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WW2 Alaska Tabs


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There is another tab similar to these that I cannot find a photo of right now, but I believe it was "philippines."

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I have that same okinawa patch, on your bottom right. There is another one in the same style but i cannot find a photo of it. I am not sure what these went too.

 

Now I have to keep my eyes out for that middle east tab! Never saw that before!

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These I have no clue on! Maybe 'been there' type patches. All have old construction style and snowy backs.post-3643-0-51485200-1420532680.jpg

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These I have no clue on! Maybe 'been there' type patches. All have old construction style and snowy backs.attachicon.gif DSC05490.JPG

I have the venezula one. A few of these went for good money $55-80 last week on ebay!

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The last batch of tabs are, I believe, worn on Navy Cruse Jackets to show the ports they stopped at. The red and yellow are usually worn by the Marine Det.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I believe your first picture of the Alaska Tab on top was worn above the US Army Forces Western Pacific patch.

 

Also, the similar tabs Okinawa, Guam would too dependent upon the assignment.

 

I have Philippines and Japan versions as well and there may be more.

 

Good Luck,

 

Mike

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Why would anyone in Alaska be wearing a Western Pacific patch???? Alaska is in the north east corner of the Pacific, the opposite side of the worlds largest ocean from where the Wester Pacific patch was being worn.

 

I think its more likely that a patch company at the time was just pumping out a variety of these "location" tabs to sell to soldiers, most likely returning from overseas and wanting something to put on their uniform that to everyone who saw they were they had served.

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The biggest conundrum that I have with these two tabs is of the two different style tabs.

 

The typical Japan and Guam are of different style than the Okinawa and Alaska. I do believe that this summer we had a photo pictured of the Okinawa tab over a Ryukus patch.

 

Of the Guam and Japan varieties, you can find hundreds in tubs at ASMIC. The style of the Okinawa you see on eBay from $15-70 (huge range, and I think a story is added to it or a top dealer sells it to see the higher price). This was the first Alaska tab like this that I have seen since heading to Fort Wainwright in 2009 (I collect Alaskan patches since then).

 

Vance's hypothesis could very well be correct. You could have maybe purchased these in the PX. But I have about 20 saved searches alerting me to anything Alaskan WW2....and this has been the first tab such as this that has turned up. I am saying that it could be rare, but not worth more than $20...but there very well could be a huge box of 10,000 out there in a warehouse someplace.

 

Yes, typically we see these type tabs with the Western Forces patch...but I still have not seen a photo with such documentation. Even though sellers list them as such...or if I would go one step closer...take an old sewing kit and stitch the tab onto the patch!

 

I'll stand corrected if anyone shows me proof of the tabs actually being worn with the Western Pacific patch.

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Gidday guys

 

As per Vance also these were unauthorized and unofficial so you will get a wide variety of US made styles and variations. The only known ones are for US Army Alaska and 53rd Inf. 71st ID. As for being worn with photo documentation that would be good but difficult or a lot of research done , the picture with Okinawa over Ryukus Command was a gem as I think that is the first one we have seen and it had to be over Ryukus cmd! I guess you can make the same analogy with the multi colored US made Korea tabs there are a lot out there but where is the photo evidence?

I put the Okinawa tab over The Tenth Army it was my first Okinawa so its a put together.

The only issue I have with the tabs is when would you wear them if they got back to CONUS they were not allowed to be worn on there class A's

 

Phill

post-7582-0-40631300-1421693500.jpg

post-7582-0-77544200-1421694481.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have the venezula one. A few of these went for good money $55-80 last week on ebay!

Just a follow up to this thread. After going over my Civil Air Patrol collection and the reference material for the same, I discovered that the 'Middle East' tab is a CAP patch! This is as listed in the Collectors Catalog of the Civil Air Patrol Insignia by Major Lee Ragan, CAP. Good reference book if you decide to collect the CAP stuff! (not alot of us!) And the Puerto Rico tab is being offered in a current EB auction along with afew other different tabs/arcs.

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There is also a blue tab/white border NORTHEAST, a blue tab silver tinsel border GREAT LAKES, a red tab blue letteres GREAT LAKES REGION, a blue tab , white border SOUTHEAST REGION, a blue tab, white letters NORTH CENTRAL REGION, a blue tab white letters and border SOUTHWEST REGION, and blue tab/ white letteres-border ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. And to confuse things up elsewhere!! a blue tab with or without white border and letters that says PACIFIC!! They were known to be used in the 50s.

Interesting! Great followup.

 

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I can understand Great Lakes, but CAP with Middle East is hard for me to wrap my mind around. I am going to have to read that reverence guide again. Great find and catch!

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  • 7 months later...
  • 5 years later...
On 1/17/2015 at 12:15 PM, mkychik said:

I believe your first picture of the Alaska Tab on top was worn above the US Army Forces Western Pacific patch.

 

Also, the similar tabs Okinawa, Guam would too dependent upon the assignment.

 

I have Philippines and Japan versions as well and there may be more.

 

Good Luck,

 

Mike

I just came across an ALASKA tab also, it actually came with - but not attached or sewn to - a WW2 US Army Pacific Command patch.

 

i found this thread while trying to learn more about the tab.

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To clarify, the tab I am talking about is the smaller of the two in the original post and pic that started this thread. The bottom one, with the blue and gold colors.

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