cap volunteer Nov-Dec 06 10/31/06 10:53 AM Page 42

Patches Provide
Identity, Pride
By Lenore Vickrey

T
hroughout Civil Air the initials “U.S.” were added. “This were created from cut pieces of leather
Patrol’s history, patches was in case any of our Coastal Patrol and designs were painted on them.
worn on uniforms have fliers were captured, they would be As wings were formed, patches were
been a source of pride treated as belligerents instead of civil- designed for each wing.
for CAP members, ians,” Schell said. “Starting in 1948, various wings
from cadets to generals. The small Very early, patches were made submitted designs for wing
pieces of identifying fabric or leather with a cut edge, Schell said. patches for national recog-
have been created for wings, as well as “They embroidered on it, then nition and official
units and squadrons. They have also cut around the approval,” said CAP
been crafted for special activities, such patch.” Now, patches This National Historian Col.
as for recovery of the Space Shuttle have what is called a 5-inch Lenny Blascovich. It was
Columbia in Texas and special counter merrowed edge or a chenille stipulated that officially
drug missions. “rolled edge,” with a patch, sanctioned patches were to
protective molding of designed by cartoonist Zack be worn on the right shoul-
“It’s the esprit de corps that patches
thread around them Mosley, was worn by CAP der, with the left shoulder
provide that makes them so important,”
to prevent raveling. Coastal Patrol crews at Base bearing the CAP officer or
said Lt. Col. William Schell, CAP’s
The cut edge is one 17, Suffolk, Long Island. cadet patch. Later, unit
national curator. “It brings out the spirit
of competition. You’re proud of your way collectors can tell patches were allowed to be
unit, and you want to show it off.” the age of a patch and the other is the worn on the breast, with activity patch-
More than 1,200 patches have type of fabric used. es on the shoulder.
been created since 1942, when “Earlier patches were made Patches from some wings contain
the first CAP patch entirely of cotton, which, items associated with those states, such
was made, accord- CAP’s first when held under ultraviolet as the geographic outline of
ing to Schell. “No shoulder light, does not glow. the state or some animal
one knows how patch The man-made or national monument
many patches have featured a generic Civil fibers glow,” said located in the state. The
been made, but Defense blue circle and a white Schell. patch of the Arizona
certainly many triangle with a red propeller. Older patches were Wing, for example, was
more than the also made with a designed in 1953 by a
approximately 1,200 we are presently looser weave, and some were Navajo as a way to thank
aware of,” he said. even made with chenille, a loop the wing for flying his
A Navajo designed the
The first CAP patch featured the stitch formed on the top side of young daughter to
Arizona Wing patch as a
generic Civil Defense blue circle with a fabric using heavy yarn. In Phoenix so she could
gesture of appreciation
white triangle and a red propeller. Later, addition, some early patches be treated for polio.

Civil Air Patrol Volunteer 42 November-December 2006

cap volunteer Nov-Dec 06 10/31/06 10:53 AM Page 43

Wing Public Affairs Officer Capt. Joyce Schell’s collection was once worn on a part of CAP histo-
Kienitz said the patch has a thunder- proud pilot’s leather The Puerto ry. Schell is com-
bird, a symbol of good luck, as the pri- flight jacket. Rico Wing piling a catalog of
mary design. Its gray and blue body In 1980, the shoulder patch, all other CAP
represents the color of CAP aircraft, North Central authorized Dec. insignia and anoth-
and its wings are shaped to look like a Region decided to 1, 1950, captures er of just unit and
building or hospital while the tail repre- replace its wing the island’s flavor. special activity patches.
sents the wings and stabilizers of an air- patches with a plain He requests anyone with
craft. The “V” in the middle represents arc patch like those being worn by the unit patches to e-mail him at
the many landing fields of the regions themselves, Schell said, awmschell@verizon.net to ensure
Navajo reservation. The but this was disapproved by theirs is included.
black to the north repre- CAP National Headquarters. Browning maintains a Web site
sents an evil spirit; the At least two wings, Min- dedicated to CAP patches at
white to the nesota and Missouri, had www.incountry.us/cappatches/index.html
Some
east represents some patches created before and says he knows of at least 10 active
CAP
the rising sun; the disapproval. patch collectors.
patches
the blue to the Other patches have “My collecting started as a cadet
take a
south repre- humorous components, when a neighboring unit got a new
humorous
sents the heav- such as the Nevada Wing’s patch and I wanted to get one for my
approach, as does
ens; and the Sahara Hotel Squadron unit!” said Browning. “In the process of
this Nevada Wing Sahara Hotel
yellow to the from the 1960s. “As they developing my unit’s patch, I bought
Squadron patch from the 1960s. The
west the set- were sponsored by the one of the other unit’s patches I think
desert theme is evident in the font
ting sun. Sahara Hotel, they used were being sold as a fundraiser. I liked
and in the French Foreign Legion
Other arabesque-style lettering the idea of having unique patches to
uniform on Pluto, the cartoon canine.
wings have and placed Pluto (the car- identify a member of a particular unit
similarly dis- toon dog) in a French For- to bring unity and esprit de corps to
tinctive patches. Hawaii’s wing patch eign Legion uniform complete The Task Force Columbia members who
contains a pineapple, a horse adorns the with a French kepi,” said Schell. mission patch proudly
Kentucky patch, while an eagle grabs an When CAP members per- solemnly wore
ear of corn on Iowa’s patch. On the form a special service, patches commemorates them.
South Dakota patch, the familiar presi- have often been designed to the Texas Wing’s “It
dential faces of Mount Rushmore are commemorate the event, such as recovery of Space wasn’t
seen. the work done by CAP during Shuttle Columbia until
Connecticut was the first wing to the disastrous Mississippi River debris. The shuttle was lost years later,
adopt a wing patch, according to Schell. floods of 1993, and recovery over the skies of Texas on after I started
“They designed work in Texas follow- Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven collecting
The Connecticut
their ‘flying pup’ ing the tragic disin- astronauts on board. CAP patches,
Wing designed
patch during the tegration of the that I realized
this “flying pup”
early part of Space Shuttle Columbia. I wasn’t just enjoying a hobby by
patch during
World War II,” For some CAP mem- myself,” he said. “I was also providing
the early part of
he said. The bers, like Schell and Maj. a different kind of service to CAP
World War II. This
large, well-worn Ace Browning of the Minneso- and its members — preserving a part
large, well-worn painted-on-
painted-on ta Wing, collecting patches has of our organization’s history that
leather patch once adorned a
leather patch become a major hobby and a might have otherwise been lost and
proud pilot’s leather flight jacket.
that is part of way to preserve an important forgotten.” ▲

Civil Air Patrol Volunteer 43 November-December 2006