8th Airlift Squadron What Era?

[Bearmon]

Any help on dating this patch would be much appreciated.

 

It does not appear this ever has a tab, it is no glow and around 3 inches tall (slightly oval)

 

 

[Randy]

Anytime post 1966 when they were redesignated a Military Airlift Sq. until becoming an Airlift Sq. in 1991. Yours looks a bit older and could well be 60s-early 70s. But there are a lot of subtle variations on this one over the years.

 

Randy

[Bearmon]

Thank you

[Teamski]

I think this is more in the 1980' range. It looks identical to one I got off the aircrew back in 1989..... Randy is correct as the patch hardly changed through the years.

 

-Ski

[Bearmon]

Thanks

[FIGMO]

I agree with Teamski and Randy. I graduated high shool outside of McChord AFB, Wa in the 1980s and have acquired several 8th TCS, MAS, AS patches over the years. The patch design is very similar amongst all my 8th patches. None of them have tabs.

[Randy]

I think this is more in the 1980' range. It looks identical to one I got off the aircrew back in 1989..... Randy is correct as the patch hardly changed through the years.

 

-Ski

 

I said 60s-70s as it appears to be cotton backed, though I could be wrong. The several I have here are all synthetic threads.

 

Randy

 

[Randy]

I agree with Teamski and Randy. I graduated high shool outside of McChord AFB, Wa in the 1980s and have acquired several 8th TCS, MAS, AS patches over the years. The patch design is very similar amongst all my 8th patches. None of them have tabs.

The TCS ones normally looked like the one attached.

 

Randy

[Bearmon]

It is all cotton, no glow at all, it looks early 60's to me but I wanted to check,

The sticker with Airlift was there I got the patch.

That doesn't men it can't be a troop carrier era I suppose, but the three inch size makes me thing it is a later

time

[Randy]

It is all cotton, no glow at all, it looks early 60's to me but I wanted to check,

The sticker with Airlift was there I got the patch.

That doesn't men it can't be a troop carrier era I suppose, but the three inch size makes me thing it is a later

time

 

The TCS ones look like the one I posted with the designation. They were an ATS for a year, don't know if they did a patch for that. If it's cotton it sure could be earlier but it would be 1966 or later.

 

Randy

 

[Bearmon]

The TCS ones look like the one I posted with the designation. They were an ATS for a year, don't know if they did a patch for that. If it's cotton it sure could be earlier but it would be 1966 or later.

 

Randy

[/quote

Thanks

[jumper84]

So this patch has a special history with my family, my grandfather MSGT Jack Deibert designed it prior to the unit going to Vietnam. The red cross on the rear end was meant to a red plane. But my mother kept bumping him, and he just ran with it. Last year grandpa passed away and so did his stories of his time in the 8th.

[Randy]

Hello Jumper. This design was approved in 1943 and a red cross  (described as a brand) was in fact used then. Maybe your Grandfather assisted with a redesign when the unit went from being a TCS to an MAS as they did change the patch, though the central design remains? That happened in 1966, so the prior to Vietnam narrative fits there. Just keeping the history straight; I know how after 26 years in the USAF myself how the war stories can get muddled a bit! Thanks for sharing.

 

Randy