1950's-1960's USAF fighter squadron patches | FerrariChat

1950's-1960's USAF fighter squadron patches

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by ralfabco, May 19, 2009.

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  1. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #1 ralfabco, May 19, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Here are a few original cloth patches, from my collection.



    336th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Rocketeers), One of three squadrons from the famous 4th Fighter Group. The 4th F.G. Mig killers, has it's roots from the Eagle sq's of WW II. Korea, 1950-1953 F-86A,E, and F

    45th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Sidi Slimane A.B., French Morocco 1952-1953 F-86F

    36th Fighter Bomber Squadron (Flying Fiends), 8th Fighter Group, K-13 Korea, 1951 F-80C

    47th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Spade) Niagara Falls, New York 1953 F-86F

    5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Lynx), 52nd F.I.G., Mitchell AFB, N.J. 1952 F-94B

    59th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Bat), Goose Bay Labradore and Thule A.B. Greenland - including the Thule Det patch. The 59th det, was active at Thule for less than 1 year. It consisted of a flight of four F-94B's to protect the airfield. The B-47, was only 2,700 miles from Moscow and were capable of attacking targets with only one aerial refueling. 1952, F-94B

    142nd Tac Fighter Squadron (Fighting rooster), DEANG, New Castle Airport Delaware 1958-1962 F-86H

    34th Fighter Day Squadron (Ram), 413th FDW, George AFB CA 1958 F-100C

    387th Fighter Bomber Squadron (Blue Eagle), 312th F.B.W., Cannon AFB N.M. 1958 F-100D

    308th Strategic Fighter Squadron (cartoon character on rocket), 31st Group, Turner AFB, GA 1957 F-84F

    525th Fighter Bomber Squadron (diving eagle), 86th Group, Neiubeberg A.B. W. Germany 1952 F-84E

    416th Tac Fighter Squadron (White Knights), 21st Wing, Misawa A.B. Japan 1958 F-100D

    557th and 558th Tac Fighter Squadrons, 12th Wing, Cam Rahn Bay, S. Vietnam 1965 F-4C
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  2. vonkie

    vonkie Rookie

    Sep 12, 2013
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    Wow, what a great patches!!!! could use them for the collection :)
     
  3. Crawler

    Crawler F1 Veteran

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    What a great piece of history!
     
  4. Dogdish

    Dogdish Formula Junior

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    #4 Dogdish, Sep 13, 2013
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2013
    Nice patches....brought back great memories of my dad, thanks

    My father was in the 558th in Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam. '66 and 67. He passed away a few years ago. I actually made a brass relief of that patch back in grade school or middle school.

    Thanks again for the memories...I'll get my mom to view this thread.

    I think my mom still has a large brass ashtray with all the squadrons in Cam Rahn Bay at that time. Ill ask her.

    Dogdish
     
  5. vonkie

    vonkie Rookie

    Sep 12, 2013
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    It's nice to see that I am not the only person with a patch interest, perhaps anybody with some dups??
     
  6. bushwhacker

    bushwhacker In Memoriam

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    Awesome, thanks for sharing:)
     
  7. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #7 ralfabco, Sep 18, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    What is also kewl, it to talk to the vets. I have also visited a few. Some of the stories are amazing.

    I like the stories. The oldest guy I spoke to is currently 94. Today, an old WW II P-51 pilot has a girlfriend 20 years younger than him. I heard about rushing to a hot B-57 on 22 November 1963 and waiting for the orders. Running Rum in the wing tanks of Twin Mustangs from P.R. to Bergstrom AFB. A cigar chomping general who demanded to fly on-board a B-47 without authorization. A story about jet airliners flying by the DEW Line in the mid 1950's. The radio operator asked the pilot for some Charlie, Uniform, November, Tango. A hot flight attendant picked up the mike in the airplane cockpit and proceeded to 'tease' the hapless all-male scope dopes on the radio :D.





    Marine Fighter Squadron 121 - F8F-1 Bearcat/Able Dogs. NAS Glenview (Chicago). USMCR early 1950's. Called up and fought in the Korean War. Initial cadre were made up of re-called reserve pilots who were sent to MCAS El Toro and were shipped out to Korea with the Able Dogs. The design is known as the Humphrey patch. It is a caricature of the actual CO, from the unit at NAS Glenview.

    Fighter Squadron 701 - F8U-1 Crusader. NAS Dallas. USNR Mid 1960's.

    Marine Night Fighter Squadron 513 - F3D Whale. Korean War. The F3D, was the best night fighter of the war. The Whale escorted B-29 night raids. It had much better legs when compared to the F-94B. At night, they scored Mig-15 kills.

    Bombing Squadron 74 - SB2C Helldiver. "Bomb a Toms" Sewn on original jacket. Just missed WW II. USS Midway 1945/1946 USN.
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  8. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Is that M. Monroe in the last photo?
     
  9. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Yes
     
  10. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    Israel. Thank you for sharing these...fantastic history you are holding!
     
  11. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #11 ralfabco, Mar 23, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    413 Wing, Victorville - F-86H / F-100C - circa 1958 (B.G. Yeager USAF Ret., Sq)

    Enjoy :)

    Ralph
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  12. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    I flew a Fury Eagle a few times at Tyndall...they're still there!
     
  13. Bob Parks

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    I have a bag full of WWII patches that I haven't thought about in a long time.
     
  14. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #14 ralfabco, Mar 24, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017

    I have a few WW II patches. 19th F.S. and 84th F.S. VB-81 (Hell Razors), VB-74, VBF-3, and VBF-20.

    I recently located a patch from VF-96A. I cannot find any information about this squadron on the internet. I would guess, it was a brief post-war USN Reserve unit. I will post a picture of the patch.



    Enclosed, is my Corsair group (it needs to be updated :) ).

    From top left:

    VBF-74 Bombing Fighting 74 (1945).
    VMF-218 (China - 1946) - John Glenn was assigned to this unit. (silk embroidery over felt - hand fabricated in China)
    VMF-511 (Okinawa 1945)
    VBF-4 Bombing Fighting 4 (USS Tarawa 1946)
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  15. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I do apologize for spamming this section with pictures of old badges. Who will show interest in the patches ? My wife and kids do not care :).

    Fortunately or unfortunately, I picked up the habit by chance. While at the U of A, I was a member of the Arizona Air National Guard (Tucson). I had a friend who worked in the parachute shop. Usually at least one or two techs assigned to the parachute shop end up collecting patches. My friend had an entire wall full of displayed patches.

    During the late 80's, I asked my friend for a few patches to add life to a lifeless coffee table. It did not take long to become infected with the disease. A few months later I would drive to Luke and hit up each individual squadron. D.M. was just a few miles down the road. How about a nice little drive ? Miramar, El Toro, Nellis, and Yuma. At the time, I did not even know about the geriatric patches. Those came later. It takes a lot of work to find the old deactivated units.

    I would guess about 25 people worldwide seriously collect these items - from WW II to the end of the Vietnam War. I do network with a few collectors. I want to post one more. A really kewl scarce Cold War patch (circa 1953). The squadron call sign - Rain of Death :D.
     
  16. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Do you have a copy of Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, published by the Office of Air Force History in 1982? It has listings and histories of all the squadrons and images of their unit patch, many of which continued into the 50s and 60s.

    As an example, my father was in the 525th FBS (Bulldogs), 86th FBG in WW-II flying P-47Ds and the book has the history and aircraft flown through 1960 when the 525th FIS was flying F-102s.

    ABEBooks.com has several copies for around $10 and an E-Book download available for $5. 841 pages.
     
  17. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Terry,

    Yes, I had this book a few years ago. The book is a good resource.

    https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Squadrons-Air-Force-World/dp/B008TBG5KQ

    I posted (^^^) a photo of my original 525th Fighter Bomber Squadron patch from the F-84E era. It should be almost identical to the patch worn during WW II. During 1950, the 86th Wing converted from the F-47N (Post-war) to the F-84E. The 525th updated to the Bulldog design, with the conversion to the F-86F - along with the 526th design.

    I have not located a 527th FBS patch. It has a buzzard holding a shotgun. The 527th became the 461st Fighter Day Sq - Deadly Jesters when they converted from the F-84E to the F-86F.

    Ralph
     
  18. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Ralph- Did not know the patch changed later. They just showed the Bulldog in the book.

    Not too many units with P/F-47Ns. That aircraft was built with the PTO in mind. Would have been more useful in Korea than the P/F-51Ds they used for CAS.
     
  19. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Some of then served with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard (which had the unfortunate abbreviation of PRANG) before I lived down there.
     
  20. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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  21. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #21 ralfabco, Mar 26, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    USAF 0500-0525 - 525th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - US Military Patches

    Terry,

    This is the F-86F/D era patch. I do not have this example. Some minor variations do exist. This website is an excellent resource. A few items I have posted to the board.

    I heard the F-47 was not sent to Korea, due to a lack of spare parts. (This is the story I heard). I assume you heard the same explanation.

    Jim,


    Nice book.

    Immediate Post WW-II ANG units were set up with the F-47 on the East coast and the P-51 on the West Coast. Texas and Oklahoma had F-51's. Georgia and Tennessee had the Jugs. Most units had the Mustangs

    A few regular A.F. squadrons also flew surplus Jugs - Grenier Field (96th Wing) and Hickham (81st Wing). A few E. Coast ANG units were federalized during the Korean War and also flew Jugs in the CONUS.

    The PR ANG were assigned all of the great airplanes of the era :D.

    Ralph





    I picked up these two salty example from a vet. The Aviator flew with VF-124 (1955) and was assigned to the USS Hancock and flew the F7U Cutlass on the maiden cruise for the jet. The joke: Westinghouse toasters produced more heat than the engines installed on the Cutlass ;). The kewl looking Cutlass was not around for long.
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  22. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    I built a model of the Cutlass when I was a kid. One of my favorites.

    Even on the model the nose gear strut kept breaking, just like the real thing.

    Good engines and a shorter nose gear and it might have been a decent aircraft.
     
  23. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #23 ralfabco, Apr 7, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Kewl.

    The F7U-3 is one of my favorites.

    I built quite a few models in grade school. I hope the Revell glue did not kill too many brain cells ;). I heard a lot of the issues with the Cutlass had been resolved by the last cruise, and it was a success. It was to late. The Navy was more interested in the 'HOT' F8U-1.

    Enclosed is a group of eclectic patches - including two original torpedo squadrons. Upper left hand corner - VT-4 (circa 1946 - USS Tarawa Worldwide Cruise) and VMTB-623 (the Turkey running down the aircraft carrier).

    In addition, I posted (in my opinion) the 'kewlest" designed patch from Cold War I - 559th Strategic Fighter Squadron. They flew out of Bergstrom AFB and were assigned both the F-84E and F-84F. Circa 1953. The late COL George Bud Day USAF Ret., flew with the 559th S.F.S. The unit deactivated in 1958. Call sign: Rain of Death :D. Thanks for looking.
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