"It's a Hilborn Hamburger" USN & USCG Patch Manufacturers

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

This is a USN reference topic for patches made between 1962-1975 by Hilborn Hamburger for ships and stations of the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard.

 

They discontinued making patches for the USN & USCG at the end of the Vietnam Era.

 

If you have any Hilborn Hamburger patches in the original packaging, please post them along with a loose H-H patch if you have one.

 

USS LONG BEACH CGN 9 STRIKE HARD - STRIKE HOME purchased in 1978

[Salvage Sailor]

USS CHICAGO CG 11

[Salvage Sailor]

USS ENGLAND CG 22

[Salvage Sailor]

USS BAINBRIDGE CGN 25

[Bob Hudson]

You don't think of them as a patch maker, but then again, with most patches you never know who made them.

[Salvage Sailor]

Indeed Bob,

 

Most H-H USN patches were made for larger 'Capital' ships (Cruisers, Battleships, Carriers) in the mid-1970's. For example, the USS HORNE below was redesignated from DLG-30 to CG-30 in 1975 as were all of the Cruisers I posted above. Makes it pretty easy to date these.

 

My object with these Manufacturer topics is to build a visual reference for the USN patch collectors to identify many of the loose patches we all have that 'look American' but are off of the cards.

[Salvage Sailor]

USS HORNE CG 30 Purchased in 1978

[Salvage Sailor]

USS WADDELL DDG-24 In service 1964 to 1992 Charles F. Adams class guided missile destroyer

[Salvage Sailor]

USS ANCHORAGE LSD-36 In service 1969 to 2003, Anchorage class leader dock landing ship

 

There are two (2) versions of this H-H patch, the black one on the card and the blue loose example

[Salvage Sailor]

USS PUGET SOUND AD-38 In service 1968 to 1996, Samuel Gompers class destroyer tender

 

She was also the flagship of the SIXTH FLEET in Italy

[Salvage Sailor]

USS PONCHATOULA AO-148 In service 1956 to 1992, Neosho class fleet oiler

 

Electrician's rate specific patch - Power and Light Company

[Salvage Sailor]

USS JASON AR-8 In service 1944 to 1995 Vulcan class repair ship

[Salvage Sailor]

USS HOWARD W. GILMORE AS-16 in service 1944 to 1980 Fulton class submarine tender

A great indicator of when these H-H patches were produced - pegs the date to 1975-1980 time frame.

[Salvage Sailor]

USS FLASHER SSN-613 in service 1956 to 1992, Permit class nuclear submarine

[Salvage Sailor]

USS HENRY L. STIMSON SSBN-655, In service 1956 to 1993

Benjamin Franklin class fleet ballistic missile submarine

[Salvage Sailor]

USS CHOWANOC ATF-100 in service 1944 to 1977 Abnaki class fleet tug

An even better indicator of when these H-H patches were made as she was decommissioned in 1977 (I was there too!)

[Salvage Sailor]

USS PIGEON ASR-21 In service from 1973 to 1992, the newer Pigeon class submarine rescue ship

Commissioned in 1973 which again points to the mid 1970's for H-H USN patches

[Salvage Sailor]

USS ARD-16, in service 1946 to 1972 ARD-12 class auxiliary repair dock (drydock)

My earliest H-H patch as she was scrapped in 1973, probably her decommissioning patch

[Salvage Sailor]

US NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION WASHINGTON DC NSS

[Salvage Sailor]

NAVAL AIR STATION SOUTH WEYMOUTH MASS (NAS 1953 to 1997)

This is the latest (newest) H-H patch that I have on the card. Many of you will be more familiar with this red and black card which is used for insignia.

Probably made in the 1980's?

[67Rally]

I love this thread. I think I have one HH patch. I'll have to dig for it.

[Salvage Sailor]

USS ALEXANDER HAMILTON (SSBN-617) Lafayette class in service 1963-1993

[Salvage Sailor]

USS CROMWELL (DE-1014) Dealy class destroyer escort in service 1954-1972

[Salvage Sailor]

Submarine Tender USS DIXON (AS-37)

[Salvage Sailor]

This is a special one and very easy to date

 

USS DE HAVEN (DD-727) Allen M. Sumner class in service 1944 to 1973. The typical DE HAVEN patch has a DASH gyro-copter in the upper right hand corner. In April 1962 she became the initiator and namesake of the DESOTO patrols (DEhaven Special Operations off TsingtaO) this duty also being designated as DESRON 27 derived from her hull number.

 

So if you ever see a USS DE HAVEN patch with the DESRON 27 designation, it's a circa 1962 Hilborn-Hamburger

 

Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DESOTO_patrol

 

Declassified NSA document - DESOTO Patrols and the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (Yep, it was also a DESOTO patrol although we denied we were snooping on Red China at the time)

https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/declassified-documents/gulf-of-tonkin/articles/assets/files/release-2/rel2_gulf_tonkin_incident_desoto.pdf