Unknown Vietnam USAF patches

[vintageproductions]

Found another bag of unknowns I had stuck away. Does anyone recognize any of these? There is a training squadron nicknamed the Gator's, but not sure why it would be made in Thailand.

 

[Johnny Signor]

The patch that says Gator on it with the Alligator riding on top of plane , is a Navigator training squadron for T-43 aircraft, I've seen the patch on this guys site under one of the bases, usafupt.com it has a bunch of patches but you'll find it there, I think it was something like the 43rd Flying Training Sq, anyway take a look.

[firefighter]

I always thought the HUMPTY GREEN was an Army Aviation unit

[Teamski]

Yeah, the gator patch is a generic patch for Navigation Training at Mather AFB. Nav Training squadrons included the 452nd, 453rd, 454th and 455th FTS as part of the 323rd FTW. I walked around the base grabbing patches right before the base closed in the early 1990's and got a Gator patch there. A lot of morale patches made up by squadrons were made overseas as they were cheaper and easier to have made than in the US. Very common practice. Today, Taiwan has a stranglehold on patch production and it is easy to get a really high quality patch made at a moment's notice.

 

-Ski

[smwinter207]

Here is a recent pickup Gator patch for Boeing T-43 Navigation Training. Not sure the era or maker, but it's a nicely stitched patch.