MAAG (Military Assistance Advisory Group) Patches

[Siamundo]

And last but not least, a few from Iran.

[Siamundo]

Last one

[kiaiokalewa]

An intersting KMAG that is all one piece which I think might be German made and one in bullion and silk.

 

The bullion one is an early Korean made example of silk floss and gilt cord wire. Here's another KMAG example (not in my collection) done up in quilted fashion. The one on Khaki belong to a USAMGIK member prior to KMAG being organized. This one was made in Korea during 1946-1948 for comparison against the KMAG quilted sample.

[all-bull]

metal MAAG

[all-bull]

beercan and lighter for Vietnam

[all-bull]

MAAG China/Taiwan items

[all-bull]

closeup of name tag

[all-bull]

Some MAAG Thailand items

[keith d]

Here is mine from Saudi Arabia.

 

[Antoon]

OK, what means JUSMAG-K ?

 

 

Greetings - Antoon

[ehrentitle]

Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea: The Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea assists Republic of Korea armed forces in management, logistics and organization. JUSMAG-K also offers guidance in the establishment of industrial and commercial agencies directly related to national defense. JUSMAG-K is headquartered in Yongsan, Seoul.

[kiaiokalewa]

Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea: The Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea assists Republic of Korea armed forces in management, logistics and organization. JUSMAG-K also offers guidance in the establishment of industrial and commercial agencies directly related to national defense. JUSMAG-K is headquartered in Yongsan, Seoul.

 

Here's some more details on JUSMAG-K and the insignia that "Wailuna" once posted earlier in the forum. In the image below you'll see a copy (very bad copy) of the Stars and Stripes short article showing Gen. Street with the then newly approved JUSMAG-K tab under the ASJUSMAGK shoulder patch that "Wailuna" was holding in place. I forget the Sgt. name to the left but the JUSMAG-K SSI and pocket badge is the very same ones that my Dad was wearing during that Stars and Stripes photo shoot. In either the 1975 or 1976 year book this same photo is in it but you can actually see my Dad's Shoulder with the JUSMAG-K patch there. The 1976 year book is one of four years that we have in our library collection. As a side note; the HQ Building in Yong San

was the former Imperial Japanese Army Hospital during their long Korea Occupation and I was told that parts of the motorpool was the old horse stables.

 

Wailuna quotes, "In addition to the multi-service PROVMAAG-K, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force each maintained their individual service advisory groups in Korea, until April 1971, when they were combined with PROVMAAG-K to form Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group, Korea, known as JUSMAG-K. At this point, TIOH redesignated the basic insignia of U.S. Army Advisory Group, Korea, without its "KMAG" tab, to be the insignia of Army Section, Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group, Korea. In July 1975, TIOH added the JUSMAG-K tab and changed the official designation of the patch with tab to U.S. Army Element, Joint U.S. Military Group, Korea. The SSI for KMAG until March 31, 1971) and JUSMAG-K (patch from April 1, 1971; tab from July 1, 1975) are shown here (note that there is no hexafoil in either TIOH approved design)However, in the interest of interservice solidarity, the command (which was predominantly Army in any event) created a new unofficial JUSMAG-K insignia that combined the PROVMAAG-K and KMAG insignia. TIOH approval of the new design was sought and denied, repeatedly, until a final "NO!" (and don't ask again) was given by TIOH and the "JUSMAG-K" tab was added to the patch (without hexafoil). Nevertheless, the unofficial insignia was locally made and widely worn from 1971 by members of JUSMAG-K, representing all U.S. armed forces, as well as by Korea armed forces attached to JUSMAG-K (such as liaison officers and ROK Army KATUSAs).

[all-bull]

Here is a neat PI made Philippine Patch. The only history I can find on JUSMAG in the Philippines was during the Huk Rebellion. There is a tiny bit of info on this webpage. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hukbalahap . It states:

 

"In June 1950, American alarm over the Huk rebellion during the cold war prompted President Truman to approve special military assistance that included military advice, sale at cost of military equipment to the Philippines and financial aid under the Joint United States Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG). In September 1950, former USAFFE guerilla, Ramon Magsaysay was appointed as Minister of National Defense on American advice. With the Huk Rebellion growing in strength and the security situation in the Philippines becoming seriously threatened, Magsaysay urged President Elpidio Quirino to suspend the writ of habeas corpus for the duration of the Huk campaign.

 

The American assistance allowed Magsaysay to create more BCTs, bringing the total to twenty-six. By 1951, army strength had increased by 60 percent over the previous year with 1,047-man BCTs. Major military offensive campaigns against the Huks were carried out by the 7th, 16th, 17th, and 22nd BCTs."

[all-bull]

Here are some Laos. Top left to bottom right are: Vietnamese Hand made, Japanese machine made, Vietnamese hand made, and machine made (possibly fake)

[all-bull]

Another Novelty for MAAG Taiwan. You gotta love the novelty patches, although I like the Thai SH!T patch best.

[all-bull]

And a chain stitched Indo China patch.

[mhernandez1234]

Refering to post #1: Do you know where that MAAG VIET-NAM patch was made? I have one just like it and suspect it was made somewhere in Indo-China during the Vietnam War.

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

 

MAAG, (Military Assistance Advisory Group) Patches.

 

Please post your insignia!

[vintageproductions]

The arc shown in post #1 is a US made variation

[sprprops]

Two my grandfather had made in Iran.

 

 

[all-bull]

Not a patch, but this a super neat lighter we just got. I am assuming the man got the lighter while with ARMISHH- MAAG, then got it engraved while in Vietnam. The back has more writing as well..The standard Meanest futhermucker in the Valley slogan. I like it because to me, it was engraved in two places at separate times.

 

A little history from the internet:

 

With the establishment during World War II of a small United States military mission to the Gendarmerie (known as GENMISH) in 1943, Washington initiated a modest military advisory program. In 1947 the United States and Tehran reached a more comprehensive agreement that established the United States Army Mission Headquarters (ARMISH). Its purpose was to provide the Ministry of War and the Iranian army with advisory and technical assistance to enhance their efficiency. As a result, the first Iranian officers began training in the United States, and they were followed by many more over the next three decades. The United States initiated its military assistance grant program to Iran in 1950 (the bilateral defense agreement between Iran and the United States was not concluded until 1959) and established a Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) to administer the program. In 1962 the two missions were consolidated into a single military organization, ARMISH-MAAG, which remained active in Iran until the Islamic revolutionary regime came to power in 1979. Between 1973 and 1979, the United States also provided military support in the form of technical assistance field teams (TAFTs), through which civilian experts instructed Iranians on specific equipment on a short-term basis. Although the GENMISH program ended in 1973, United States military assistance to Iran rose rapidly in the six years before the Revolution.

 

United States military assistance to Iran between 1947 and 1969 exceeded US$1.4 billion, mostly in the form of grant aid before 1965 and of Foreign Military Sales credits during the late 1960s. The financial assistance programs were terminated after 1969, when it was determined that Iran, by then an important oil exporter, could assume its own military costs. Thereafter, Iran paid cash for its arms purchases and covered the expenses of United States military personnel serving in the ARMISH-MAAG and TAFT programs. Even so, in terms of personnel the United States military mission in Iran in 1978 was the largest in the world. Department of Defense personnel in Iran totaled over 1,500 in 1978, admittedly a small number compared with the 45,000 United States citizens, mostly military and civilian technicians and their dependents, living in Iran. Almost all of these individuals were evacuated by early 1979 as the ARMISH-MAAG program came to an abrupt end. Ended also was the International Military Education and Training (IMET) Program, under which over 11,000 Iranian military personnel had received specialized instruction in the United States.

[Bluehawk]

This was the first Vietnam unit tab or patch I saw stateside, being worn by a returning SSgt reassigned to 3345th CMS at Chanute Field to help train air and ground crew on C-123Bs we had there... in 1964 just out of Tech School. In fact, at the time, I had never seen ANY airman wearing a patch sewn-on fatigues of any kind. We had pocket hangars only.

[Patchcollector]

Outstanding stuff Gentlemen!I have dug out some MAAG pieces from my collection to show as well.

First up,a group shot.

[Patchcollector]

Back

[Patchcollector]

Next,my absolute favorite;a 1950's era MAAG IndoChina piece,named to the owner,an Air Force

technician that helped "advise" during the French/American transition phase of the war.

[Patchcollector]

A handsewn MAAG Viet Nam piece,from later in the war.