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Many Sailors assigned and embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) don and collect patches that represent their squadron or ship via an artistic means.
“Collecting patches became a hobby for me after my first deployment,” said Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Juan Ruiz, from Oakland, California. “The deployment was so unique. I wanted to capture the memory with a patch. Our deployment was during the time when COVID was spreading, and one of the patches being sold was a play on COVID with a beer logo. I had to get it.”
Some of the earliest expressions of military patches on uniforms came from the American Civil War. Both union and confederate soldiers bore patches on their caps, sleeves and shirts to show allegiance to their unit. Every patch was crafted by hand.
After the war, the industrial revolution changed everything. The invention of the sewing machine and the powered embroidery machine made it possible to make embroidered patches quickly and consistently.
By World War I, machine embroidery was common. After the U.S. joined the war in 1917, the Army’s 81st Division created its first tactical patch for their division, and considered by many to be the trend setter for other military branches.
During World War II, Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Studios were commissioned to design over 1,000 patch insignias for the U.S. military. Those insignias featured many Disney characters depicted in both comedic and serious wartime scenarios.
Over time, military patches have evolved into an essential piece of the military uniform. Today, patches in the armed forces are commonly used to identify department, infantry, division, squadron, callsign, corps, detail, tour, strike group or associations. They often bear a symbol that is representative of the history of a unit, a moment, or local connection to the group wearing the patch.
“I work with ammunition, so I collect morale patches that have bombs or explosives,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Chance Giddins, from Atlanta. “I just started buying patches here on the ship since we work alongside the squadrons.”
Across the ship during chow hours, you often see Sailors selling and buying and trading patches. Some of those patches are purchased to support the respective organizations and departments. Some of those same patches even have a story to tell.
For instance, many Sailors assigned to the “Black Knights” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 wear or own a patch with a toilet in place of a bomb. During the Vietnam War, to commemorate the six millionth pound of ordnance dropped, Sailors then assigned to VFA-25 affixed a toilet to an A-1H Skyraider prior to deploying it. The patch pays tribute to that moment in time.
As we look at patches of the past, we can see the influence they have on our military today. They often display honor, history and pride for the legacies of the military we serve today. Patches have evolved overtime and the history behind them continues to be alive today.
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2024 03:02 |
| Story ID: | 466713 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Patch of History, by PO2 Rashan Jefferson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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