Foreign awards on US Army uniforms

[easterneagle87]

This is a great shot of a happy Marine Officer. I will not be too nit picky as this is truly an honor to be recognized by the British, However, to place the British DFC above the US ribbons was hopefully only a momentary occurrence. 
 

 

[JadedPencil]

Curious if someone can help me. I got this 82nd Airborne RDF top and there's patch glue and an oval patch shadow over the name tape. Of all the badges I can think of, the German Proficiency Badge seems to be the one that'd be most likely to be there, considering its size and shape. That being said, it's usually a metal badge and I can't say I've ever seen a patch variant of it, let alone it being worn on fatigues. Would anyone be able to chime in and help solve what it may be? Thanks! 

[JerseyDevil117]

On 10/29/2019 at 8:01 PM, patches said:

Laotion Jumps Wings, again Vietnam Green Berets, Laotion Wings are practically like the French ones, cause the French formed them.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_09_2016/post-157610-0-18369800-1474196352.jpg

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_09_2016/post-157610-0-82530600-1474196167.jpg

any chance you still have those photos? 

[JerseyDevil117]

Unknown wings being worn by an LRRP or A/75 soldier. 

[JerseyDevil117]

2003 French Commando School qualification badge being worn in iraq. This was posted by a collector on the "desert camo book" fb page. 

[JerseyDevil117]

another posted on the same page. german wings. 

[atb]

26 minutes ago, JerseyDevil117 said:

Unknown wings being worn by an LRRP or A/75 soldier. 

German?

[patches]

On 10/29/2019 at 8:01 PM, patches said:

Laotion Jumps Wings, again Vietnam Green Berets, Laotion Wings are practically like the French ones, cause the French formed them.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_09_2016/post-157610-0-18369800-1474196352.jpg

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_09_2016/post-157610-0-82530600-1474196167.jpg

Images got corrupted.

[Proud Kraut]

On 5/6/2025 at 1:11 AM, JadedPencil said:

Curious if someone can help me. I got this 82nd Airborne RDF top and there's patch glue and an oval patch shadow over the name tape. Of all the badges I can think of, the German Proficiency Badge seems to be the one that'd be most likely to be there, considering its size and shape. That being said, it's usually a metal badge and I can't say I've ever seen a patch variant of it, let alone it being worn on fatigues. Would anyone be able to chime in and help solve what it may be? Thanks! 

 

German Proficiency Badge was my first thought as well. Usually these are worn on the left breast pocket but I have seen photos of U.S. soldiers wearing them above the right pocket on their class A uniform. As you can see countless cloth variations for the BDU do exist as well.

 

 

[JerseyDevil117]

13 hours ago, Proud Kraut said:

 

German Proficiency Badge was my first thought as well. Usually these are worn on the left breast pocket but I have seen photos of U.S. soldiers wearing them above the right pocket on their class A uniform. As you can see countless cloth variations for the BDU do exist as well.

 

 

When I was in (2010s)  this badge was so common to see. They would throw events in the states and even me being in a regular engineer unit had the opportunity to earn it. 

[easterneagle87]

On 6/12/2025 at 1:33 PM, JerseyDevil117 said:

another posted on the same page. german wings. 

What is interesting, is that the US Army told soldiers they had to remove foreign jump wings/awards from above the name tape on the left on the BDUs, shirts and field jackets in the mid 80s. I had a fellow cadet/Grenada vet who wore Canadian jump wings. He wasn’t happy. Now there’s these examples (from what ..twenty years ago?)

[JadedPencil]

On 6/14/2025 at 3:50 AM, Proud Kraut said:

 

German Proficiency Badge was my first thought as well. Usually these are worn on the left breast pocket but I have seen photos of U.S. soldiers wearing them above the right pocket on their class A uniform. As you can see countless cloth variations for the BDU do exist as well.

 

 

Thank you for the input, glad to finally have the answer, or at least the most likely answer!

[Marshallj]

I recently came across this photo of a two star wearing Soviet awards. 

[Marshallj]

Another in this same group. Austrian award. 

[The Rooster]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton#Orders,_decorations_and_medals

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy_honors_and_awards

 

Looks like some are being worn especially by General Patton!

Patton has a long list of foreign decorations and awards.

 

Audie Murphy has some too.

 

 

 

[Marshallj]

Awards ceremony in Austria where an Austrian award was presented to U. S. soldiers of the 88th. 

[atb]

11 hours ago, Marshallj said:

Awards ceremony in Austria where an Austrian award was presented to U. S. soldiers of the 88th. 

I don't believe that's the SSI of the 88th Infantry Division. To me, it is the Tactical Command Austria SSI. Note the colored (red?) background to the quatrefoil design. 

[Marshallj]

7 minutes ago, atb said:

I don't believe that's the SSI of the 88th Infantry Division. To me, it is the Tactical Command Austria SSI. Note the colored (red?) background to the quatrefoil design. 

Thanks atb. I stand corrected. 

[easterneagle87]

I work with a guy whose dad was in the AF. We were discussing reading ribbon racks, so he sent me a shot of his fathers.

This is pretty interesting and he has orders for the last two awards. 

 

[Niedzwiedz]

On 8/25/2025 at 1:10 AM, easterneagle87 said:

I work with a guy whose dad was in the AF. We were discussing reading ribbon racks, so he sent me a shot of his fathers.

This is pretty interesting and he has orders for the last two awards. 

 

last two awards are the Cross for the Four Day Marches, Netherlands (Vierdaagsekruis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_for_the_Four_Day_Marches) and Marche internationale de Diekirch Medal, Luxemburg (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_van_Diekirch sorry, not in english)
 

[easterneagle87]

I absolutely love shots like this!! Up for offers on FB Military Collectors DoND;

Up for DOND is an interesting and rarely (if ever) seen shot of 65th Division GI's posed in an Austrian studio wearing Soviet Guard Badges. The unit was involved with the liberation of a camp that housed a number of Soviet POW's and I'm assuming that may be why they were given them. Be it official or unofficial, this shot is pretty unique in that it shows US soldiers with foreign awards. All are identified on the reverse side. Printed on postcard paper from an Austrian photo studio. July of 1945.

 

[easterneagle87]

I hope to get better pictures, but here is a great article about our own Army Aviators who have received or will receive recognition from the French government. This is awesome! Big Congrats!

[Martinjmpr]

On 6/14/2025 at 6:00 PM, easterneagle87 said:

What is interesting, is that the US Army told soldiers they had to remove foreign jump wings/awards from above the name tape on the left on the BDUs, shirts and field jackets in the mid 80s. I had a fellow cadet/Grenada vet who wore Canadian jump wings. He wasn’t happy. Now there’s these examples (from what ..twenty years ago?)

 

Yes, I was on active duty then.  For some reason I thought it was in the 1987 - 89 time frame.  

 

Prior to that it was common to see foreign awards over the right pocket on BDUs.  Even one of my drill sergeants had the German proficiency badge.  

 

I think what happened was that the badges were never officially authorized on fatigue/bdu uniforms, but the practice was widely tolerated throughout the Army especially in the late 70s - early 80s.  Then finally someone got a bee in their bonnet and said "I'm tired of seeing all these soldiers with unauthorized foreign badges on their BDUs" and the order was put out to take them off.  

 

FWIW when I was in a few different SF units, soldiers would still wear foreign wings on their BDUs as the command typically looked the other way.  But if that soldier had to go to a "big army" school like an NCO school, they would remove the unauthorized badge before going.  

 

[easterneagle87]

From the FB page, Medals Ribbons. Nice Medical officer's dress mess minis with Marche Internationale de Diekirch Medal as the last award. 

 

[Brig]

Here's an interesting one.

 

Per the veteran's grandson:

Quote

Capt. Wolfgang Fleck was awarded the Iron Cross at the age of 14 for destroying 2 U.S. Tanks with a Panzerfaust. After the majority of his unit was destroyed in 1945 he was captured by US Army units who instead of killing him decided he was too young to die at the age of 14 or 15. In 1952, He went to America to join the US Marines where he served as a Motor T Driver in Korea where he lost multiple trucks to enemy fire. He stayed in the Corps Becoming a Pathfinder & US Marine force Recon: He completed OCS then became a DI training thousands of marines for Vietnam. He later went to Vietnam to work intelligence in the field and was a very effective interrogator. He was allowed to wear his Iron Cross on his uniform and was given special dispensation to do so