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

[seanmc1114]

A couple of members of the 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders) wearing the patch of the 2nd Marine Division on their lower right sleeves. As several hundred of the Marauders volunteers came from veterans of the Guadalcanal and Solomons campaigns, these two had probably served with the American Division on Guadalcanal.

[seanmc1114]

4th Infantry Division

[patches]

Now with the MOUNTAIN Tab

[patches]

Ryukus Command being worn in South Vietnam, unit detachment from the Okinawa based  7TH PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS GROUP,

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

On 1/8/2023 at 2:09 PM, seanmc1114 said:

A couple of members of the 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders) wearing the patch of the 2nd Marine Division on their lower right sleeves. As several hundred of the Marauders volunteers came from veterans of the Guadalcanal and Solomons campaigns, these two had probably served with the American Division on Guadalcanal.

 

Interesting to see the uniform being worn by these soldiers.  The two on the flanks in the first photo are wearing the enlisted man's leather belt.  That, like the officer's Sam Browne belt, was discontinued in 1942 to save leather.  This photo is clearly later than that, because the T-5 on the right has overseas stripes depicting 2.5 years in combat (which would indicate the photo was taken in 1945).  Presume they dug their pre-WWII OD uniforms out of their duffle bags, complete with the leather belt.

 

2nd 

[Ranger-1972]

2nd Marine Division was on Guadalcanal from 7 Aug 1942 through 8 Feb 1943.  

 

I've seen Soldiers wearing the Americal Division as their combat SSI (top of the right sleeve) and the Marine 2nd Division patch on the left cuff, indicating they were supporting / attached to the Marines during the fighting on Guadalcanal.  That seems to have been an 'unofficial' action by Soldiers, as I've never seen any US Army policy on wearing a USMC division patch on the cuff in addition to (or in lieu of) a US Army combat SSI.

 

See Americal Division Uniform - UNIFORMS - U.S. Militaria Forum (usmilitariaforum.com)

 

[Ranger-1972]

4 minutes ago, Ranger-1972 said:

2nd Marine Division was on Guadalcanal from 7 Aug 1942 through 8 Feb 1943.  

 

I've seen Soldiers wearing the Americal Division as their combat SSI (top of the right sleeve) and the Marine 2nd Division patch on the left cuff, indicating they were supporting / attached to the Marines during the fighting on Guadalcanal.  That seems to have been an 'unofficial' action by Soldiers, as I've never seen any US Army policy on wearing a USMC division patch on the cuff in addition to (or in lieu of) a US Army combat SSI.

 

See Americal Division Uniform - UNIFORMS - U.S. Militaria Forum (usmilitariaforum.com)

 

Correction to my last post.  Back on 19 Sep 2012, dogfacedsoldier wrote:

 

"The Americal was authorized to wear the 2nd Marine patch as a battle flash. Americal units were among the first Army units to fight on Gaudacanal. Authorized by the Marines and Army for their wear. You also find this flash on 147th Inf. (Ohio NG and the 169th Inf. of the 43rd Division. I used to collect Americal uniforms heavily and I had examples from the 147th and 169th with the flash on the sleeve. Any units which were apart of CAM were also authorized to wear the flash. Army regs authorized a sleeve to for placement of the battle flash. I've also seen the battle flash worn on shirt sleeves from Americal units. I've heard the 147th was authroized an Iwo Jima arc, but I'm not sure. I saw that in a bunch of paperwork from a 147th vet."

[tredhed2]

45 minutes ago, Ranger-1972 said:

Correction to my last post.  Back on 19 Sep 2012, dogfacedsoldier wrote:

 

"The Americal was authorized to wear the 2nd Marine patch as a battle flash. Americal units were among the first Army units to fight on Gaudacanal. Authorized by the Marines and Army for their wear. You also find this flash on 147th Inf. (Ohio NG and the 169th Inf. of the 43rd Division. I used to collect Americal uniforms heavily and I had examples from the 147th and 169th with the flash on the sleeve. Any units which were apart of CAM were also authorized to wear the flash. Army regs authorized a sleeve to for placement of the battle flash. I've also seen the battle flash worn on shirt sleeves from Americal units. I've heard the 147th was authroized an Iwo Jima arc, but I'm not sure. I saw that in a bunch of paperwork from a 147th vet."

 

CAM - Composite Army-Marine Division

[seanmc1114]

75th Infantry Brigade with AIRBORNE tab - 1976. I have seen this SSI for decades, but I never thought the unit actually existed. It is clearly derived from the insignia of Merrill's Marauders and the flash, oval and DUI's are those of the 75th Infantry (Ranger).

[seanmc1114]

19 hours ago, Ranger-1972 said:

 

Interesting to see the uniform being worn by these soldiers.  The two on the flanks in the first photo are wearing the enlisted man's leather belt.  That, like the officer's Sam Browne belt, was discontinued in 1942 to save leather.  This photo is clearly later than that, because the T-5 on the right has overseas stripes depicting 2.5 years in combat (which would indicate the photo was taken in 1945).  Presume they dug their pre-WWII OD uniforms out of their duffle bags, complete with the leather belt.

 

2nd 

FDR greets officers and men of the 6th Ranger Battalion in the Oval Office - March 8, 1945. Note the staff sergeant second from left wearing the leather belt.

[eaglerunner88]

1 hour ago, seanmc1114 said:

FDR greets officers and men of the 6th Ranger Battalion in the Oval Office - March 8, 1945. Note the staff sergeant second from left wearing the leather belt.

Great photo. Regarding the leather belt, it's not as if it was against regulation to wear it. Soldiers basically had the option, same for the M-1937 class A jacket vs the "new" IKE jacket, which it why you also see a wide array of tailored 4-pocket cutdowns.

[patches]

2nd of the 5th Cav September 70

[MWalsh]

Not sure if anyone has ever posted these photos before, but here are some pics of the 87th Infantry Division patch being worn and used on their round soft field hats. Can't remember the name or term for this hat - "Daisy Mae" hat maybe? Anyway, these were from an 87th Division booklet about their 1943 time forming up and training up in the USA before going overseas.  

 

I had not personally ever seen a unit wear patches on their soft hats like this, nor have I ever seen an actual hat with the patch sewn on, not from WW2 anyway. 

 

 

[seanmc1114]

15 minutes ago, MWalsh said:

Not sure if anyone has ever posted these photos before, but here are some pics of the 87th Infantry Division patch being worn and used on their round soft field hats. Can't remember the name or term for this hat - "Daisy Mae" hat maybe? Anyway, these were from an 87th Division booklet about their 1943 time forming up and training up in the USA before going overseas.  

 

I had not personally ever seen a unit wear patches on their soft hats like this, nor have I ever seen an actual hat with the patch sewn on, not from WW2 anyway. 

 

 

In Vietnam, Bonnie caps - both official issued U.S. made and theater made versions - were often worn with SSI on the tops.

[patches]

General David L. Ruffner, 10th Mountain Division Artillery Commander July 45.

[patches]

95th Division, note another example of wearing the Crossed Rifles from a Screwback Disc on the Garrison Cap.

[patches]

WASP Virginia Sweet wearing some kind of WASP patch on the jacket, Sweet would gain a Reserve Air Force Commission in 1949 and would be called to active duty during the Korean War for 5 Years, going back to the Reserves after this, would retire in 1979, as a Lieutenant Colonel, a total of 30 Years Air Force service.

[rd12]

The patch depicts"Fifinella", a character created by Walt Disney. Originally intended as a movie character, she was adopted as the WASP mascot.

 

[patches]

Thanks rd.

 

Here's a great page about the patch.

 

https://cafriseabove.org/the-wasp/wasp-history/fifinella/

[Ranger-1972]

Full-color 101st Abn Div SSI and full-color Ranger tab worn by MG Jospeh P. McGee, right, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during the uncasing of the division colors in a ceremony at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, on 30 July 2022.  Helping the CG is Division Command Sergeant Major Veronica Knapp.  The ceremony officially marked the arrival of the Screaming Eagles to the European theater in support of V Corps, America’s Forward Deployed Corps, who oversee all rotational forces in Europe.  In all, the division sent ~4,000 troopers (mostly from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team) to Romania, and they are still there.  Another BCT from the division will replace 2nd BCT in the next two months, with the Pentagon announcing that the deployment of US ground forces to Romania has been extended for another nine months.

 

Second photo shows a detachment from an A Battery, 1-320 Field Artillery (supporting the division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team) marching in Romania's National Independence Day parade on 1 December 2022.

 

 

[Rhscott]

3 hours ago, Ranger-1972 said:

Full-color 101st Abn Div SSI and full-color Ranger tab worn by MG Jospeh P. McGee, right, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during the uncasing of the division colors in a ceremony at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, on 30 July 2022.  Helping the CG is Division Command Sergeant Major Veronica Knapp.  The ceremony officially marked the arrival of the Screaming Eagles to the European theater in support of V Corps, America’s Forward Deployed Corps, who oversee all rotational forces in Europe.  In all, the division sent ~4,000 troopers (mostly from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team) to Romania, and they are still there.  Another BCT from the division will replace 2nd BCT in the next two months, with the Pentagon announcing that the deployment of US ground forces to Romania has been extended for another nine months.

 

Second photo shows a detachment from an A Battery, 1-320 Field Artillery (supporting the division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team) marching in Romania's National Independence Day parade on 1 December 2022.

 

 

Does not take long for all the combat vets to be cycled out; none seen in that platoon.  Also the same mix of ACOGs, M2&M4CCOs that we had in 2012….likely the same M4s too…..all the new ones left in Afghanistan and given to Ukraine.  War paint seem to be in vogue again too.

[Linedoggie]

4 hours ago, Ranger-1972 said:

Full-color 101st Abn Div SSI and full-color Ranger tab worn by MG Jospeh P. McGee, right, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during the uncasing of the division colors in a ceremony at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, on 30 July 2022.  Helping the CG is Division Command Sergeant Major Veronica Knapp.  The ceremony officially marked the arrival of the Screaming Eagles to the European theater in support of V Corps, America’s Forward Deployed Corps, who oversee all rotational forces in Europe.  In all, the division sent ~4,000 troopers (mostly from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team) to Romania, and they are still there.  Another BCT from the division will replace 2nd BCT in the next two months, with the Pentagon announcing that the deployment of US ground forces to Romania has been extended for another nine months.

 

Second photo shows a detachment from an A Battery, 1-320 Field Artillery (supporting the division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team) marching in Romania's National Independence Day parade on 1 December 2022.

 

All that pretty camo face paint and gear

 

Spoiled by the shiny aluminum because it aint cool to use the rail covers, SMH

[Ranger-1972]

All the other military formations in the Romanian Independence Day parade were wearing some version of their dress uniforms.  The U.S. platoon was wearing field uniforms with battle rattle and war paint.  The parade was in Bucharest, 180 miles from the Ukrainian border.

 

 

 

 

 

Even the French unit wasn't wearing their field uniforms in the parade.

 

 

[patches]

104th Training Division DS'. The one on the left is curious, a Non Infantry 3rd ACR Vet with a CAB, yet he wears the Inf Blue Disc with his Cap Device.

[Ranger-1972]

9 hours ago, patches said:

104th Training Division DS'. The one on the left is curious, a Non Infantry 3rd ACR Vet with a CAB, yet he wears the Inf Blue Disc with his Cap Device.

 

3d ACR consists of three squadrons of Stryker infantry and one reon squadron.  Presume he was infantry when he deployed with the Regiment to Iraq. The days of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment being a tank-heavy unit are long gone.  It is effectively a motorized infantry brigade (with organic artillery and engineer support).