag...

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They were worn wherever the owner wanted to wear them. None of these patches are " issue". Manufactures find ways to move more product by making various sizes. I have seen all three sizes on the same jacket. Big one on the back tended to be early career, then regular size, then as the jacket fills up, shift to small ones. I don't recall ever seeing any of these on a hat. Not saying they didn't, just don't recall

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Salvage Sailor

You hardly ever saw the ship type patches on caps, mostly hull number or 'hat' patches with crows.

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While I do not want to start an argument as I have no personal experience, I have found since locating a handful of these that their main purpose was for wearing on ball caps. It depended on the command from the 60's into the very early70's. I am having problems loading pics right now but hope to show mine, I sold one from the Sampson to a former crew member a few years back and he was kind enough to send me copies of a Sampson cruise book showing enlisted up to and including the CO with this type of patch on a ball cap. Although it is true that these ended up on utility jackets I think the main purpose was ball caps and I also think that a review of ships cruise books from the late 60's to 70 or 71 will support this.

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Salvage Sailor

Quite true, just seldom used in this fashion. I'm certain that examples of period photos, especially from cruise books, can be displayed but their wear was not widespread on caps throughout the fleet.

 

This does make them rare to the collector who comes across them.

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That is why I said it was based on the command, They are a bit rare but you will never be able to put collections of them by ships class like the jacket patches. A study of cruise books will show that on some ships there will be widespread use and on other ships non existence . I think these were marketed as ball cap patches, did they end up on utility jackets, yes, some guys jackets were just cluttered with patches.

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No argument at all! I have no doubt they were intended for ball caps. I just never saw any used that way. I did see them sold in off base shops, the Exchange and ships stores long after command ball caps became standardized. Personally, I would have preferred a nice fitted woolen ball cap with one of these on it to those crappy poly one size fits all name and number caps. My first ship had nice fitted woodie caps, but I caught the last round of those ?

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Salvage Sailor

2" Ballcap size USS INTREPID (CVS-11) Still in the cellophane wrapper

CVS 11 USS INTREPID Ballcap 001.jpg

 

CVS 11 USS INTREPID Ballcap 002.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

USS HYMAN (DD-732) Allen M. Sumner class destroyer In service 1944 to 1969

Ball Cap size

DD 732 USS HYMAN Ball Cap 001.jpg

 

DD 732 USS HYMAN Ball Cap 002.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

VAW-113 BLACK EAGLES Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113 flying the E-2A Hawkeye off of USS CONSTELLATION Vietnam era.

VAW 113 BLACK EAGLES Ballcap 001.jpg

 

VAW 113 BLACK EAGLES Ballcap 002.jpg

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Can't speak to the Navy usage of these, but in the USAF they were used not only on caps but ascots and scarves as well. Just another avenue to look at I guess, not sure if the USN was big on those items.

 

Randy

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