MACV USAF Aero Med Liaison

[all-bull]

Got this patch not too long ago. The patch is a period flat edge patch, and the writing looks to be just as old....can anyone give me any clue as to what this was or what it could have been used for, or who would have worn it? THANKS!!!! And thank a lot for the information on the Belly Up patch I posted last time!

[Bluehawk]

Got this patch not too long ago. The patch is a period flat edge patch, and the writing looks to be just as old....can anyone give me any clue as to what this was or what it could have been used for, or who would have worn it? THANKS!!!! And thank a lot for the information on the Belly Up patch I posted last time!

Ask USMF member "Teamski" directly... by PM if necessary.

 

That's what I'd do.

 

This patch is pretty obscure; in my limited experience anyhow.

 

Prior to (roughly) 1964-65 most USAF in-country VN I believe were assigned mainly to MAAG-Vietnam, which became MACV of course, BUT there was an overlap and a whole passel of USAF TDY going on all over the place in those and earlier years.

 

I bring all this up because for a time many USAF personnel in-country were detailed, one might say, to US Army commanded units, which explains (to me) how this troop might have been either Army assigned to a USAF medical unit, or an airman assigned to an Army medical unit?

 

It's a great patch, for sure... and I cannot wait to find out what the heck it is.

[gwb123]

That is a real odd ball for several reasons.

 

On the surface, it would represent a USAF officer or senior NCO attached to MACV to coordinate medical evacuation flights.

 

Wounded soldiers would have been removed from the battlefield by US Army or USMC helicopters, back to a forward hospital. There, they would be stabalized. If further treatment was required, they would be evacuated from theater by USAF aircraft. So naturally, there would be a coordination function for this within MACV headquarters. That would involve scheduling how many soldiers needed to be evacuated vs. arranging for a suitable number of aircraft.

 

Now, why this patch is odd to me...

 

Photos exist of USAF personnel wearing standard MACV shoulder sleeve insignia. But this was by the book, and without any added lettering.

 

If a patch like this existed, I am surprised it would not have been worn as a pocket hanger. It's possible this might have been worn sewn directly onto a pocket. But given all the "specialty patches" drawn up during the Vietnam War, I am surprised the personnel in this function would not have come up with their own design.

 

But, never say never especially when it comes to Vietnam stuff. This is a new one to me.

[gwb123]

Note the MACV patch on the language instructor's shoulder...

[Andrei]

I had once in my collection an A1C jungle jacket with MACV SSI. Now this jacket seats in Beezman's collection.

As far as I can remember Beez researched the name and the original owner was english teacher.

[QED4]

Keep in mind this may very well be a one off patch. It is a US made patch with the lettering added, some one doing the job described above could have taken a patch to the local tailor shop and had the words added. These tailors would make anything on an individual basis and probably have charged about 20 cents for doing it. There may not be another on like it in the world, just one man wore it not a whole unit.