Patches in action: Photos of SSI being worn by the troops.

[patches]

What looks like a Felt Air Corps HQ patch on 2nd Lieutenant Charles.

 

McGee Tuskegee airman, interestingly his Father Lewis Allen McGee was in both WWI and WWII as a Army Chaplain. McGee the younger sees action both in Korea and vietnam and is still with us at 102 years of age.

[seanmc1114]

A parchute rigger/instructor at the Parachute Pach Branch of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia wearing the Administrative And Technical Services (formerly Army Service Forces) SSI with an AIRBORNE tab (probably white on blue) in 1953. He is instructing a member of the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team who is wearing that unit's SSI and pocket patch. 

[patches]

7 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

A parachute rigger/instructor at the Parachute Pach Branch of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia wearing the Administrative And Technical Services (formerly Army Service Forces) SSI with an AIRBORNE tab (probably white on blue) in 1953. He is instructing a member of the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team who is wearing that unit's SSI and pocket patch. 

Got to be later than 1953 Sean, as they are wearing the new U.S. ARMY Tapes. lets say 1956.

[patches]

3rd Army, WACs in Basic at Ft McClellan Alabama early April 1957

[seanmc1114]

Eighth Army with AIRBORNE tab. I haven't found a period photo of this combo being worn, but I ran across this uniform in an e-Bay listing. From the insignia, I assume it was worn by a parachute rigger/quartermaster unit. 

[Rhscott]

On 12/28/2021 at 8:54 AM, seanmc1114 said:

Eighth Army with AIRBORNE tab. I haven't found a period photo of this combo being worn, but I ran across this uniform in an e-Bay listing. From the insignia, I assume it was worn by a parachute rigger/quartermaster unit. 

Where is the right sleeve chevron? Not like there was a shortage of chevrons during the late 60s-1980s that uniform was used.

[seanmc1114]

12th Armored Division and 8th Service Command stateside during World War II.

[seanmc1114]

I found these photos in an online collection for the 12th Armored Division, so my first though was "Did the 12th get sent to Japan after VE-Day?". I know there were armored division slated to take part in the invasion of Japan, but I didn't know of any that participated in the occupation of Japan. However, a little more research disclosed the soldiers in these pictures were from the 44th Tank Battalion which had originally been assigned to the 12th AD stateside before being detached and sent to the Pacific, where it participated in the liberation of Manila in the Philippines and later served with the occupation forces in Japan. I assume they are wearing unnumbered Armored Forces SSI. 

[tredhed2]

There are many period examples of 44th Tank Bn patches w/ added numbers.

[mysteriousoozlefinch]

Just arrived yesterday, a photo I won in an eBay auction shows the Ohio State Guard patch pretty clearly on the shoulder of the leftmost Sousaphone player and at an angle on almost every man.  The 3rd Infantry Regiment band was from Akron, OH.

 

 

 

[patches]

XVI Corps, 1964, Camp McCoy Wisconsin, the sub unit is the 172nd Transportation Company. This Omaha Nebraska based Reserve unit was activated in 1968 and sent to South Vietnam, served as a Line Haul unit of the 1st Logistical Command.

[patches]

VI Corps 1964, Fort Riley Kansas, sub unit 478th Transportation Company.

[patches]

A Full Color Cav Patch sighting in Combat in the RVN, this during Operation Pegasus the Relief of Khe Sanh April 1968, Battalion unknown.

[seanmc1114]

I don't know anything about this paratrooper other than other photos from the togetherweserved.com profile where I found it show him in New Guinea and Corregidor, so I assume he served with the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment.

[Ranger-1972]

Post-war photo (he is wearing the "Ruptured Duck" discharge patch over his right breast pocket). Interesting that he is wearing what look to be a set of small crossed rifles (like officers wore on their shirts, but not their jackets) and the U.S. on his upper lapels, as well as a miniature set of jump wings on the right side of his overseas cap -- none of which would have been authorized for wear by a soldier. No divisional SSI nor regimental crests on his uniform. No insignia of rank -- not even PFC after 18 months in combat (indicated by the three bars on his left sleeve). No Good Conduct ribbon on his chest, so I presume he got into a few scrapes during his time in uniform. Can't make out the design on the oval behind his jump wings with certainty.  The 503rd PIR wore an oval with a solid red center surrounded by a band of silver, which he might be wearing.  He does sport a star on his jump wings, indicating one combat jump, and an arrowhead on his Pacific Campaign ribbon.  Also seems to have a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.  The 503rd began its life as the third of four parachute infantry battalions created in August 1941, growing to become a regiment in 1942 before being shipped to Australia.  It did a combat jump into the Markham Valley in New Guinea in 1943.  The 1st and 3rd battalions did a combat jump onto Kamiri Airfield in Dutch New Guinea in July 1944. The regiment did an amphibious assault onto Mindoro Island in Dec 1944.  In Feb 1945, the regiment did a combat jump onto Corregidor.  Long-serving combat vets were rotated home in Nov 1945, and the regiment was deactivated at Camp Anza, CA in Dec 1945.  Recent arrivals to the 503rd were reassigned to the 11th Airborne Div for occupation duty in Japan (this soldier is not wearing an Occupation ribbon). He could have earned his jump star in New Guinea, Dutch New Guinea or on Corregidor.

[seanmc1114]

Col. Aaron Bank, first commander of the 10th Special Forces Group, wearing the Airborne Command SSI

[seanmc1114]

Member of the 151st Airborne Tank Company wearing a gold on black AIRBORNE tab with the Armored Forces. 

[seanmc1114]

101st Airborne Division worn around 1985-1987. Note he is wearing an overseas cap with the Airborne patch and the 101st Recondo Badge. Did the 101st not wear berets during the 80's? I can't make out his branch or the DUI, but the oval behind his Air Assault Badge looks like the solid red one for the 101st Airborne Artillery.

[seanmc1114]

Staff Sergeant Ross S. Carter of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment wearing the 82nd Airborne Division SSI with "T/F FRIGID" tab. The only reference to Task Force Frigid I can find online is that it was an Army program conducted in Alaska in January and February 1947 to test the effects of arctic weather on men and equipment.  It's possible the tab could be for that experiment, but Sgt. Carter died in April 18, 1947.

 

Also note he has three combat jump stars on his jump wings.

 

FYI, Sergeant Carter was the author of the book "Those Devils In Baggy Pants" about the exploits of the 504th in World War II.  

[seanmc1114]

Airborne Command SSI worn by the middle soldier as well as painted on a sign for the 542nd Parachute Infantry Battalion at Camp Mackall, NC during World War II

[seanmc1114]

May 13, 1944: Camp Mackall, NC. Lt. Gen. Leslie J. McNair, commanding general, Army Ground Forces, pictured with Col. Josiah T. Dalbey, commanding officer, Airborne Center. 

[patches]

12 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

101st Airborne Division worn around 1985-1987. Note he is wearing an overseas cap with the Airborne patch and the 101st Recondo Badge. Did the 101st not wear berets during the 80's? I can't make out his branch or the DUI, but the oval behind his Air Assault Badge looks like the solid red one for the 101st Airborne Artillery.

That's a negative Sean, the 101 continued to wear the Para Glider Cap patch on Garrison Cap from the late 70s when the Berets were banned, through the 2000s we supposed when the Black Berets came out.

[patches]

ACU 95th Training Division.

[patches]

Yet again, a full color Cav patch in Combat, this, a still from the September 1966 shot documentary La Section Anderson. Unit in question being B Company, 1st Battalion 12th Cavalry.

[flytiger]

WE got the word to change our rather bright Cav patches in late 66.......same time told to dye out white t-shirts OD.  Mixed results believe me! C/2/20th ARA.