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'Nam Era Patch???


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Can anyone help me out here? Is it even military? It came with a bunch of 'nam era militaria but, I'm at a loss to ID it.

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Scott,

 

Looks like an early variant of the jacket patch for the USS Forrest Sherman DD 931 lead ship of the Forrest Sherman class of destroyers. Although there were two experimental ships built before this class was know as the first new post WW2 destroyers and the last of the gunboats all guns no missles. I think, the finest looking tincans in the fleet although the new destroyers with the angled superstructures look great also.

 

As a personal side note, I have been working for several years on a set of these patches and would be horribly dissapointed if I did not get a shot at it when it is time to go.

 

John

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I agree with John about it looking Navy although I don't know what unit. That is a Navy Commission Pennant on the patch, showing four stars.

 

Steve Hesson

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Sorry if I left the impression that I was guessing or speculating.

Top, I'm pretty sure you know what you are tlaking about. I didn't know what it was for sure and didn't want to seem like I did. The doubt is all on me Ship Mate, Beutiful patch. I agree that the original patch of this thread is an older version of the patch. I've seen lots of Navy patches that don't have any identifing verbage on them. From what I understand, these patches are going away for ships and shore units since there is nothing left to wear them on with the new cammie coretex parkas. Too Bad, I always loved these things. I asked my son to pick me up some, (his command especially) and he said they arn't around anymore except for Aviation Squadrons.

 

And, I agree, the Forest Shermans were beutiful ships. I remember operating with Turner Joy, Morton and Edson which had not been converted by the time they were decommissioned. I was always sort of jealous looking at them steaming at flank they way they would dig in their sterns and toss up a bow wave. They just looked dangerous. I was on a Charles F. Adams DDG, the Henry B. Wilson which was also a good looking 'Can, but the "Shermans just looked like real Destroyers with the guns.

 

Any way, great patch.

 

Steve (Permanately beached in Kentucky and missing my Navy every day) Hesson

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Thanks a lot guys. By the way, if a ship can be beautiful, these definitely are. ;)

fpscolor.jpg

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Sorry Steve, did'nt mean to rip on you. These ships had what I remember being called a hurricane bow very similar to the BB's. The tincans today do not have them now but they had to be good as I remember standing aft of the after gunmount taking pictures of the USCG cutter running along side us practicing unrep at Gitmo and the cutter guys were up to their knees in water and I was bumbed about the sea spray on the same level. They were low enough that during muster at man overboard we had to moveinboard a bit because of the seawater washing in beyond the lifelines, but that is what being a tincan sailor is all about.

John

 

Thanks Steve for digging up the pic of the dirtty D

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That pennant depicted could also be the Homeward Bound Pennant. Commissioning pennants have 7 stars and it would seem that they all would be displayed if embroidered into a patch. A homeward bound pennant would only have the number of stars to represent the extended months of deployment (past the initial 9 months).

 

Since this patch is seen with both the ship name and without any specific unit mark, I tend to lean more toward the HBP rather than it being a CP.

 

Just a theory.

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Sorry Steve, did'nt mean to rip on you. These ships had what I remember being called a hurricane bow very similar to the BB's. The tincans today do not have them now but they had to be good as I remember standing aft of the after gunmount taking pictures of the USCG cutter running along side us practicing unrep at Gitmo and the cutter guys were up to their knees in water and I was bumbed about the sea spray on the same level. They were low enough that during muster at man overboard we had to moveinboard a bit because of the seawater washing in beyond the lifelines, but that is what being a tincan sailor is all about.

John

 

Thanks Steve for digging up the pic of the dirtty D

 

 

I dug those old DDGs...and the Forest Shermans were almost all gone when I hit the fleet.

 

I am partial to the CGs (Tico class).

post-9529-1280119975.jpg

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I needs to be remembered that in creating a ships logo or crest acuracy is not always paramount. This logo was created in the late 50's and many times by enlisted members of the crew I am am sure that it is the CP.

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Should have held my comment on this one, it is the commisioning pennant. Only 4 stars are shown to represent the Admirals rank and the red/white portion forms the letter S. Did a little digging at the ships website.

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Should have held my comment on this one, it is the commisioning pennant. Only 4 stars are shown to represent the Admirals rank and the red/white portion forms the letter S. Did a little digging at the ships website.

When I first saw the patch, I pretty much thought the four stars signified the Admirals rank, didn't notice the "S". There's just something about Tin Cans. I went from a Carrier to an old Garcia Class FF, the Bradley (FF-1041), talk about a "Life style change" :crying: To be honest, I had my own bucket that I hooked on a cleat in the middle of the Signal Bridge so I always knew where it was while I was on watch. I remeber those days when we'd nose into a wave and take green water over the bridge. One day I really was focused on something, and came out of the signal shack without "being in the rythem". I stept out, realized we were taking a wave over the 03 level, turned to get back in the shack and caught the wave full in the back. Luckily I was hanging onto a door dog and kept my footing, but spent the rest of a 6 hour watch in sea water soaked dungarees. Great Days :thumbsup:

 

Steve Hesson

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post-2104-1280152478.jpg

post-2104-1280152498.jpg

 

Here are the fron and backs of two DESRON 13 patches. The one without wording is from the late 1950s/1960s. The other is late 1970s'1980s. The older one was my fathers, the newer one mine. Both "Official", just different due to time of manufacture. I like the older one best.

 

Steve Hesson

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post-2104-1280152696.jpg

 

these are patched from USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7). I bought both of these in the ships store during an 18 month tour aboard. Different, but the same. The one on the left is the older style. For awhile there, the Navy seemed to go into this world where all the patches had to be the same basic rectangle shape.

 

Steve Hesson

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