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

[patches]

On 3/29/2022 at 10:01 PM, patches said:

Here's one for youse, The CBI patch sewn to a Civvy Ladies Coat as worn by Jinx Falkenburg, she's just getting back home after a USO gig of China and India  .

A little more on Jinx in WWII and Post WWII.

 

During the war Falkenburg traveled extensively on USO tours entertaining troops. The most arduous was a 42,000-mile 80-stop series of shows in the rugged China-Burma-India Theatre of operations. In 1945 she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for her contributions.

 

In the winter of 1948, Falkenburg traveled to Berlin, Germany, during the height of the Berlin Airlift, when the city was under blockade by the Russians and emergency supplies were being flown in by Allied planes. She flew in with comedian Bob Hope and songwriter Irving Berlin to do highly publicized Christmas shows for airmen and occupation soldiers.

[seanmc1114]

Officer of the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry being presented an award by Major Colin Powell. Note the officer is wearing a full color Americal SSI, Jungle Expert pocket patch and cloth Combat Infantryman Badge.

[seanmc1114]

LTC Bill Kelley, CO of the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry, wearing a subdued Americal Division SSI with either a RANGER tab that is either full color gold on black or possibly reverse subdued with olive green letters and border on black. 

[seanmc1114]

Commanding officer of Company D 1/6th Infantry wearing an Americal Division combat patch and 198th Infantry Brigade SSI on his pocket. I assume the SSI  on his left sleeve is for the Americal Division also.

[Ranger-1972]

On 23 January 1942, forty-six days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, eight grey ships moved out of the Brooklyn Port of Embarkation, picked up escorting Naval vessels and were gone. They carried Task Force 6814, which later evolved into the Americal Division under command of MG Alexander Patch.

 

On May 24, 1942 the 164th Infantry Regiment (North Dakota National Guard) from the 34th Inf Div (ND), the 132nd Infantry Regiment (Illinois National Guard) from the 33rd Inf Div (ILL), and the 182nd Infantry Regiment (Massachusetts National Guard) from the 26th Inf Div (MASS) were organized on the island of New Caledonia as the Americal Division (their name deriving from "Americans in New Caledonia).  In 1941, as the National Guard divisions were federalized, they went from the pre-war 'square divisions' of four infantry regiments to the new 'triangular divisions' -- freeing up one regiment for reassignment.  The Americal Division was the one of only three unnumbered division in World War II (the others being the Philippine Division, which surrendered at Bataan, and the Hawaiian Division, which was reformed into the 24th and 25th Inf Divisions) and the only division to be organized on foreign soil.  My dad supported the Americal Division on Guadalcanal in 1943.  The Americal division fought on Guadalcanal (Oct 42 - Jan 44), Bouganville (Jan 44 - Jan 45), and in the Philippines (Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental from Jan - Sep 45), before going to Japan for occupation duty from Sep - Dec 1945. It was demobilized at Ft Lewis, WA in Dec 1945.

 

The shoulder patch was approved on 20 Dec 1943, but I've not seen any photos of soldiers wearing it in the Southwest Pacific during the war (though I have seen one photo of it being worn during occupation duty in 1945 in Japan).

 

Photos attached are of some veterans of Co. K, 164th Inf Regt after the war.  They (and others) can be found at the Dickinson (SD) Public Library website:   http://dickinson.libnet.info/online-library-resources--4079/location/Dickinson 

 

LTC LaRoy Baird, Jr. was one of the four officers officers inducted at the start of the war. He was still with the 164th when it returned from occupation duty in Japan at the end of 1945. His father, BG Laroy Baird, Sr. had served in WWI in the same company.

 

SSG Williamson's photo was taken at Osborn Studios in Dickinson, ND after the war.

 

SGT Summers' photo was also taken at Osborn Studios.  Note he is wearing the pre-war leather enlisted belt with his service coat.

 

The last photo is of someone identified only as 'Sandy,' a soldier with the 182nd Inf Regt on occupation duty in Japan in late 1945.  He is wearing the Americal patch on his khaki shirt.

[patches]

Couple of Air Corps ones tonight.

 

First up, a Baseball Player on the Pueblo Field team, The Pueblo Bombers, he wears the 2nd Air Force on one side and the Air Corps HQ one on the other, name of Ray Kush an aspiring Major Leaguer as his brother is Major Leaguer Emil Kush pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Emil his brother served in the Navy during the war. Ray, he joined the Illinois National Guard in September 1940, the 106th Cavalry but transferred out to the Air Corps sometime in 1941 and would become a Bomber Crewman, stationed stateside for awhile at various fields he goes to England in February 1944, believe he served somewhere in England in a non flying capacity then having  arrived at Attleborough, southwest of Norwich in England on April 4, 1944 is assigned to the 453rd Bomb Group, he would fly 32 missions, last on in July 44, stays on at his base as a non flying soldier and Rotated back to the ZI to Pueblo end of 44

[patches]

And this at an unknown field under the 3rd Air Force, in the summer of 45, intesting the two seated Airmen are not wearing a 3rd AF patch, but the one on the far left wears a 6th Air Force Combat Patch. I think that Pfc with the 3rd AF patch is wearing a Cut Down M26 coat, because we're not seeing a Buttoned Cuff as one sees on M44 IKE Jackets.

[patches]

On 4/10/2022 at 5:49 PM, Ranger-1972 said:

On 23 January 1942, forty-six days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, eight grey ships moved out of the Brooklyn Port of Embarkation, picked up escorting Naval vessels and were gone. They carried Task Force 6814, which later evolved into the Americal Division under command of MG Alexander Patch.

 

On May 24, 1942 the 164th Infantry Regiment (North Dakota National Guard) from the 34th Inf Div (ND), the 132nd Infantry Regiment (Illinois National Guard) from the 33rd Inf Div (ILL), and the 182nd Infantry Regiment (Massachusetts National Guard) from the 26th Inf Div (MASS) were organized on the island of New Caledonia as the Americal Division (their name deriving from "Americans in New Caledonia).  In 1941, as the National Guard divisions were federalized, they went from the pre-war 'square divisions' of four infantry regiments to the new 'triangular divisions' -- freeing up one regiment for reassignment.  The Americal Division was the one of only three unnumbered division in World War II (the others being the Philippine Division, which surrendered at Bataan, and the Hawaiian Division, which was reformed into the 24th and 25th Inf Divisions) and the only division to be organized on foreign soil.  My dad supported the Americal Division on Guadalcanal in 1943.  The Americal division fought on Guadalcanal (Oct 42 - Jan 44), Bouganville (Jan 44 - Jan 45), and in the Philippines (Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental from Jan - Sep 45), before going to Japan for occupation duty from Sep - Dec 1945. It was demobilized at Ft Lewis, WA in Dec 1945.

 

The shoulder patch was approved on 20 Dec 1943, but I've not seen any photos of soldiers wearing it in the Southwest Pacific during the war (though I have seen one photo of it being worn during occupation duty in 1945 in Japan).

 

Photos attached are of some veterans of Co. K, 164th Inf Regt after the war.  They (and others) can be found at the Dickinson (SD) Public Library website:   http://dickinson.libnet.info/online-library-resources--4079/location/Dickinson 

 

LTC LaRoy Baird, Jr. was one of the four officers officers inducted at the start of the war. He was still with the 164th when it returned from occupation duty in Japan at the end of 1945. His father, BG Laroy Baird, Sr. had served in WWI in the same company.

 

SSG Williamson's photo was taken at Osborn Studios in Dickinson, ND after the war.

 

SGT Summers' photo was also taken at Osborn Studios.  Note he is wearing the pre-war leather enlisted belt with his service coat.

 

The last photo is of someone identified only as 'Sandy,' a soldier with the 182nd Inf Regt on occupation duty in Japan in late 1945.  He is wearing the Americal patch on his khaki shirt.

Here's a early discharge from the 164th Infantry Pvt Joe Moe of Tioga North Dakota, critically wounded on The Canal, October 13, 1942, believe this photo was taken in like January or February 1943 when he recovered enough to go on leave, but after he returns to service he is ultimately medically discharged  October 12 1943.  

[seanmc1114]

Soldier of the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division early in World War II

[seanmc1114]

191st Tank Battalion

[seanmc1114]

66th Infantry Division

[seanmc1114]

Two members of the 338th Infantry Regiment of the 85th Infantry Division. Note the 85th patch on the overseas cap in the second photo. It appears to be slightly smaller than the one on the sleeve.

[seanmc1114]

16th Sustainment Brigade

[seanmc1114]

500th Military Intelligence Brigade. Note the soldier in the second photo is wearing the JUNGLE tab,

[seanmc1114]

Troopers of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment wearing desert camouflage. According to wikipedia, the Regiment's scout platoons participated in Operation Desert Storm. Also, the Blackhorse Regiment deployed an aviation task force on 10 April 1991 to Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort, an operation to support the Kurdish relief effort. One month later, the three maneuver squadrons (1st, 2d and 3d) along with the regiment's support squadron, deployed to Kuwait for Operation Positive Force, an operation to secure Kuwait so it could rebuild from the war. 

[seanmc1114]

Colonel Don Starry in command of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam

[seanmc1114]

Artillery forward observer of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam

[seanmc1114]

K Troop 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment's Commanding Officer, Capt. John Longhouser (right), prepares to review his troops for the final time during his change of command ceremony in the field.  Capt. Longhouser served as K Troop commander from February to June, 1968. Note that his jungle fatigues and jungle boots appear brand new, but his SSI is very faded compared to the one worn by the soldier to his right.

[seanmc1114]

Kit Carson Scout of K Troop 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment wearing a full color pocket patch.

[seanmc1114]

Col. Thomas Tackaberry, commander of the 196th Infantry Brigade in Vietnam, wearing a theater made RANGER tab above his U.S. made merrowed edge Americal Division SSI. He was probably wearing a 196th SSI on his right pocket. Also note his nametape is printed on cotton web and his U.S. ARMY tape is the U.S. made nylon PX type. 

[seanmc1114]

LTG James Hollingsworth wearing ERDL jungle fatigues while commanding I Corps in South Korea during the 1970s.

[seanmc1114]

Soldiers of the 5th and 70th Infantry Divisions recuperating at the Army Hospital at Camp Butner, North Carolina

[seanmc1114]

SHAEF and Constabulary with tab. The site where I found this pictures indicates the series shows a party celebrating the liberation of Forbach, France in the winter of 1945/1946. But I don't think that could be correct unless the double enlisted collar brass was worn that early.  Note officer in center rear is wearing a Glider Badge. They are all veterans of the 70th Infantry Division which SSI you can just make out as the combat patch worn by some of them.

[patches]

12 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Soldiers of the 5th and 70th Infantry Divisions recuperating at the Army Hospital at Camp Butner, North Carolina

2nd Infantry for the Red Devils GI.

 

[Rhscott]

On 4/12/2022 at 8:21 AM, seanmc1114 said:

16th Sustainment Brigade

 

16th SusBde and 16th CSSB…..if I have ever seen such a F- - ked up bunch I do not know where.  I hope they have improved.  Just my personal observations of them in action, or lack of it.