416th Signal Company, Aviation DI

[viper8866]

Does anyone know anything about a DI for the 416th Signal Company? It showed up on eBay last week and I see Dick Graney is bidding so it must be real. It’s a pinback hallmarked OC Tanner Sterling, a jeweler out of Salt Lake City and known for AAF wings.Not in any ASMIC material  or the TP best of the best signal listings. Wonder if this is one off created for a vet? 

[viper8866]

The lineage on the 416th Signal Company - started off as the 316th Signal in 1940. Activated at Mitchell Field, NY 9/20/40. Redesignated 3/5/41 as the 316th Signal Company, Air Wing. Redesignated 10/24/41 as the 416th Signal Company, Aviation. Inactivated 10/16/45 in Italy. 

 

It was redesignated  in 1954 as the 416th Signal Aviation Company and activated on 2/7/1955 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Reorganized and redesignated on 5/26/1961 as 416th Signal Company. Inactivated 2/2/1963 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Activated 8/18/1965 at Fort Lee, Virginia. 

[viper8866]

There is a recent, Filipino-made fake patch circulating for the unit. No Fake DI that I am aware of. The jeweler, OC Tanner is still around and made the athletes medals for the 2000 Winter Olympics. 

[viper8866]

Amazing what you can find on the net: 

 

Major Dave Hayes was a very proud Armor officer. He wanted a unit symbol that was befitting an assault aviation company. The 33rd Transportation patch was not especially to his liking. Dave Hayes did not think that the 118th Aviation Company was in the transportation business, only. He was a warrior and he wanted something in keeping with the warrior spirit. And, he wanted a unit patch that carried warrior symbols and portrayed a warrior message! Remember, in 1963, the War had not really started. There was no Long Bien bureaucracy. So, Major Hayes could do about whatever he wanted! "

" Major Hayes wanted the colors of the three Combat Arms (Red, Yellow and Light Blue and Army Aviation-Teal Blue) on the unit patch design. He told me to develop the idea. So, I had my wife send me a picture of the 416th Signal Aviation Company patch that I had helped design several years earlier. (See patch above) I had been an Aviator from 1960 until 1962 in the 416th Signal Aviation Company based at Fort Huachuca, AZ. The Disney Studios had designed that original patch for the 416th. From World War II, the Disney Studios had designed many patches for military units that requested their help as a patriotic service...free of charge." 

"Their was no plagiarism or copyright issues involved, since the 416th patch had never been adopted or worn on uniforms. I wrote Walt Disney Studios and asked if they would allow us to modify their design and they dutifully wrote back that it was OK with them since they developed it for me and Chester Mead, and if we were happy, they were happy! I felt that I had a patch that would work."

"I showed my idea to Major Hayes. He loved it...although he wanted Armor Yellow as the background color instead of the teal blue we all know. I was able to convince him that the predominant color should be that of Army Aviation. He reluctantly agreed and directed that we develop a prototype!"

" 'Cheap Charlies' tailor shop on Tu Do street in Saigon made the original rendition of the 118th patch. Major Hayes made the final color selection. He loved the diving Eagle with the Thunderbolt. The yellow color he selected in honor of his Armor heritage! To this day I believe he wanted yellow as the background color."

"I believe we were the first Army Aviation unit to put a logo on the front of a Huey that was not a unit designator. The Eagle looked so good and later made its way to the battery compartment, also. "

"Major Hayes also had each platoon's aircraft tail rotor pylons painted yellow, red and blue (Infantry blue was not possible because I believe Captain Jim Hughes or Captain Frank Radspinner, the 573 Transportation Detachment Commanders could not get the color right so Teal Blue went on the tail rotor pylons.) Now you know how the platoons came about having the color stripes on the tail fins!"

"Jim Hughes and Frank Radspinner were very professional and experienced maintenance officers and Major Hayes was used to dealing with armored vehicle readiness rates and not Helicopter readiness rates. He drove those two esteemed gentlemen-- who were also very good guys--- nuts, when they told him all aircraft were not 100% ready. Accordingly, he blamed them for the non-Infantry dark blue paint."

"The notch in the upper left of the "shield" came about after the third try by Disney. First was a circle which seemed boring because every fighter squadron in WWII had a circle patch. Second try was a diamond but the eagle was cramped and I wanted the eagle. The third try was the "notched" shape shield, which was very distinctive. I don't know where they got it."

"Well, that's how it happened. Walt Disney Studios, Dave Hayes, Frank Radspinner and Jim Hughes caused it to happen. Me, I was just a young pilot trying to help a truly inspirational leader, Major Dave Hayes. And, thus begin a process that developed a terrific heritage of people who are all very proud to associate themselves with the 118th Aviation Company. The lessons I learned in the 118th have served me well in the rest of my life. God bless those who served and those who died!"

Jack Todd--1963-64

[viper8866]

And the Vietnamese made patch:

[manayunkman]

Very interesting insignia and information.

[Ilin1979]

Design looks like 118th aviation company.  ASMIC aviation catalog 118A.

[viper8866]

Yes this is the unit that succeeded the 416th Signal Aviation. Jack Todd’s narrative describes the history of patch. Thanks.