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

[seanmc1114]

French Brigadier General Jean-Pierre Fagué, currently serving as the Deputy Commanding General - Readiness of the United States 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

[seanmc1114]

2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Check out the faded U.S. Army tape.

[Rhscott]

10 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Here is a perfect example of how a unit can change its role and affiliation while retaining its SSI with ties to a former command, sometime creating a head scratcher. For decades, the Southern European Task Force was tasked with supporting milityary activities in Southern Europe. Duh! However, in 2008, SETAF transitioned to become the Souther European Task Force-Africa, the Army's element of the newly created Africa Command. Then in 2020, the Army announced that USARAF would merge with U.S. Army Europe to form a new command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF). The two commands were consolidated on November 20, 2020. The whole time, it retained its original SSI with SETAF tab.

 

These photos show the current Commanding General, Deputy Commanding General and Command Sergeant Major of the SETAF. Prior to assuming command of SETAF, Major General Todd R. Wasmund served as the Deputy Commanding General – Operations of the 3rd (French) Division in Marseille, France. He was the first U.S. General Officer selected as an exchange officer with the French Army. 

 

Hmmmm, when I was in Italy were were “Airborne” tabbed SETAF patch without the SETAF scroll.  Was there for the Achille Lauro hijacking when it got back into Genova.

good times.

[seanmc1114]

Members of the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry in 1971 wearing the I Field Force Vietnam SSI. The battalion remained in Vietnam after the rest of the 4th Infantry Division left in 1970.

 

Note the soldier in the last photo is wearing the less common style of the subdued IFFV SSI with the upper right half of the shield being black rather than olive green. The more common variety with a black sword and band on a fully olive green shield is shown for comparison.

 

 

 

[seanmc1114]

Members of the Mortar Platoon of Company C 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry in 1971 wearing the I Field Force Vietnam SSI. Note the pocket patch.

[seanmc1114]

Members of the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry in 1971 wearing the I Field Force Vietnam SSI while on patrol.

[seanmc1114]

More members of the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry in 1971 wearing the less common variety I Field Force Vietnam SSI.

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 9/10/2013 at 3:33 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

 

More USN Salvors in Vietnam patches from my archives

 

Chief Salvage Officers at their Headquarters in Saigon

Naval Advisory Group

 

Same as Above

 

 

......and a Bonus photo

 

NAG & HCU-1 Divers at the HA(L)-3 Det-1 Base

 

That's right

 

Naval Advisory Group

Harbor Clearance Unit One

Seawolves

 

 

Harbor Clearance Unit One (HCU-1) Reenlistment 1971

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[seanmc1114]

Two members of the same squad of the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry on patrol in 1971. Note one is wearing a U.S. made merrowed edge suebdued I Field Force Vietnam SSI while the other is wearing a firsat issued subdued twill variety.

[patches]

One Brig Gen Andrew G. Skalkos when he was Commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade (Sep) Ohio National Guard in 1979 say, he was Skipper from 1978 to 1984. Not much on him oddly enough, we see what looks like a CIB under the lower lapel there, WWII we should think, with his WWII Campaign ribbon hidden as well.

[SFC]

[Ranger-1972]

6 hours ago, patches said:

One Brig Gen Andrew G. Skalkos when he was Commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade (Sep) Ohio National Guard in 1979 say, he was Skipper from 1978 to 1984. Not much on him oddly enough, we see what looks like a CIB under the lower lapel there, WWII we should think, with his WWII Campaign ribbon hidden as well.

BG Andrew Gus Skalkos (born 17 Mar 1925 in Salem, Columbiana, OH; died 13 Feb 1994 in Hamilton, Butler, OH; buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Hamilton, OH).  Enlisted in the US Army on 3 Jul 1943 at the age of 18.  Served during the Korean War, though not in Korea as there is no star on his CIB.  Commanded the 73d Brigade, 38th Infantry Division from 1975-1977 and the 73d Separate Infantry Brigade from 1978-1984.  Skalkos was known for his trademark cigars and flying a Greek Flag on his jeep, a nod to his Greek ancestry.  On 1 Mar 1977, the 73d Inf Bde, 38th Inf Div was reorganized as a Separate (non-divisional) brigade.  Skalkos married Mary Charles (Revelos) Skaklos (born 10 Oct 1928 in Middleton, OH; died 1 Mar 2018 in Hamilton, Butler, OH; buried in Greenwood Cemetery next to her husband).

 

In the 21 Nov 1975 photos showing BG Skalkos wearing Dress Blues at the ceremony in which Captain Robert F. Rice (second from left), outgoing commanding officer of Company B, 113th Engineer Battalion, was presented the Meritorious Service Medal, you can clearly see Skalkos' CIB.

 

[patches]

Ranger-1972 Thanks for posting that, this was on a Facebook page on him right, Curious indeed it makes no mention of Skalkos' service in WWII.

[seanmc1114]

Lieutenant Colonel Ross Wilson, 1st Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment 10th Mountain Division posing for a photo at division headquarters near Lake Garda, Italy... Summer of 1945. Note he is wearing the ribbon of the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for service on Kiska in the Aleutian Islands in 1943. 

[patches]

An earlier one when the MOUNTAIN Tab was not out yet.

 

Division Commander General Hays presenting an unidentified Lieutenant Colonel with either a SS or a BS, who wears no tab at this time, Spring of 45.

 

 

[seanmc1114]

On 12/20/2022 at 8:45 AM, seanmc1114 said:

Lieutenant Colonel Ross Wilson, 1st Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment 10th Mountain Division posing for a photo at division headquarters near Lake Garda, Italy... Summer of 1945. Note he is wearing the ribbon of the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for service on Kiska in the Aleutian Islands in 1943. 

 

12 hours ago, patches said:

An earlier one when the MOUNTAIN Tab was not out yet.

 

Division Commander General Hays presenting an unidentified Lieutenant Colonel with either a SS or a BS, who wears no tab at this time, Spring of 45.

 

 

I ran across these two images, the first showing the 10th Division headquarters at Camp Hale, Colorado (I believe in 1943), with the suggesation there was an earlier unofficial division insignia before the powder keg with crossed bayonets version was approved in January 1944. Any idea if this was ever worn as a patch?

[Ranger-1972]

On 12/19/2022 at 11:11 PM, patches said:

Ranger-1972 Thanks for posting that, this was on a Facebook page on him right, Curious indeed it makes no mention of Skalkos' service in WWII.

 

I can make out some of his decorations & awards on the picture of him wearing the Green Class A uniform (the angle of the photo where he is wearing his Dress Blues makes it hard to identify the ribbons on his rack).

 

Top row below the CIB appears to be the Army Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal (with OLC). Second row:  Undetermined medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal.  Third row:  undetermined campaign medal, WWII Victory Medal, WWII Army of Occupation Medal.  Fourth row:  NDSM w/ OLC, Ohio NG Distinguished Service Medal, Ohio NG Commendation Medal w/ OLC.  Fifth row:  unknown NG medal, Ohio NG Faithful Service Ribbon w/ 20 years service, Ohio NG Special Service Ribbon w/ star.

 

On the dress blues, you can see he is also wearing the Presidential Unit Citation and Meritorious Unit Citation ribbons.

 

No BSM, SSM, PH, or Korean War medals that I can see.

 

Guessing he was a private / corporal in some unit in 1944-45.  Can't figure the theater at this time.  Maybe someone else can identify the theater campaign medal he is wearing, and whether it has any campaign stars visible.

 

[Collector .45]

On 12/21/2022 at 12:31 PM, seanmc1114 said:

 

I ran across these two images, the first showing the 10th Division headquarters at Camp Hale, Colorado (I believe in 1943), with the suggesation there was an earlier unofficial division insignia before the powder keg with crossed bayonets version was approved in January 1944. Any idea if this was ever worn as a patch?

 

Here is the same design/logo on a Camp Hale Booklet I have in my collection. 

[patches]

Ballistic Missile Agency, this time on Major General John G. Zierdt.

https://history.redstone.army.mil/bio-zierdt.html

[FlyNavy02]

An unidentified Army Air Forces bomber crew taken stateside, all wearing the AAF SSI. Seller acquired photo and a cased WW II Air Medal while set up at an Ohio antique show. He purchased them from the granddaughter of the recipient, the sergeant seated 4th from the left. She said he was a B-24 aerial gunner who was credited with shooting down 2 enemy aircraft. Unfortunately, the dealer failed to get his name! Note the Asian-American staff sergeant aerial gunner seated 2nd from the left. Also the staff sergeant seated 3rd from the left has embellished the border of his SSI with light colored embroidery.

 

[seanmc1114]

First style Sixth Army SSI worn by Master Sergeant Charles Banks, the sergeant major of the 21st Infantry Regiment during World War II. 

[seanmc1114]

Major General John O'Daniel while commanding the 3rd Infantry Division during the Italian Campaign. Note that he is wearing what I believe is a B-10 jacket with his 3rd ID SSI sewn on over the stencilled or ironed-on Army Air Forces insignia.

[seanmc1114]

Major General John O'Daniel commanded the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia from 12 July 1945 to 1 July 1948. If the dates of these photos are correct, he wore at least two different SSI during the assignment. The first photo is identified as being from February 1946 and shows him wearing the Replacement & School Command SSI. The second is identified as being from a 1947 visit to Fort Benning by General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower in which General O'Daniel can be seen wearing the Army Ground Forces SSI.

 

Also note that while the array of his ribbons look the same in both pictures, he is not wearing his Combat Infantryman Badge in the first while he is in the second. Also note that his ribbons are out of order in that he is wearing the Legion Of Merit before the Silvber Star. 

[SFC]

[easterneagle87]

A video of 1970 Recondo School on Facebook that I clipped. Right shoulder color patches, 18th Engineer Brigade and 199th Infantry.