Patches through the mail

[48MMS]

I am sharing a pic of a patch I received from a friend about 22 years ago, the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, New Jersey Air National Guard. What I was curious about was if anyone else has a similar story surrounding the procurement of a patch through the mail from a Squadron/Wing. Back in the 80's I wrote hundreds of units and received about 100 full color patches, mostly from Guard & Reserve units. Yet my attempt to get a 177th FIG patch was always met with the same reply, the patch doesn't exist, has never been worn, thus we have none to give. I'd always get a 119th FIS patch, but no 177th FIG patch. Finally a friend who I lost contact with, knowing this was my most sought after patch at the time, was at Tyndall AFB and saw a pilot wearing one. He managed to secure the "patch that never existed".

[Randy]

I am sharing a pic of a patch I received from a friend about 22 years ago, the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, New Jersey Air National Guard. What I was curious about was if anyone else has a similar story surrounding the procurement of a patch through the mail from a Squadron/Wing. Back in the 80's I wrote hundreds of units and received about 100 full color patches, mostly from Guard & Reserve units. Yet my attempt to get a 177th FIG patch was always met with the same reply, the patch doesn't exist, has never been worn, thus we have none to give. I'd always get a 119th FIS patch, but no 177th FIG patch. Finally a friend who I lost contact with, knowing this was my most sought after patch at the time, was at Tyndall AFB and saw a pilot wearing one. He managed to secure the "patch that never existed".

Al-

That's odd, as these are fairly common! Maybe only those pilots assigned to group level wore it. I know most wore the 119 FIS and the Atlantic City F-106 patch. If you wrote the squadron, that's what they had. Maybe you needed to write the group. Strange to say, but even in the ANG these can have a wall between them as far as knowing what the other has and communicating. You see that all the time in AD between wing/group/sq levels. I'vwe also talked to pilots that said a patch didn't exist, but talk to another and there it is. Unlike us, some guys don't care or want to know.

Randy

[Johnny Signor]

I used to do a lot of the same thing about the same time span too, yeah there were some others that said this/that patch was never made/worn etc and I eventually got them here/there , it's just a matter of persistance and or having friends out looking for you too !

 

That's half the fun of collecting them, there's always one more to find and once you do the 20 more after that etc etc etc , the thrill of the hunt !!!!!!!

Happy collecting all !!!!!!!

[StevenL]

Great story. I'm sure that when you have a patch mailed to you right from the unit you'll always remember where it came from.

[48MMS]

Back then I started my mailing campaign at Hill AFB in 1985, and stopped prior to going to RAF Woodbridge in 1986. I did however continue the quest for that patch, and although they may be common now, back then was not the case, at least within my collecting circles.