Pocket Patches...
During the Vietnam War basically all units
created and wore their own pocket patch. The patch was generally of local
manufacture and was worn sewn on the fatigue or flight suit right upper pocket
or encased in plastic and suspended on the khaki
or Dress Green pocket button. The 281st designed a Company patch and
patches for the individual platoons and some sections. The first four
designs were submitted by WO Donald McCoig (KIA). The McCoig prototype
patches are presented below as well as the patch eventually adopted by the
281st. There are also variations of the original patch shown as well.
NOTE: As these images are
actually scans of the original patches, the files were kept large enough to show
the detail.
The above patch design uses the
lighting bolt from 5th SFG and the delta associated with Project Delta.
The above patch
design while having the same basic shape of the first patch is slightly larger
and has the Company callsign "Intruders" added at the top.
This patch is
closer in design to the patch that was eventually selected, notice it still has
the Project Delta patch included in its design.
This patch is a
variation of the patch just above with 281st AHC added, but still has the
references to Special Forces and Project Delta.
This patch was
adopted in 1967 as the official patch of the 281st AHC. Note the absence
of the Special Forces and Project Delta references. It is shown in the
unit histories as being submitted to the US Army Department of
Heraldry. The designer of the patch is unknown.
In 1968 this variation of the
Intruder patch appeared. The Project Delta patch reappeared and the torch
and stars disappeared. Also the bar color was changed from the Vietnam
colors to solid red. There is no documentation of a change in the
official designed submitted to the Department of Heraldry, but this design was
worn as a patch and displayed on the Company Headquarters and Operations signs.
By 1969 and
through the units inactivation in 1970, the above patch design was used.
It is the basically the same as the design seen in 1968 but with a little better
art work on the helicopter.
This is the design that was adopted by the 281st AHC Association as its official
logo.